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Think Agri Real Insights

Season 3, Episode 13

April 2022

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Introduction

Welcome back to another episode of Think Agri Real Insights and a warm hello to those that have recently joined us. The year seems to be flying by and there is a high chance you’re underway with winter cropping.  This month we concentrate on simplifying the thinking and problem solving, while keeping an eye on the metrics that matter.

In this episode of Think Agri REAL Insights:

• Topic 1 uses patterns to unravel the complexity of what really drives profit and what factors are under your control.
• Topic 2 uses the pattern of plant available water capture convert and collect to filter and focus on the must do tasks.  
• Topic 3 paints the picture of creating a four star experience for your emerging crop and how to avoid low ratings through training operators and aiming for understanding and power behind the why.

You will find suggestions for action for those who want to go that one step further and all audio is accessible while on the road if it suits.

It’s up to you, how involved you want to get.

Stay well, farm well.

Kate

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Introduction

The year so far has shown commodity prices at a high and yield potential is promising, with no sign of any nasty climate indicators (yet). At the same time, the Ukraine situation and Covid continue to disrupt the supply chain, which adds an uncomfortable risk. It may be tempting to load up on high priced commodity crops like canola, or crop every paddock on the farm. Yet, history and the law of diminishing returns means that farm business in reality is not so simple.  As we know, every farm is different which adds to the complexity.  Maybe it’s just me, but this year smacks of complexity, uncertainty and stress but also offers a massive opportunity.

How can we tame the situation?

“Patterns tame complexity” is a phrase that caught my attention this week while flicking through one of the many books on the reading list. Wendy Elford narrowed down complexity as a change that creates a challenge that then evokes us to make a choice. She went further to say if you can spot the patterns, it helps navigate through this cycle of change/challenge/choice. The reality is we go through this cycle of change/challenge/choice continuously without even knowing it.

To steady the ship and focus your perspective and priorities, I’ve collated the consistent patterns that analysis of farm financial and technical data from the early 1990s to 2021 consistently reveals.

These patterns are further distilled into the excellent farming framework. The thirty to fifty year farmers no doubt do this intuitively the sub ten year farmers may find this a useful guide to make sense of their elders intuitive decision making or to stimulate discussion on potential improvements.

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References

Elford W (2007) in Ideas: original perspectives on life and business from leading thinkers Vol 2 Thought Leaders Limited Seaforth NSW www.thoughtleaders.com.au

Voght S 2016 http://grainproducerssa.com.au/uploads/media/SESSION_2_-_Grains_-_Simon_Vogt__Rural_Directions.pdf

Kingwel et al 2013 https://nccarf.edu.au/broadacre-farmers-adapting-changing-climate/

Graetz et al 2018 https://www.mla.com.au/contentassets/49579f2874944d76b3fa8b74022f3aef/l.mxf.0001_final_report.pdf

Doudle S, et al 2009 Farmer’s capacity to adapt to climate change—SA case studies. Agricultural Science 21 , 13–19

Bryant M, 2016 https://grdc.com.au/resources-and-publications/grdc-update-papers/tab-content/grdc-update-papers/2016/09/what-is-driving-my-profitability

Beever and McCarthy 2004 Business health indicators for professional farmers Farm 500

Malcolm, B 2010 Pursuing growth without regret in risky crop farming

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Audio

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Take a breath, check in with the patterns in your business. 

Which areas are you doing well in?

Which areas could do with some attention?

Keep remembering why you do what you do.

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Introduction

Depending on your state of origin, winter crop planting, seeding or sowing has begun or is getting very close. For ease of use in this space, I’ll use the ecumenical term cropping.

This article continues the theme of patterns to simplify the thinking and problem solving, while keeping an eye on the metrics that matter.

Linking the big picture to ground level

Dryland cropping is a game of water capture, convert and collect.

In amongst the complexity described in Topic 1, your farming and family goals rely on:

• Capturing rainfall.
• Converting the plant-available water into produce.
• Collecting that produce and ultimately exchanging it for cash.

This model reminds us to focus on jobs that:

• Create the biggest water bucket possible.
• Get the highest conversion rate possible for every millimetre of water to as many kilograms of produce as possible.
• Ensure the quantities produced in the paddock are collected and their value is realised in cash terms.

In a world of noise and distraction, use these three principles to filter out the nice to do tasks and focus on the must do tasks.

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Audio

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Here’s some things to think about.

• How much soil moisture have you got right now in each paddock?
  • Have you checked your rainfall in the last six months versus average?
  • How good have you been at controlling summer weeds?
  • What data do you have? Have you dug any holes?
• Do you have enough diversity and flexibility to
  • take advantage of above average rainfall without exposing yourself to too much risk early on?
  • to manage the impact of a dry season and/or frost or heat shock?
  • To manage input supply shocks

• How does your urea supply match demand?
  • Is this the year to drop out cereal stubbles in favour of legumes (pasture, fodder, green manure or pulse crop)  or a stubble retained fallow.
  • Have you soil tested all your paddocks that may need nitrogen? This is the year to do it. 
• What about other inputs?
  • (The procurement specialists suggest inputs are acquired 3 months earlier than you normally would.)
  • What crop protection strategies might you need?
  • Will you be able to access fungicide if you need it? 

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Introduction

Have you planted the seed the right way up? Are you aiming for seedbed utopia – a place where perfectly distributed plants are evenly spaced and germinate all at once? The good news is that seedbed utopia is not required to reach water limited yield potential.

This article provides some practical tools for some training and delegation of responsibilities to improve plant establishment landscape.

Think about your seedbed as a resort for plants – are you going for a two star, six star or four star rating? Experience and experiments suggest that four star is enough and six star isn’t actually necessary. However, the consequence of roughing it can be costly.

Think about your seedbed as a resort for plants – are you going for a two star, six star or four star rating? Experience and experiments suggest that four star is enough and six star isn’t actually necessary. However, the consequence of roughing it can be costly.

Avoiding two star experiences for your crop

1. Take the time to train and teach your operators.

In my mentoring work, it’s not uncommon to witness inexperienced machinery operators who are unaware of what’s at stake as they go about their daily duties. And it’s not uncommon for Farm leaders to bemoan the mistakes of their operators.

The experienced person has a lot of knowledge in their head and the inexperienced person doesn’t have that knowledge. And the experienced person can forget that sometimes. 

Operators can’t learn via osmosis. They need to be taught-everything! Time invested in training machinery operators delivers the return of avoiding two star crop establishment.

Training is teaching, which is not just telling. Some practical ways to transfer knowledge are below.

1.1 Capture some video footage explaining the important maintenance and monitoring checks and why those things are important

When talking through these points it is helpful to mention what you look for, what the expectations are and why it’s important. When people understand why they need to do something, they’re more likely to do it.

1.2 Put the videos in a space where they can be accessed

For example, google drive, WhatsApp or a private Facebook group for your sowing team.

1.3 Consider the learning styles

Voice recordings are another option if video seems too hard. Not everyone can learn by hearing messages though. Ask the people you’re trying to skill up how they learn, and whether they’re a visual learner, an auditory learner or whether they need to read things to comprehend it. 

Auditory learners will respond well to your voice or video recordings where you are talking alongside them.

Visual learners might need a diagram on a whiteboard or a photo of a diagram. Even just a little list of prompts and video footage will benefit more than just you talking. 

Teaching doesn’t need realms of paper. If you want to draw up a checklist, think about drawing it  on your whiteboard instead and capturing an image of that.

1.4 Some topics of interest for new operators

• The key components of the seeding rig and the daily machine checks.
• What checks need to be done during the day while seeding.
• The importance of getting seeding depth right and helpful questions to ask if they’re not sure around seeding depth.
• Talk through the crop plan and the particulars for certain paddocks or crop type.
• Seeding depth and the consequences of getting it wrong.
• Why timely sowing is critical and the importance of maintenance checks of machinery to avoid breakdowns.
• What’s the dollar impact if you lose two days due to a breakdown that could have been avoided?

1.5 The benefit teaching brings to you

Teaching builds understanding. Sharing your knowledge helps your team understand why they do what they do.

Sharing that knowledge and teaching rather than issuing daily commands builds trust. You’ll have more faith in your team, your team will trust that you’re a willing teacher and, most importantly, that they’re a valued part of the team.

P.S. Keep the recordings short.

2. Spread the load with a crop establishment task force

Enhance the odds of creating a four star experience by dividing responsibilities among the team into three critical periods. Or if you are a solo team, thinking about the three critical periods will avoid unpleasant surprises.

• Minister for Pre-sowing 
• Minister for during sowing
• Minister for Post-sowing 

Cropping is the ultimate multitasking exercise and as seeding programs get bigger, pre-sowing, sowing and post-sowing activities need to happen all at once.

At Risk times during cropping

The minister for pre-sowing has the responsibility of ensuring weeds don’t get out of control on the paddocks due for sowing later in the program. Moisture has a habit of disappearing in paddocks waiting their turn to be sown as the fresh autumn growth fires up after the opening rains. Soil based fungal diseases like rhizoctonia and pythium build up and N and P are consumed by the weeds. Yield potential can sneak away.

With cereal grain prices potentially between $300 and $400/t and oilseeds and pulses at least double that: every millimetre of plant available water after the first 60 to 100 mm (evaporative loss) represents between $6 to $12/ha. Saving millimetres of water counts.

At sowing

Plant establishment and maximising the length of the growing season are two yield potential foundations. The minister for sowing takes on the responsibility of the attention to detail required for these foundations.

Hallmarks of a smooth cropping program include:

• being well organised
• resisting the temptation to rush and cut corners
• Know how many days of sowing are ahead and include a contingency factor for the inevitable breakdowns.

The Minister for sowing holds a primary role and responsibility that all this happens.

Post Sowing

The minister for post sowing monitors, monitors, monitors.

It’s about making sure the early sown crops are checked for pests and for emergence in general and that any post sowing priorities are built into the program. The sooner a muck up is discovered, the easier it is to fix. 

Conclusion

Sharing knowledge and responsibility among the team sets up your four star plant establishment experience.

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Audio

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Set up some information videos for staff and consider designating three areas of oversight- pre, mid and post cropping.

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You can access all audio for all topics below or via your Podcast feed.

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