DOES OPTIMUM SURFACE LANDFORMING OFFER PRECISION AGRICULTURE'S

HIGHEST ROI?

80/20 RULE OF PRECISION AGRICULTURE

80% OF YIELD VARIABILITY & LOSS IS CAUSED BY 1 THING…..

WATER - BOTH TOO LITTLE AND TOO MUCH.

SO FOCUS ON IMPROVING THATFIRST

PONDING KILLS YIELD & PROFIT

MUNGBEAN YIELD VARIES FROM 0% TO 100% WHERE PONDING DEPTH VARIES FROM ONLY 50MM TO 0MM.

PONDING CAUSES NITROGEN LOSS

PONDING DISRUPTS MACHINERY OPERATIONS

WET DEPRESSION AREAS DISRUPT HARVEST

WHAT IS OPTIMUM SURFACE LANDFORMING?

THE PROCESS OF RESHAPING THE LAND SURFACE TO AN OPTIMISED 3D SURFACE USING EARTHMOVING EQUIPMENT CONTROLLED BY RTK GPS MACHINE CONTROL SYSTEM

WHY OPTIMUM SURFACE LANDFORMING?

ACHIEVES DRAINAGE BENEFITS BY ELIMINATING ALL REVERSE GRADES THAT FORM DEPRESSIONS

SMOOTHS THE SURFACE TO PROMOTE MORE UNIFORM INFILTRATION

ADVANTAGES OVER TRADITIONAL LASER GRADING:

MUCH LOWER EARTHWORKS (AIM: +70% LOWER)

MUCH LOWER TOPSOIL MOVEMENT

OPTIMUM SURFACE TYPES

Surface types to suit different farming systems

1 WAY – FURROW/SURFACE IRRIGATION

2 WAY – DRAINAGE FURROW/BED

4 WAY – DRAINAGE NO FURROWS

1 WAY CIRCLE -

2 WAY CIRCLE -

CENTRE PIVOT CIRCULAR FURROWS DRAINAGE

Long Section Plot

Long section plot

C7

Downslope: 0.111% to 0.333%

Long Section Plot

C7

Downslope:0.050% to 1.000%

OptiSurface - Downslope Map

C7

Runoff Velocity MapFLOW

DIRECTION

C7

Rainfall: 75mm/hr Max Velocity: 0.44m/s

Runoff Depth Map

C7

Rainfall: 75mm/hr Infiltration:0mm Max Depth: 0 170m

FLOW

DIRECTION

85HA

DRIP IRRIGATED SUGAR CANE

ON 2.4M BEDS

CASE STUDY 1 – DAVCO FIELD D4

AVERAGE SLOPE 0.25%

CASE STUDY 1 – EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY

CASE STUDY 1 – EXISTING PONDING ANALYSIS

WITH BEDS 200mm HIGH

RESULT: 25% OF THE FIELD PONDED

ESTIMATE LOSS IN PONDED AREA 75% YIELD LOSS $3,800/HA $81,000/yr

CASE STUDY 1 – PROPOSED TOPOGRAPHY

DESIGN MAIN SLOPES MIN: 0.08% MAX: 0.3% SMOOTHING: 200m/%

DESIGN CROSS SLOPES MIN: -0.5% MAX: 0.5% SMOOTHING: 200m/%

CASE STUDY 1 – CUT/FILL

AVE. CUT PER AREA: 182 m3/ha

AVERAGE CUT: 38mm FILL: 36mm

EARTHWORKS COST/HA: $330/HA FIELD COST: $30,000

LONG SECTION FOR OPTISURFACE LOOSE

LONG SECTION FOR OPTISURFACE TIGHT

LONG SECTION FOR LASER

FIELD COST: $30,000 BENEFIT: $81,000

ROI 270%/yr

PLUS OTHER BENEFITS ↑TIMELINESS ↓NITROGEN LOSS ↓WEEDS ETC

CASE STUDY 1 – RETURN ON INVESTMENT

DRYLAND GRAIN FARM, WARRA, QUEENSLAND

CASE STUDY 2 – BIDSTRUP FIELD ALOE 3

"I lost half my crop to ponding. I was ecstatic to see zero water laying in the field I Optisurfaced!" Wade Bidstrup

AREA: 117ha

YIELD MAPGreen = high yieldRed = low yield

2012 LOSS: $600/ha $70,000

CASE STUDY 2 – YIELD MAP

PHOTO

AVERAGE SLOPE 0.08%

CASE STUDY 2 – EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY

1m Fall1200m

PONDING >25mm: 45%

CASE STUDY 2 – EXISTING PONDING ANALYSIS

FOR COMPARISON TO PONDING MAP

CASE STUDY 2 – YIELD MAP

2WAY SURFACE TYPE

DESIGN SLOPES: MIN: 0.05% MAX: 0.5%

SMOOTHING: 250m/%

CASE STUDY 2 – PROPOSED TOPOGRAPHY

AVE. CUT PER AREA: 96 m3/ha

AVERAGE CUT: 17mm FILL: 18mm

EARTHWORKS COST/HA: $250/HA FIELD COST: $30,000

CASE STUDY 2 – PROPOSED CUT/FILL

FIELD COST: $30,000 2012 BENEFIT: $70,000

ROI 2012: 233% AVERAGE: ?

PLUS OTHER BENEFITS ↑TIMELINESS ↓NITROGEN LOSS ↓WEEDS ETC

CASE STUDY 2 – RETURN ON INVESTMENT

WATER IS KING WHEN IT COMES TO YIELD VARIABILITY AND HENCE PROFIT

OPTIMUM SURFACE LANDFORMING CAN HELP

HIGH ROIs ARE USUALLY ACHIEVED

SUMMARY

davcofarming.com optisurface.com