Frankland Rural Agronomist Tim Trezise used to utilise a legacy software solution to create cropping plans for his agronomy clients, but wanted to be able to do more with his software. Tim needed a platform that is accessible in the field and that also allows growers to create farm records on their end at the same time.
Solution
In 2018 Tim decided to adopt the Agworld Platform, as this provides Tim with a solution that is accessible at all times, wherever he might be. At the same time, this also offers Tim’s grower clients the opportunity to start creating farm records on the same platform and collaborate digitally with Tim.
Result
Through the adoption of Agworld, Tim is now able to assist his clients with questions about their crops at all times and with accurate data to back up his advice, while Tim’s clients are now easily able to create their own digital farm records, based on Tim’s recommendations.
Western Australian agriculture has always been at the centre of Tim Trezise’s life. Tim grew up on the family farm at Newdegate and moved to Frankland River over 20 years ago to work as agronomist in this relatively high rainfall area of Western Australia. After being part of agricultural consultancy business Farmanco for 15 years, Tim joined local reseller Frankland Rural as co-owner and agronomist in 2015. Tim specialises in broad acre crops such as canola, barley, wheat and fava beans, and pasture agronomy as well. Tim also runs his own mixed cropping and livestock farming business in the Frankland River area.
At Frankland Rural, Tim supplies agronomic advice to around 40 growers who all grow a range of broad acre crops. Tim: “The interesting thing about this part of Western Australia is that growers work very differently from each other although they might be geographically speaking closeby. Some growers really work quite intensely and try to maximise their results with everything they do, whereas others have adopted a less intense approach. These different approaches, in combination with farm sizes ranging from 1,000 to over 10,000 hectares, means that we truly have a wide variety of clients we service.”
The importance of farm records
Tim had been using a legacy software solution for over 16 years when he made the switch to Agworld in 2018, Tim explains: “My main reasons for switching to Agworld were that I needed a platform that I’m able to use in the field instead of just in my office, and that my grower clients can utilise this same platform together with me to easily create farm records at the same time.”
Time continues: “Keeping accurate farm records is important for growers everywhere, but this process gets another dimension of importance when you’re located in an area with many vineyards, like we are here. Farmers will always do their best to try avoid creating spray drift but, if a drift-event occurs in the area and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) starts an investigation, it is of critical importance to have accurate spray records available with as much detailed information as possible. To me, this was an important part of the consideration when I decided to adopt Agworld; I wanted to make it as easy as possible for my growers to create field-level records with this same system, and Agworld is the solution of choice to do so.”
On-farm efficiency gains
Lumeah, WA, based James Heggaton, Evergreen Grazing Co., is one of Tim Trezise’s grower-clients who uses Agworld for record keeping and collaborates with Tim on the platform, James: “We decided to adopt Agworld as we could see the big efficiency gains the platform would help us achieve. We have a number of full-time staff on our farm, who might all be out doing different jobs at the same time; getting correct work orders with all relevant information to them all individually is critical for us as a business to remain efficient.”
James: “The best part for me is that I get the recommendations sent to me in Agworld by Tim, and I can turn those recommendations into a complete work order with a simple push of the button; you can’t get it easier than that! As soon as our workers have finished a job, they will convert their work order on Agworld into an ‘actual’ application and enter any relevant information, so I can instantly see what has been done what still needs to be done.”
James continues: “What I like about Agworld as well is that it’s not just me that gains visibility into what’s happening in the field, but our agronomist Tim does as well. So when he drives around the farm, or when I call him with a question about a specific field, he knows the exact up-to-date history of that field and can base his recommendations on this information. Having all this historic field information available on the Agworld platform is very useful to help us plan for the seasons ahead as well; both Tim and I can see the exact field history and help us create our plans based on that information.”
Making information available
Where farm records are important for farmers to create, having this same information available at all times is also important for agronomists as Tim explains: “My previous software provider had no in-field capability, meaning that I didn’t have access to any field information when I was in the field, which makes it hard to make accurate decisions. Now, I will not go anywhere without my iPad, as it has Agworld on it, and that’s my ‘bible’ for any kind of agronomic related activity I perform. Just having a look at what is happening in the field isn’t good enough for me; I need the full field history at my fingertips, and with Agworld that is exactly what I’m getting.”
“Having Agworld data available wherever I am isn’t only useful in the field, but also when I’m at home, on the road or somewhere else,” says Tim. “As soon as I have a grower ring me with a question, the first thing I do is grab my iPad. It’s quick and easy to bring up their farm on Agworld and find the field they are asking questions about. The agronomic snapshot tells me exactly what has happened in this field year to date, which enables me to answer the grower’s questions accurately. Whether they need to apply more nitrogen because they’ve had a lot of rain, need to do a tissue test, or whatever it may be; I have all the information right there in front of me to help the grower in their decision-making process.”
"When I decided to adopt Agworld, I wanted to make it as easy as possible for my growers to create farm records with this same system, and Agworld is the solution of choice to do so."
Tim TreziseAgronomist, Frankland Rural, Frankland River, WA
JD Farms has had a number of very wet seasons in a row, causing severe flooding in the short term, and the soil to become more alkaline in the medium to long term. The Strand & Durheim families now have to try new crops and novel crop management methods in order to find the most profitable way to farm the soil in its new condition. They knew that they needed a sophisticated platform to create plans and budgets and record their results, in order to find the best way to utilize these fields moving forward.
