Whether you are draining a waterlogged site or setting up reliable water movement for crops and infrastructure work, Exsel Pumps says it is ready to support you.

The company provides a full range of diesel and electric pump hire, along with technical support and a range of specialist accessories such as settlement tanks, hoses, pipework, spray suppressors, and telemetry.

Its equipment is built to perform in rural environments, where unpredictable conditions and limited access can make the job harder.

From dewatering excavations and pumping slurry, to keeping irrigation systems flowing efficiently, the company offers turnkey solutions that cover everything – site survey, installation and commissioning, monitoring and removal. It also offers onsite service and support ensuring your assets are fully protected.

The team is known for its quick response, practical approach and ‘customer first’ culture, Exsel reckons.

With depots across the UK and a growing fleet of over 300 pumps, Exsel Pumps has the capability to support drainage, irrigation and emergency work on farms, estates and rural projects.

Contact the company directly or visit www.exselpumps.co.uk

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This year in the UK saw crops devastated after months of heavy rain. Without good drainage, whether through good soil structure alone, or via a man-made drainage system, you can apply all the principles of sustainable, productive farming but the land won’t reach its optimal potential.

A wet patch (or patches) can destroy a field’s yield potential, whilst making it more difficult to travel on and more challenging to manage. In the past year we have seen fields standing fallow, saturated or flooded and unable to bear cropping. Whilst the weather is out of our control, we can look after our drains to try and manage water movement, mitigating flooding and maintaining our soil in peak condition for cropping.

The maintenance and installation of drainage can be the best time and investment spent to manage farmland. However, this is not new science and drainage ditches are believed to date back to the very birth of agricultural production.

Benefits of good drainage

The yield increases with drainage are significant; data from Ontario, Canada, collected over a 20-year period shows a yield increase of 38% in winter wheat.

Other benefits of well-drained and managed soils include the ability to get on the land, minimising compaction and allowing traffic at times when less well-maintained soils would be virtually impossible to navigate.

Drainage also decreases soil water content, therefore giving greater space for soil oxygen. This is beneficial for the soil and root respiration, helping to promote root growth, soil microbial activity and, again, having a positive impact on yield. This yield increase does vary greatly from field to field and year-to-year, but modern drainage schemes are one of the few techniques that can completely transform a poorly performing field.

So, with the need for drainage established, it is then vital to get it right. This is certainly one area where you ‘get what you pay for’ as a professionally installed scheme should perform for decades. Whilst it is ‘just’ gravity that is needed, if you lay the drain on the wrong grade, it won’t work. Yet if done correctly, a piped drainage scheme can transform a field and, more importantly, its yield potential.

Drainage can be done on farm, but contractors can provide high tech machinery and GPS mapping, plus often access to cheaper in fill, to ensure the job is done professionally, to a high standard and when all the costs are calculated it is usually cheaper to get a contractor, preferably a NAAC member, to do the job.

Where to begin

The first thing to consider is, do you need a new system? Attention should be given to maintenance and care of old schemes, and ditch maintenance is vital; if outlets are covered by sediment, water cannot escape and the whole scheme backs up. If an outlet is not running during the wet winter months further examination is required – push some rods up the drain and see if there is a blockage. Tree roots can find drains and block them, remove the roots and often the scheme begins to work.

If there is no progress, you should also consider the lay of the land; does it make sense that the field or area should be wet? Is it lower than the neighbouring fields? Is the soil type different? Consider the field’s history; has it been drained before? Has it always been a wet field? If there is no obvious sign of compaction or poor structure, or if you have tried to eliminate the problem but have had no success then the time has come to consider draining. 

How the drains are installed is the next consideration, there are two types of specialist self propelled drainage machine: A chain trencher, which produces an open trench; and a drainage plough, which parts the ground like an over-sized subsoil leg. Both have advantages and ideally the right machine should be used in the right situation. The open trench machine allows you see what is going on below the surface, perfect for locating existing drains. If a single drain is to be installed, it is the tool to use. However, the trenchless machine is fast and cuts a slightly narrower trench, meaning less gravel – both of these factors result in cost savings.

The position and depth of the drains will depend upon a number of factors, including soil type, budget and if any existing drains are present.

The cost of permeable fill, a stone or gravel backfill over the pipe, is normally around 40% of the cost of drainage, but it is usually needed. Ideally the depth aggregates should match the border between the topsoil and subsoil, normally to about 300mm of the surface, but be careful – the easiest way to save money on drainage is to scrimp on the gravel, but unless there are good reasons for doing so, it is a false economy.

Payback time varies greatly depending upon past cropping performance and, of course the weather, however on fields suffering total loss it can be as little as two years, whilst on a better performing field the payback might be closer to 7/8 years.

However, the NAAC is actively lobbying to access pump priming funding for farmers to support water management and drainage through the government schemes. Without the building blocks of a healthy well-drained soil, the current benefits of funding sustainable farming may be wasted.

Support for drainage would encourage investment in healthy soils, flood resistance and sustainable farming, whilst having the huge benefit of increased productivity and food production. Surely a massive win-win?

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It’s a fact that manually checking water meters in every corner of the farm is, well, a pain. Instead, how about taking that time for yourself, your farm, your family or another pint in the pub? So asks WD Meters, whose motto is: “Your dedication is to grow, ours is to simplify”.

In the world of irrigation, efficiency is key, and the IRIS is the answer to water consumption control, the company reckons. Imagine remotely monitoring consumption, conducting data analysis, and ensuring that every drop is counted accurately and effectively.

With IRIS, your hydraulic network becomes a smart marvel that only helps you have all your water meter readings at your fingertips in a single app and online. But that’s not all. IRIS can be programmed to unleash a cascade of instant information through its built-in alarms for leaks, under usage and over usage via immediate text or email messages.

Manufactured in Europe by Hidroconta and distributed by WD Meters in the UK, IRIS is a wireless device with a lifespan of 10 years, adaptable, and ready to integrate with any existing measurement technology.

Are you ready to take the leap towards “hassle-free water consumption control”? Contact WD Meters directly to discover the power of IRIS.

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The R52 Compact has a structural width of 52m but can irrigate a width of up to 72m when fitted with sprinklers at either end. The new boom can be folded to just under 2.9m to ensure road transport is safe and straightforward. An optional ‘travel kit’ can be provided.

The new Compact can be set up or folded for transport by just one person. A 500kg weight reduction compared with existing models makes it even easier to handle and helps reduce ground compaction.

In additional to the 52m model, 46m, 40m and 35m booms are available and a high level ‘elevation’ version for tall crops can also be supplied.

The latest raingun avoids the risk of soaking passers-by, as well as areas not requiring irrigation, by incorporating a timer to change the irrigation angle after a set time interval. The Rotorkit has adjustable stops to define each irrigation sector and a multiple-position lever to work within different angles. Once these are set up the mechanical timer controls the length of time angled irrigation is used before it reverts to the traditional spray area.

The mechanical system can be fitted to any gun trolley on any brand of hosereel machine.

The company will also be exhibiting examples from its extensive range of pumps, hosereels and ancillary irrigation equipment.

Stand number: Hall 6, stand 720.

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Austrian company Bauer will bring a range of new innovations to its LAMMA stand in January, including new E-series reel irrigations, which have several improved features to make operation and maintenance easier.

The most obvious visual change is to the side guard that covers the reel-drive turbine and gearbox – but less obvious is that instead of being held in place by 10 bolts, the new version has catches that when released allow the cover to swing away.

That makes it quicker and easier to access components such as the belt that transfers drive from Bauer’s water turbine to the pulley on the chain and sprocket that slowly rotates the drum to pull in the hose and either a rain gun or boom.

Opening the new cover also reveals a larger battery to power the Ecostar 6000 controller with its 4.3in LED touch-screen, which is supplemented by membrane buttons for the most frequently used functions.

Bauer UK & Ireland sales manager Adrian Tindall explained: “Users can store up to 12 different irrigation programmes that define retraction speed, pre-irrigation, post-irrigation and speed zones, and then retrieve them at any time to save having to enter individual parameters for every irrigation session.”

Remote access via SMS on a mobile telephone enables irrigation managers to not only stop and start the Rainstar irrigator remotely but also adjust retraction speed, check on the status of the machine and receive error messages.

A ‘run finished’ message can be activated, and thanks to a digital input on the irrigator’s water meter, the Ecostar 6000 controller also records the session and running total of water used.

The battery itself is now kept charged by a more efficient solar panel; it is still fitted flush to the cover but can now be propped at an angle to harvest energy from the sun more effectively.

Other changes include more easily accessible pipe drum bearings should they need attention and retrospective installation of brakes if needed is a new feature of the two- and four-wheel chassis.

The Bauer E-series comprises five models from the E 100 to E 500, each available with from seven to 11 different diameter and length combinations of Bauer’s own polyethylene (PE) pipe manufactured at the group’s principle factory in Voitsberg, Austria.

New irrigation boom cart

Bauer will also present its new lightweight AS 50 Neo boom cart that can be easily folded to transport width.

It is the only boom of this size that can be transported on the road together with the hose reel machine. And it weighs so little that it can even be folded in or out very easily, Bauer says.

There is currently a strong trend in the direction of low-pressure systems that conserve energy and resources. Many farmers decide to equip their hose reel irrigator with a boom cart instead of a wide-jet sprinkler to benefit from the advantages of low-pressure irrigation such reduced pressure for lower energy consumption, uniform water distribution, fine droplets that are easy on plants, low sensitivity to wind.

The newly adapted dimensions of the construction elements, the lightweight construction of the side sections and the innovative folding mechanism ensure the ideal width for road transport and even easier handling. Escort vehicles on the road are unnecessary; the boom cart is quickly opened and ready for use. This saves valuable time and money when transporting the boom from one field to another.

A big advantage of the new AS 50 Neo is the clearance height of 1m. This makes it ideal for crops grown by hilling such as potatoes or carrots. Another plus is the hydraulic height adjustment, a standard feature on the AS 50 Neo that is also used to raise it for folding.

Bauer boom carts are known for their tracking accuracy – which also applies to the new AS 50 Neo. Another major advantage is the energy efficiency of the low-pressure spray nozzles with which the boom cart is equipped, which determines the distribution accuracy. Most spray nozzles operate with a nozzle pressure of about 0.8 bar.
Additionally, the brand-new ‘end of system’ distribution device KPW (Komet Precision Wave) from Komet can be installed on both ends of the boom. The unique design of the KPW features an oscillating deflector to deliver exceptionally uniform droplet distribution. The more evenly the water is distributed, the greater the achievable yield.

The AS 50 Neo can be installed on all Bauer Rainstar models of the series E11 to E51 as well as the new series E100 – E600. Options such as the asymmetric four-wheel carriage, the 360° swivel mechanism and the levelling function are naturally also available for the AS 50 Neo.

New press screw separator

With the new press screw separator PSS 8, Fan Separator is expanding its portfolio with a machine having sufficient capacity to replace two or three smaller machines, providing savings in energy consumption, manpower and peripheral equipment.

The high output of the new PSS 8, which is capable of 65cu m per hour, makes it suited to very large dairy farms wanting to ease the management, storage and field application of cow slurry, as well as for large-scale biogas production.

Separation of solids and liquids in farm slurry opens up effective and valuable options for further processing and reuse, especially as the solid material can be turned into compost or used as an attractive bedding material, particularly for dairy cows housed in cubicle sheds.

The liquid fraction, meanwhile, can more easily be managed, stored and spread on fields as fertiliser, one option being a ‘dirty water’ irrigation system.

With its impressive dimensions of 3.6m x 0.9m and height of 1.3m up to the inlet, the PSS 8 separator, developed for continuous operation on large farms, is an extremely robust machine.

The proven Fan press screw concept has been retained while the components have been enlarged: The 2200mm long and 350kg heavy auger is additionally supported by a head bearing. With a diameter of 400mm, the screen is also generously sized.

The built-in auger is driven by a 30kW electric motor running at 400V/50Hz.

Fed with cattle manure with a dry matter content of 7 to 9%, the PSS 8 achieves a throughput of up to 65cu m per hour, the moisture content or dryness of the extracted solids being varied by the number and position of counterweights using a patented output regulator.

Users can be confident of constant output and a high-quality material: the dry matter content, once set, remains unchanged throughout the entire period of use, with up to 36% dry matter content in the solids achievable consistently.

Like the entire Fan product range, the PSS 8 is built from carefully selected materials, with the screw featuring wear-resistant reinforcement, and all parts that come into contact with the slurry being made of stainless steel to ensure an exceptionally long lifespan for the machine.

Thanks to the floating screen bearing and the associated continuous cleaning of the screen by the screw, the PSS 8 remains almost wear-free even over long operating periods, and good access makes routine maintenance quick and easy.

With its large dimensions and increased throughput, a single PSS 8 can replace two or more smaller machines. Energy costs, space usage and labour in connection with operating the necessary peripheral equipment, such as pump stations, are all reduced.

This saves time and money, and decreases the environmental footprint.

Stand number: Hall 7, Stand 730

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With less full-time farm staff and more acres to farm, ditch and drain maintenance can easily become less of a priority.

For a drainage scheme to operate to its full potential, the outfalls need to be in good condition and have a suitable freeboard (the difference between the drain invert and the ditch bed). Drains which are hidden in the undergrowth need to be found, cleared and marked with a suitable marker post, making them easier to locate.

If you don’t have time for these tasks yourself, then Miles Drainage (20) Ltd says it can carry this work out for you.

Spring is a good time to carry out drain jetting and ditching, plus it is never too early to start planning your mole draining and deciding whether it is to be undertaken through the growing crop, or after harvest.

Miles Drainage (20) Ltd says it has the experience and good availability to assist with all your requirements, ranging from drain maintenance during the winter months, to the design and installation of a new drainage scheme.

Now is an ideal time to contact us and discuss your requirements, so that we can have a plan in place, for when ground conditions are suitable for works to be done.

Based in East Anglia but operating nationwide, the company provides a GPS based quality land drainage design, installation and maintenance service to agricultural, utility and sports field customers, as well as the installation of water supplies and irrigation mains.

Miles Drainage (20) Ltd manufactures the Single Leg Mole Plough as well as supplying spares and wearing parts.

For further information or advice on any of the services offered by Miles Drainage (20) Ltd, visit www.milesdrainage.co.uk or visit the team at LAMMA.

Stand number: Hall 12 Stand 250

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Sencrop’s new Solarcrop irradiance sensor, which has just been launched in the UK, means producers can link up real-time solar irradiation, rainfall, humidity, temperature and wind data, as well as accurate weather forecasting, in one simple app. Based on crop type and growth stage, this accurately predicts evapotranspiration rates and soil moisture availability, helping farmers to identify when and how much to irrigate without the need for expensive and very localised soil probes.

“Much of the UK is getting drier – and more extreme weather events are becoming the norm,” says Martin Ducroquet, co-founder of Sencrop. “In addition, the environmental issue around irrigation is no longer in question; producers can massively reduce their water consumption by optimising irrigation systems. We want Irricrop to change the world of irrigation, by making this new solution accessible to all. This evolution is completely consistent with our original mission, to standardise precision agriculture.”

One sensor can monitor up to 10 fields across a range of 10 miles, explains Thibaut Mathey-Bony, product innovation manager at Sencrop. “Based on two years of research and development and patented technology, Solarcrop measures solar irradiation to a unique accuracy of 2%.” When combined with the Raincrop and Windcrop sensors, as well as individual field and crop information, it can accurately predict the soil moisture surplus or deficit over the coming seven days, enabling producers to better plan their irrigation or field work.

“Solarcrop is Sencrop’s third pillar of hyper-local data for farmers, helping them to make the best choices for their crops,” says Mr Mathey-Bony. “The firm now has a network of more than 2,000 connected stations across the country, generating ultra-precise and local information like temperature, humidity, wind speed and rainfall. Now farmers can also measure solar irradiation, it maximises their ability to manage climatic risks, as well as diseases and pests.”

Farmers get to access a whole range of ag-weather related features: The firm links up with prediction services for diseases like blight and cercospora, so that producers and agronomists can act on highly tailored risk-based advice.

The low-cost plug-and-play service also means everyone can use it, not just those with deep pockets. The sensors are extremely quick and easy to install, and farmers can choose the appropriate subscription package for them.

Mr Mathey-Bony adds: “When combined with accurate weather forecasts and real-time monitoring, farmers can optimise the use of inputs, for example only spraying and undertaking fieldwork when the weather conditions are right.”

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Tim Young’s family bought Grange Farm at Hockwold, near Thetford in Norfolk in 1964. The 185ha unit consists of typical ‘Breckland’ free-draining, sandy-loam soils and supports root crops including onions and sugar beet. Combinable peas, wheat and stewardship land also figure in the rotation. The farm is within a designated SSSI – the Breckland Farmland Site  of Special Scientific Interest.

Alongside farming, Tim (pictured) also works as an agricultural consultant, meaning time spent off-farm. In the past this has been difficult, especially in the peak summer growing season when high value crops such as onions require irrigation. Adding to Tim’s anxiety levels, albeit later in the year, were concerns regarding his onion storage facilities – were they holding the onions at the correct temperature and humidity to minimise wastage?

“Onions in particular are a high value crop,” Tim comments. “Managing irrigation to optimise yields is crucial. Then, when the crop is in storage, it is imperative that the ambient temperatures are controlled or the crop can be lost.

“The summer months, especially in times of drought, saw me increasingly reluctant to leave the farm in case I missed a problem with an irrigator. Likewise, I would go to bed with one ear open to listen to the irrigation pumps. Then in the autumn and winter, regular monitoring of the stored onions was tedious, time consuming and it was difficult to achieve accurate results across the store.”

Making life easier

Seeking a solution and some peace of mind, an internet search brought Tim to the website of SoilEssentials, the precision farming specialists and its range of 7Sense smart wireless sensors.

“I had an inkling that some sort of remote monitoring sensors, for the irrigators and for the onion store could make my life a lot easier. The sorts of systems I had previously come across did not seem as though they would be right for me. However, when I found the 7Sense sensors on the SoilEssentials website I could see their potential immediately.

“Following my initial enquiry to SoilEssentials they supplied me with 7Sense irrigation sensors. I can’t believe how easy to operate they are. They mounted on my existing rain guns and I now have complete control and monitoring without having to constantly go to the field to check what’s happening. The GPS tracker in the sensor lets me monitor the exact position of the rain gun at all times; I am alerted if there is a drop in water pressure or flow and there is even an alert if the trolley flips over. Basically, I can now keep an eye on the irrigator from anywhere and respond straight away if the system reports a problem.

“I have also given my agronomists access to the sensor monitoring app, so nothing goes unnoticed.

“In the height of the heatwave last summer and the four-night only water restrictions, I had to make sure I capitalised fully when I was allowed to use water and that the irrigators worked accurately and consistently at those times. The 7Sense irrigation sensor allowed this to happen, which is satisfying, as I foresee more of the same extraordinary temperatures, and probable restrictions in the future.”

Irrigation sensor in-situ at JS Young Farms.

Sensors “simplified my farming”

The next step for Tim, after solving his irrigator monitoring headache, was to speak to SoilEssentials again about options for onion store monitoring sensors.

“For the onion store, SoilEssentials supplied 7Sense sensors which monitor temperature, relative humidity, and CO2. Like the irrigator sensors these store sensors offer me 24/7 surveillance and peace of mind and will alert me if conditions in the store change. This system allows up to 32 sensors to be placed in locations throughout the store, all relaying information back to the app on my phone. What I’m particularly impressed with is how rugged and waterproof the sensors are and their ability to utilise wireless signals even through the walls and other obstructions around the stores.

“I am delighted with how both of my 7Sense systems have simplified my farming and allowed me to spend more time doing other things without worrying about onions! The recent FTE government grant helped to fund the sensors as the products fall within the productivity and sustainability precision farming arena. In the future I plan to add storage sensors to the grain store for registering the temperature, and relative humidity of the wheat, that will greatly help with my Red Tractor certification.”

He concludes: “SoilEssentials have their main office in north-east Scotland, but they have a consultant, Ed, less than an hour away from me and the advice and support I have had, and still get, from their whole team is great, making the distance between us irrelevant.”

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Problems with weeds?

Now is a good time to assess the weed situation in growing crops. If you have problematic weeds, and need another weapon in your armoury besides herbicides, hoes can be a very effective mechanical method of reducing the weed burden.

Spring weeding with the TerraBlade from Claydon Drills

The Claydon TerraBlade inter-row hoe slices underneath the crown of weeds growing between the seeded rows. Removing weeds reduces competition for nutrients, mineralises nitrogen and allows light and air into the rows – all of which promote a burst of crop growth.

The best time for TerraBlading is in the autumn and spring when conditions are dry enough for blades to comfortably penetrate the soil beneath the weeds and slice them off without moisture to encourage regrowth. TerraBlade in autumn if the crop is sufficiently developed and continue in spring up to the stage where the crop might be compromised by further passes.

The TerraBlade is available in widths of 3m to 8m with a choice of 125, 150, 175 and 200mm blades to suit different strip till drill row spacings.

How accurate is the TerraBlade? View it in action here.

. . . and the results. Weeds are removed, reducing competition for nutrients and encouraging crop growth.

Warming soils and preparing seedbeds

Warming soil and preparing for seeding near Oslo.

The Claydon Straw Harrow can be used in spring to warm soil, spread straw and prepare ground for seeding.

Generating tilth to germinate weeds and volunteers is another job for the Straw Harrow, reducing competition for nutrients.  It also helps create a uniform crop establishment by spreading chaff and straw evenly across the field and dealing with any thick layers of poorly chopped and spread straw from the combine.  Solid build and design allows it to withstand high operating speeds and turning on the headlands, thereby covering a huge amount of ground in a working day.

The Claydon Straw harrow helps prevent poor establishment caused by poorly chopped and unevenly spread straw.

How well is your land draining?

Drains run clear on the Claydon farm this November, in which 135mm rainfall has been received.

Drainage has a huge effect on yield and attention should be paid to  maintenance and care of old schemes with consideration to new installation if this cannot be avoided. Ditch outlets should be checked and unblocked if they are covered by sediment to prevent systems backing up.

Different crop establishment systems also have different effects on soil structure and its ability to drain. By only moving soil in the rooting and seeding zone, Claydon drilling leaves the natural structure of the soil in good shape.  Whilst the majority of the soil is left undisturbed, any shallow compaction is broken up by the Claydon leading tine which reinstates the water and air balance into the soil providing good drainage so water can get away from the rooting zone. This eliminates ponding through the later autumn and winter period.  As worm numbers increase then aeration and drainage improve allowing the soil naturally to cope with high precipitation.

To learn more about our machinery range please contact your local Claydon dealer.

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