Yara has announced plans to make the Atfarm platform free of charge for the coming season. This announcement follows feedback from farms using the technology on the improvements they have seen in N-use efficiency.
“With the removal of the subscription fee, we encourage farmers to take full advantage of Yara’s nitrogen fertilizer portfolio – by making use of the digital tools, they can save on fertilizer costs without compromising yield and quality, while at the same time benefitting the environment,” said Jari Pentinmaki, managing director of Yara UK.
The NFU has welcomed the news. Commenting at CropTec, Matt Culley, NFU chair of the Combinable Crops Board said: “We welcome the news from Yara, raising nitrogen use efficiency on farms is a win-win. Farmers need to buy less fertilizer, crops perform better and in comparison, to other decisions farmers might face it’s a relatively simple step to take.
“The fact that it also contributes to a lower carbon footprint is something that will inevitably gain in importance as carbon markets and supply chains adjust”.
Mark Tucker, head of agronomy at Yara, explained: “Yara’s digital Atfarm platform helps farmers apply nitrogen more precisely. Utilising satellite images to monitor crop growth, farmers and agronomists can create variable rate application maps in just minutes.
“Farms are also able to use the N Tester BT to get field-specific nitrogen recommendations for their cereal crops, as well as monitoring the leaf’s nitrogen status as the spring growth progress.”
“Nutrient Use Efficiency is an NFU priority, and we’d like to work with Yara and others on a series of webinars and workshops we’ll be putting on over the coming months,” added Mr Culley. “Everyone is welcome no matter what stage you are at, so look out for these.”
“We want to do everything we can to support UK farmers,” concluded Mr Pentinmaki. “We hope that by encouraging farmers to explore the smart tools available to them, it will bring both financial and environmental benefits.”