Amazone has teamed up with fellow German companies Agravis (arable farm advisory service) and Schmotzer (mechanical hoes) to start a long-term Controlled Row Farming (CRF) project.
Described as a new arable farming system, the aim of the six-year project is to promote biodiversity and achieve sustainable incomes at the same time. Located at Amazone’s 10ha test area at Wambergen (close to the main factory in Hasbergen-Gaste), all cereals, maize, oilseed rape, pulses and cover crops are planted at a row spacing of 50cm, with cereals sown in double rows. Depending on the rotation, rows can be offset by 25cm.
Drilling is normally carried out in combination with in-the-row fertilisers. Mechanical weed control is used in combination with row-specific chemicals, targeted fertiliser applications and sowing of companion plants (no direct contact with fertiliser and crop chemicals) between the crop rows. Each pass is always carried out with RTK-GPS and camera control and depending on the crop and weather conditions, the plan is to harvest the companion plants.
Two different CRF regimes will be compared. The emphasis of the first is on maximum yield with limited competition from companion plants. The second will focus on biodiversity with reduced fertiliser and plant protection inputs.
Design engineers at Amazone and Schmotzer will develop and test new technologies, while Agravis advisors will help select the right varieties and inputs for the CRF system.
