“With farmers under increasing pressure to track nutrient use and manage nutrient budgets, putting the technology in shareholders’ hands has been a priority,” chief executive Larry Bilodeau says.
“Farmers want practical, accurate systems to support on-farm decisions and Ag Hub provides the level of real-time information to help them make the right calls, both for their business and for the environment.
“Our goal is to help our shareholders farm more profitably and sustainably through the delivery of complete nutrient management products and advice and free access to farm information technology is another step in this direction.
“Longer term we envisage even more technology with the integration of new information-based products and modelling systems into Ag Hub as we bring to market some of the outcomes of our research and development programmes.”
Ag Hub, now fully owned by Ballance, is available on its website.
Included in the free offer is GIS interactive farm mapping, access to farm nutrient budgets, soil tests and fertiliser plan histories, as well as online ordering for Ballance products.
Shareholders also have the option of subscribing to additional modules specific to their farming operations.
Ag Hub covers production, environment, fertiliser and feed. It can measure and control water, irrigation and effluent and monitor things like soil moisture and weather conditions.
It can text alerts if an effluent irrigator loses pressure, is nearing a waterway or fence or stops moving, which could result in consent breaches. It can also shut off effluent spreading. Nutrient mapping capability records the nutrient value of the effluent and where it has been put, allowing fertiliser plans to be adapted accordingly.
Corporate farming organisations and farmers with multiple properties can use Ag Hub to view and compare information across each farm from anywhere in the world with internet access.
For more information visit www.ballance.co.nz.
