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TECHNOLOGIES

The Davco Precision Sugarcane Farming System
DAVCO Farming has developed a unique and innovative sugarcane farming system that integrates a number of world leading technologies. An overview of this system is provided below.
The system incorporates the following practices:
  • Davco 3m Control Traffic Farming System incorporating Precision Tractor Guidance
  • Yield Mapping
  • Variable Rate Application
  • Optimum Surface Landforming
  • Weed Mapping
The major factors driving the adoption of precision agriculture for Davco Farming were:
  • Need to reduce soil compaction
  • Need to reduce cane stool damage during harvest
  • Variable soils requiring variable inputs
  • Improved timeliness and increased time window to perform agricultural operations
  • Minimise soil going to the mill from mechanical harvesting operations
  • Reduce total soil movement & minimise topsoil removal during landforming for land development
  • Minimise use of herbicides
The practices the make up the system are illustrated below and are described in more detail in the following subsections.
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Picture
Figure 1. Graphical Overview of the Davco Precision Sugarcane Farming System
Davco 3m Controlled Traffic Farming System

​Davco Farming has developed a 3 metre Control Traffic (CT) farming system for sugarcane production as described below.
System Features
  • 500mm wide traffic lanes at 3 Metre Spacing 1.5 Metre UNIFORM ROW SPACING
  • UNIFORM BED HEIGHT of 180mm
  • GPS guided tractors with purpose built CT implements ensure compacted traffic lanes are not disturbed during deep cultivation
  • DEEP RIPPED SOIL IN THE BEDS is not compacted by subsequent harvesting or hauling operations
This system is illustrated in the digram below. Note the very low 18% compaction area (traffic zones). Other typical sugarcane farming systems have compaction areas of 70% or greater.
NOTE: The Davco Control Traffic System at 3m requires a harvester with wheel/track spacing at 3m. The CAMECO double row harvester met this requirement however there is currently no suitable commercially available harvester. Davco Farming is currently redesigning the control traffic system with a reduced spacing to accomodate this constraint.
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Picture
The Davco Contol Traffic System at 3m.
System Benefits
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  • Reduced machine horsepower requirements
  • Reduced fuel consumption
  • Improved soil structure
  • Increased rate of water infiltration
  • Improvement in water holding capacity
  • Improvement in soil health
  • GPS reduces operator fatigue
  • Better herbicide performance during fallow
  • Wet season rainfall is stored in the bed and not lost during ground preparation for planting
  • More controllable timing of planting operation
  • One pass after planter to prepare profile for harvester
Picture
Schematic view of wheel spacing for all infield machiney - 3m.
System Disadvantages
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  • Requires high accuracy GPS (+/-20mm) on multiple pieces of equipment
  • May require a comprimise on planting depth
Field Operations
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All field operations adhere to the control traffic system including:
  • Tandem offset discs
  • Ripping
  • Bedforming
  • Planting
  • Spraying
  • Fertilising
  • Harvesting
  • Cane Transport
These operations are carried out with all infield machinery on a 3m wheel spacing as illustrated with the diagram and photographs below.
Picture
Bedforming 6m - 4 x 1.5m
Picture
Full stick cane planter - 4 rows at 1.5m.
Picture
Stool Splitter Fertilising Operation - 4 rows at 1.5m.
Picture
Spraying operation with the Rogator's variable wheel spacing set to 3m.
Picture
Harvesting operation with custom built Cantrel\Carta cane transporters and CAMECO 2 row harvester.
Precision GPS Guidance​​
​

​All machines used in the field (except cane transporters) have 2cm RTK guidance with automatic steering. This ensures a repeatable and accurate control traffic zone along with the many other precision guidance benefits.
Picture
The Trimble tractor guidance system incorporates a user friendly touch screen incab computer.
Yield Mapping​
​

Yield mapping is an essential part of precision agriculture. Yield maps provide essential information for the spatial analysis and evaluation of crop production management at a within field level.  In 1996, Dr Graeme Cox produced the worlds first yield map of sugarcane using data from a mass flow sensor in the harvester and GPS information. This map is shown below. This research was partially funded by Davco Farming and eventually gained Graeme his PhD. The results of this work are provided in the 'Publications' section of this website.
Davco Farming has yield mapped ever since and the yield maps are used to support decision making, primarily in guiding variable rate application of gypsum.
Picture
Worlds First Sugar Cane Yield Map
Variable Rate Application
​

Variable rate application is the application of a crop input at differening rates across a field. Davco Farming experiences significant variablility in crop yield, primarily due to differences in water infiltration rates of soils. Low yields are generally found in areas with low infiltration rates caused by high sodicity, resulting is reduced soil water in the root zone. In fact, soil testing has shown that up to 85% of the yield variability in the yield map shown above, could be attributed to the levels of soil sodicity and magnesium.

A solution to this is to apply gypsum a rates up to 20t/ha but this is expensive (up to $2200/ha) and also can be detrimental to soils that already have good infiltration rates, resulting in excess infiltration which can lead to rising groundwater levels and salinity. Therefore variable rate application of gypsum is highly benificial. The maps below show how the yield maps are used directly to create variable rate gypsum applicaton maps.
Picture
A sugar cane yield map used to define the variable rate application map below.
Picture
A variable rate gypsum application map.
Optimum Surface Landforming

OptiSurface Landforming uses 3D machine control (GPS or GPS & Laser) and smooth 3 dimensional design surfaces to offer the ultimate surface drainage solution with minimal soil movement.
Advantages over traditional laser based landforming:
  • Reduced earthworks cost. Total earthworks cost as low as $100/ha.
  • Reduced topsoil removal
  • Improved infiltration and drainage
  • Reduced design time
For more information please visit: www.optisurface.com
In the figure below, the map on left is natural topography with depressions. The map on the right is the topography after OptiSurface landforming.  Davco Farming is actively developing and using this technology in the development of a new sugarcane farm, 'Oaky'.
Picture
Picture
Graphic demonstration of OptiSurface Landforming.
Picture
Optimum Surface Landforming operation in the field.
Weed Mapping​

Weed mapping is carried out by tractor operators during normal field operations. The location of problem weeds that are not killed by broad spectrum herbicides such as nut grass and sorghum are logged. The data is collected and the maps are then produced and used to navigate back to spray the weeds.
Picture
A weed map produced from a field with heavy nut grass infestation.
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E-mail: office@davcofarming.com
Davco Farming Copyright © 2016
Postal Address:
P. O. Box 972
Ayr QLD 4807
AUSTRALIA
Office Location:
312 George Bundy Rd
Upper Haughton QLD 4807
AUSTRALIA
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