As a progressive thinking business we utilise the best technology available; whether it is equipment enhancements, high levels of GPS accuracy, new innovations or a new farming method.
Over the years Precision Farming within our business has grown and developed; now including auto section control, variable rate application of lime, fertiliser, seed and sprays. We can therefore target inputs as required.
We have been using auto-steering system for nearly 10 years. The auto-steering systems have increased our productivity in the fields by making sure that the full width of machines (+/- 5cm reliably) are consistently achieved whether day or night.
This reduces fuel consumption, and excessive wear on machines and operators. The operators are able to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently whilst making sure that it is done with the attention to detail expected.
The cropping focuses on Winter Cropping & Spring Cropping.
Winter cropping involves Oil Seed Rape,Barley,Wheat & Oats.
Spring Cropping includes Beans,Barley,Oats & Oil Seed Rape.
Rotations used are kept simple, but are always managed and developed so that whilst delivering high returns they are also sustainable long term. All cereals are grown under IGAS Quality Crops assurance scheme.
We pride ourselves on making sure that farming agreements are put together in such a way as to ensure that environmental benefits are delivered, while at the same time minimising the impact on efficiency of operations.
The Nolan Farming approach considers the environmental and financial benefits for environmental schemes and also the practical implications, constraints and opportunity costs. This ensures that a sustainable and workable agreement is secured, providing mutual benefits for the environment and the landowner alike without disrupting the efficient farming of the farm.
Whilst we strive to make the farming business a profitable and sustained as possible we are also focused on ensuring this is done with an environmental aspect. We also manage all aspects of hedge cutting and drainage maintenance on land farm. We are fully signed up to GLAS environmental scheme.
We manage the cropping and crop husbandry ourselves taking advice and research from a number of institutions. We use agronomists from local merchants along with some independents.
Specialist agronomic advice and research is used as the basis of our agronomic strategy. This gives us access to local trials based data of which to base the crop husbandry.
We are part of the Teagasc Better Farms Precision Tillage Programme. This provides us with huge database of information from all the tillage specialists in the Teagasc tillage team.
We attend all information days and events in relation to crop husbandry that are hosted by Teagasc, seed companies and crop chemical providers. This enables us to be on the cutting edge when it comes to developments in tillage farming.
A healthy balanced soil is the foundation, necessary for healthy plants.
At Nolan Farming we understand that looking after our soils is particularly important in farming today.
We understand that a farming system is driven by profit, not just production, and that it needs to maximises returns but also be sustainable long term. Hence in 2002 we began an ethos of biological farming. A biological farming system works with nature to develop a farm which is environmentally sound and which leaves the land, water and plants in a healthy, productive state for all future generations.
Objectives:
We currently soil sample every 4-5 years so as to understand what we have in the soil in each field. This means we can plan all inputs to achieve maximum crop output.
In 2016 we will take a new path when we plan to introduce the use of new SOYL and GPS technologies. These technologies will push us on further into being a fully GPS percison based farming operation, which will increase profits year on year.
We will use SOYL for Precision Nutrient Management and GPS technology to accurately map soil nutrient variation across the fields. This provides us with GPS sampling, analysis and mapping to create detailed soil nutrient information to make informed management decisions.
By accurately identifying variations in phosphorus, potassium, magnesium and pH levels this allows us to: