A bountiful harvest is perhaps every farmer’s ultimate dream at the start of each planting season. It’s because a good yield almost certainly translates to big profits for the farm owners and their workers. That said, they do everything possible to lay down the foundation for a bountiful harvest through various techniques.
One such way is to use modern farm equipment such as a 12-volt spot sprayer to apply fertilizers, pesticides, and other chemicals. There are companies in Australia that offer spot sprayers with attachments such as boom, trailer kits, and boomless nozzle kits. These farm implements are ideal for pest and weed control, as well as plant fertilization to help guarantee healthy crops and bountiful yields.
Aside from proper weed management and control, the following tricks will help you optimize your farm’s earning potential:
Ensure proper drainage
While many farmers know that ample crop irrigation is a must to help keep crops healthy, not many are aware that proper crop drainage is also a critical part of the equation. A drainage system meant for crops help prevent them from being water-logged and keep salination at bay. These two can be disastrous to plants, as they could lead to stunting and even cause crops to helplessly drown since there is nowhere to drain the excess water.
Embrace precision farming technologies
These days, there are numerous farming technologies that help farmers make better decisions that are driven by data. Such technologies include drones, GPS, and smartphones. Many farm owners have proven that precision farming has helped them increase their yields and minimize their losses compared to when they were using traditional methods.
Precision farming techniques and technologies can be applied to seeding and fertilization, as well as harvesting and pest control. These applications make them highly versatile and indispensable tools in achieving outstanding farm productivity.
Use hybrid seeds
If you’re planting corn, tomatoes, rose, or other crops using traditional seeds, you may be missing out on the chance to earn more from your farm. Many farmers have been extensively using hybrid seeds in their farms and they’re reaping the benefits.
Hybrid seeds offer the following advantages:
- Disease-resistant
- Better crop taste
- Faster maturity
- Healthier plants
- Increased yields
Practice crop rotation
Crop rotation has been practiced by farmers for thousands of years, but only in recent years has it been fully explained by science. As it turns out, planting the same type of crop over and over again makes the soil lose its fertility and become susceptible to erosion.
Certain species of pests could also learn to establish their home near or within a field that is being planted with the same crop year after year. By rotating crop species, you can start seeing increased yields and avoid problems associated with the singular crop planting method.
Do soil testing
Testing the soil is one way of increasing your farm’s yield. This simple procedure will help you determine your farm soil’s pH level, so you’ll know whether it’s acidic or alkaline. This, in turn, will help you apply the proper products to correct the imbalance.
For acidic soil, limestone should be applied; for alkaline soil, sulfur products are recommended. For reference, your soil’s pH should read anywhere between 6.0 to 7.5 for it to be balanced or perfect for crops.
Managing a farm is a good way to earn a steady stream of income. Keep these tricks in mind, use what is applicable to your farm, and you should be in the right track to getting more from it.