Sowing sunflowers using Irisa and Marítimo seeds

A few weeks ago, we sowed the sunflowers, as we’ve been showing you in the videos posted on Instagram and YouTube. The main change this time is that we have switched seed brands and started using Syngenta.

As we have mentioned in previous blog posts, sunflower cultivation in our region is a fairly marginal crop. Hardly any farmers grow sunflowers because we rotate with pulse crops. We continue to keep it because it gives us an extra crop and because it means we can spend more time working on these fields where we sow sunflowers. What’s more, we have more options for controlling weeds. Another problem with growing sunflowers is that in our area the summer is very dry and there is practically no rain from sowing until harvest. That is why we switched to a different variety and tried SY Irisa AR and SY Marítimo AR. These seed varieties are notable for their good yields under water stress, so we’ll keep you updated on how our crop is progressing.

Another point worth noting is that, before heading out to the field to sow the seeds, we carried out some preparatory work at home using Syngenta’s Seed Selector tool. This tool helped us to select the seed variety best suited to the conditions on our fields (agronomic and climatic conditions). A free and very user-friendly tool that we really liked and think is very useful.

If we take a closer look at the two varieties grown, we can highlight the following about each of them:

SY Irisa AR

• High-yield hybridLinoleic variety.
• Excellent emergence vigour.
• High yield and good oil content.
• It is the earliest-flowering hybrid among the herbicide-tolerant varieties (Express™ and Clearfield®).
• High tolerance to both Imazamox (Clearfield®/Clearfield® Plus) and Tribenuron methyl (ExpressTM system) herbicides.
• Flowering: Early.
• Physiological maturity: Early.
• Resistance to Jopo: Very high.
• Resistance to downy mildew: Very high.
• Drought tolerance: Very high.
• Germination vigour: Very high.
• Height: Medium.

SY Marítimo AR

• The first A.I.R.™ high-oleic variety on the market.
• A highly productive hybrid in all growing conditions, performing particularly well under drought and heat stress.
• Strong emergence vigour.
• Good oleic acid content.
• High tolerance to Veriticilium.
• Flowering: Medium.
• Physiological maturity: Medium.
• Resistance to Jopo: Very high.
• Resistance to downy mildew: Very high.
• Drought tolerance: Very high.
• Vigorous emergence: Very high.
• Height: Tall.
• Oil content: Medium-high.

And finally, we’ll mention a few details about the A.I.R.™ technology featured in the two varieties we’ve sowed. This technology is notable for providing strong tolerance to herbicides containing imazamox/imazapyr and tribenuron-methyl, enabling better control of all weed problems. It therefore offers flexibility in the application window for these herbicides, keeping a wide range of weeds and broadleaf weeds under control.

Versión en español.

Smart Broch System

During the Christmas season and as the purple garlic sowing  campaign was coming to an end, we had the opportunity to visit a beautiful farm in Herencia (Ciudad Real) called ‘Casas de Vida’. Here, we witnessed the Spanish manufacturer Broch’s new garlic planter in action and explored their innovative Smart Broch system for machine control and management—a truly fascinating solution that we’ll explain in detail below.

Before we continue, we want to extend our gratitude to Antonio, his father, his brother and his sons for the warm hospitality they showed us during the morning we spent with them in their farm.

Regarding the garlic planter, it is a pneumatic machine that we have already covered in previous posts. However,  this version introduces many new features, which we’ll detail here. The most innovative aspect is the Smart Broch system—a machine management platform—which enables to have all the control from a tablet connected wirelessly (via Wi-Fi) to the machine. This allows operators to adjust configurations from the tractor cab and they can make the adjustment needed without stopping sowing, as well as seeing all the information from its multiple sensors ... all this is the Smart Broch system.

As shown in the video, this evolution takes the machine from a mechanical and analog system to a fully hydraulic and digitalized one. But how does this transformation work? Let’s break it down:

1. Hydraulic Transmission System. Replacing the traditional chain and sprocket system, the new hydraulic setup is controlled by three key sensors:
1. Machine speed sensor: Measures sowing speed.
2. Waterwheel speed sensor: Monitors the speed at which garlic is deposited before it’s placed in the soil.
3. Garlic clove sensor: Counts the number of cloves deposited in the ground.
2. GPS Receiver and Processing Software
1. Integrates sensor data and GPS positioning.
2. Wirelessly transmits machine information to a tablet, where specialized management software is installed.

From the tablet in the tractor cab, operators can access the following real-time information, categorized into three main sections:

• Machine Operation Control
• Working speed
• Pneumatic turbine revolutions
• Sowing density per row
• Geolocation and plants per meter
• Vibrator sensors
• Geolocation and Traceability
• Tracks and stores job records in the cloud.
• Alarm and Maintenance Systems
• Alerts to detect irregularities.
• Maintenance
• Predictive maintenance program to anticipate wear and prevent breakdowns.

Smart Broch system is truly impressive, offering real-time insights into the machine’s performance and ensuring the planting is carried out correctly.

One particularly useful example we observed was adjusting the plant density per meter—a critical factor in garlic planting. This adjustment was made seamlessly from the tablet, without stopping the sowing process, altering the working speed, or physically modifying the machine.

In conclusion, Smart Broch system represents a leap forward in agricultural technology, combining precision, efficiency, and user-friendly control to deliver.

Versión en español.