Maatschap Schuiling from Minnertsga were the first growers to purchase the MagGrow system.
Three years ago, the Maatschap Schuiling invested in a new sprayer with MagGrow. MagGrow is now known in the Netherlands, but back then, they were the first true MagGrow pioneers of the country. Therefore, we visited Gosse Schuiling and Lena Bleeker to hear more about their experiences during the past 3 years.
Why did you choose MagGrow at the time?
As arable farmers, we are open to innovative and sustainable initiatives. From our role in the MagGrow Advisory Board, we have been involved since 2014 in the independent testing for the MagGrow system, carried out by Wageningen University & Research. The results of the testing gave us confidence in the system, and that is why we decided to have the system installed on our newly purchased sprayer. An additional advantage is that the system has no moving parts, no maintenance and can be retrofitted to an old or new sprayer.
Have you started using fewer plant protection products right away?
Yes, we are convinced of the system and therefore we said: “we will immediately use 75% of the recommended quantity”. This means by the way that we have earned the investment back in 3 years. Nonetheless, we still continue to use 100% for a few substances, in particular for soil herbicides.
What does the use of MagGrow mean for your production and expenses?
The size of the harvest is comparable to that in the past, the costs for crop protection are lower and we have now saved tens of thousands of euros. We also use less water per hectare. Nowadays we only use 200 litres of water instead of 250 litres. As a result, we spray more hectares per full tank and therefore the system saves us time. We save around 2 hours per full spray day. But the most important thing is that we use less crop protection and the drift has been reduced enormously, which makes a positive contribution to the protection of the environment. Last but not least, the system also meets the requirements of current legislation and regulations.
Maatschap W.R. and G.F. Schuiling
Crops
Potatoes 100 ha
Wheat 120 ha
Sugar 60 ha
Onions 20 ha
Machine
Agrifac Condor 51 meter
Do you have any questions?
– MagGrow: please contact [email protected] or call 06 43 60 02 87
