Members projects

The DexTerra farm is situated in the heart of the Hildesheimer Börde”, a region well known for its fertile agricultural land and production of potatoes and sugarbeet. The average farm size in this region is 65 hectares and these small, family-run farms are finding it increasingly difficult to survive as a viable enterprise. This situation led 11 local farms to get together and form a larger, more efficient business. The business now farms approximately 1000 hectares including 110 hectares of potatoes on contract to Agrarfrost. The rest of the rotation is made up of wheat, sugarbeet, barley and maize.

DexTerra has introduced a wid range of good practices and techniques to ensure the sustainability of its farming business. A key technology which is bing us, is the Argus monitoring system - a decision-support mechanism for the management of late blight and early blight. The system provides a predictive disease risk assessment for the coming days, and recommends when to spray, what type of chemical to use and application rates. This supportsthe lowest possible use of chemicals for the control of blight and the application of the most effective chemicals where necessary. The benefits of the system have been demonstrated in field trials (see annexes). Moreover, a Global Positioning System is fitted to the sprayer to decrease pesticide application inaccuracies by limiting overlaps. This is achieved by automatically switching boom sections off when they pass over a previously sprayed area, or when they go beyond field boundaries. This system reduces overlaps, saves on chemical inputs (and their associated cost), limits crop stress, and reduces application time and operator stress.

Sustainability however is not just about the environment. It is also and foremost about economics, and social conditions. The economics of agriculture have been changing and have been affected by large fluctuations in commodity and input
prices. It has therefore become necessary for farming businesses to seek income streams other than those generated by conventional farming methods. Diversification opportunities are widely acknowledged as significant possibilities for improving the economic viability of farm businesses, and in turn reducing their dependence on the profits generated by producing primary agricultural commodities. DexTerra has diversified into renewable energy with the construction and commission of a 700 KwHr anaerobic digester. The unique aspect of this diversification project is that it fits perfectly within the current farming system and in part makes use of the existing personnel skill base and the resources that the farm has. The facility is being run exclusively by one of the farmer members of DexTerra, providing them with full-time employment and a regular income. The final product of the anaerobic digestion process is a liquid containing solid organic materials - a nutrient-rich fertiliser which is spread on the surrounding farmland. This has several benefits as the organic matter improves the soil structure and this in turn improves soil fertility, water infiltration and retention. Ultimately this reduces the requirement to purchase artificial fertilisers, lowering input costs and improving the economics of the business. It also reduces the farm’s carbon footprint due to the decrease in use of artificial fertilisers which are very energy intensive to manufacture.

“The really impressive feature of DexTerra is how 11 farms have come together to form a larger, more efficient, viable business, whilst still maintaining the traditions and attention to detail of the small family farm. The practices implemented by DexTerra could be used by any farming business to improve their outlook and approach in this dynamic industry” says Karl Williams, Flagship Farms Programme Manager