OverseerFM connects farms to science to allow consultants to support farmers in developing informed farm plans, that enable farmers to improve their farm sustainability.
Download the attached 1-page guide to support your work with farmers.
Understand OverseerFM:
- A strategic tool for long term management effects
- A farm system is modeled over a 12 month period
- It uses unit information, e.g. stock numbers by class by month
- Consider what drives the model, e.g. drainage drives N loss
- Some inputs are fixed, e.g soil, climate, topography
- Some inputs vary across years. e.g. stock numbers & fertiliser applied
- The model assumes good management practices are followed
- A paid farm subscription is required to generate results
Clarify Purpose - Reasons a farmer completes a nutrient budget:
- Farm Environment Planning
- Farm system and scenario analysis
- Identify N&P loss hot spots and the extent to which on-farm changes will impact results
- Understand the context of your numbers - N loss, P loss, GHG emissions
- Market access with supply companies
- Meeting regulatory requirements
Understand the Farm system - Consider:
- Farm area
- Block topography
- Pasture and crop types
- Tree block areas and forest age
- Stock class and number per month
- Effluent and structures
- Fertiliser applied monthly
- Supplements made on farm / imported
- Soil types
- Soil tests
- Irrigation system and application method
- Drainage and wetlands
Discuss results:
- How to access reports
- Nutrient loss trends over time
- Dashboard Results - N, P, GHG
- Overview - blocks contributing to higher than average N or P loss
- GHG emissions profile by source
- Carbon sequestration of tree blocks
- Farm & block level nutrient budgets
- Block details report - nutrient loss insights
- Compare block report
- Effluent report
- Production calculations e.g. N Surplus and kgMS/cow
- Maintenance nutrient requirements