TASMANIAN DRAINAGE COMPANY TOOK CENTRE STAGE AT CEREALS – THE UK’S LEADING AGRICULTURE EVENT
Work undertaken by a Tasmanian drainage company was showcased at a leading agricultural event in the United Kingdom.
Fred Clarke of Mastenbroek cited a project by WD Drainage at the Cereals event.
Cereals, which took place on 30th June and 1st July, is a highlight of the United Kingdom's agricultural events calendar, with over 15,000 visitors.
Mr Clarke, Mastenbroek's Technical Sales Engineer, was a keynote speaker on the National Association of Agricultural Contractors' stand.
Mastenbroek is one of the world's leading manufacturers of drainage trenchers. WD Drainage used a Mastenbroek 20/15 when undertaking an innovative project for Tasmanian farmer Alistair Mitchelson which saw drainage water diverted to a reservoir where it is stored for future use.
Until now, Alistair had to pump water to the reservoir ready for irrigation – an expensive process. WD Drainage's five-year plan started at the beginning of 2021 and will create a natural flow of rainfall from the field to the reservoir.
Phase One of the project was completed in March and will potentially add 38,250 m3 of water to the reservoir during the three months of winter rainfall – the equivalent of 15 Olympic swimming pools. The stored water will be utilised for free in the summer months, saving Alistair a huge amount!
"The use of drainage water feeding a centre pivot irrigation system by WD Drainage is one of the most innovative projects I've seen in a long while," said Fred. "By using the Trimble® software installed on our 20/15 trencher, WD Drainage has been able to design and install a drainage system to retain water for irrigation, saving their client money and helping the environment at the same time. For me, it is a project that should inspire lots of other people as it shows how we can improve agricultural land and ensure that the precious water that is drained from the field can be stored for future use."
WD Drainage was mentioned alongside a project by UK-based William Morfoot Drainage Ltd. Morfoots diverted drainage water from an agricultural system to an area of unused land, transforming it into a wetland habitat for wildlife.
During the presentation - Drainage: Where Next? - Fred also referenced the work of AMS Contractors, which increased its turnover by 30% by using the Mastenbroek-supplied Trimble® FieldLevel II system to generate cut and fill maps for farmland as part of its land forming service.
Mastenbroek manufactured its first drainage trencher in 1977. Since then, the company has grown into a globally respected name in trenching and machine automation through its partnership with Trimble.
Mastenbroek and Trimble have worked in partnership since 2010 when they developed a GPS system for drainage trenchers. Today, all Mastenbroek trenchers are factory-ready for Trimble GPS machine control.
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