DOES
OPTIMUM SURFACE LANDFORMING
OFFER PRECISION AGRICULTURE'S
HIGHEST ROI?
80/20 RULE OF PRECISION AGRICULTURE
 80% OF YIELD VARIABILITY & LOSS IS CAUSED BY 1 THING…..
 WATER - BOTH TOO LITTLE AND TOO MUCH.
 SO FOCUS ON
IMPROVING THAT
FIRST
PONDING KILLS YIELD & PROFIT
 MUNGBEAN YIELD VARIES FROM 0% TO 100% WHERE
PONDING DEPTH VARIES FROM ONLY 50MM TO 0MM.
PONDING CAUSES NITROGEN LOSS
PONDING DISRUPTS MACHINERY OPERATIONS
WET DEPRESSION AREAS DISRUPT HARVEST
WHAT IS OPTIMUM SURFACE LANDFORMING?
 THE PROCESS OF
RESHAPING THE
LAND SURFACE TO
AN OPTIMISED 3D
SURFACE USING
EARTHMOVING
EQUIPMENT
CONTROLLED BY
RTK GPS MACHINE
CONTROL SYSTEM
WHY OPTIMUM SURFACE LANDFORMING?
 ACHIEVES DRAINAGE BENEFITS
BY ELIMINATING ALL REVERSE
GRADES THAT FORM
DEPRESSIONS
 SMOOTHS THE SURFACE TO
PROMOTE MORE UNIFORM
INFILTRATION
 ADVANTAGES OVER
TRADITIONAL LASER
GRADING:
 MUCH LOWER EARTHWORKS
(AIM: +70% LOWER)
 MUCH LOWER TOPSOIL
MOVEMENT
OPTIMUM SURFACE TYPES
Surface types to suit different farming systems
 1 WAY – FURROW/SURFACE IRRIGATION
 2 WAY – DRAINAGE FURROW/BED
 4 WAY – DRAINAGE NO FURROWS
 1 WAY CIRCLE  2 WAY CIRCLE -
CENTRE PIVOT CIRCULAR
FURROWS DRAINAGE
Long Section Plot
Long section plot
Downslope:
0.111% to 0.333%
C7
Long Section Plot
Downslope:
0.050% to 1.000%
C7
OptiSurface - Downslope Map
C7
Runoff Velocity Map
FLOW
DIRECTION
C7
Rainfall: 75mm/hr Max Velocity: 0.44m/s
Runoff Depth Map
FLOW
DIRECTION
C7
Rainfall: 75mm/hr Infiltration:0mm Max Depth:
0 170m
CASE STUDY 1 – DAVCO FIELD D4
 85HA
 DRIP IRRIGATED
SUGAR CANE
 ON 2.4M BEDS
CASE STUDY 1 – EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY
 AVERAGE SLOPE
0.25%
CASE STUDY 1 – EXISTING PONDING ANALYSIS
 WITH BEDS 200mm
HIGH
 RESULT: 25% OF THE
FIELD PONDED
 ESTIMATE LOSS IN
PONDED AREA
 75% YIELD LOSS
 $3,800/HA
 $81,000/yr
CASE STUDY 1 – PROPOSED TOPOGRAPHY
 DESIGN MAIN SLOPES
 MIN: 0.08%
 MAX: 0.3%
 SMOOTHING: 200m/%
 DESIGN CROSS SLOPES
 MIN: -0.5%
 MAX: 0.5%
 SMOOTHING: 200m/%
CASE STUDY 1 – CUT/FILL
 AVE. CUT PER AREA:
182 m3/ha
 AVERAGE
 CUT: 38mm
 FILL: 36mm
 EARTHWORKS
 COST/HA: $330/HA
 FIELD COST: $30,000
LONG SECTION FOR OPTISURFACE LOOSE
LONG SECTION FOR OPTISURFACE TIGHT
LONG SECTION FOR LASER
CASE STUDY 1 – RETURN ON INVESTMENT
 FIELD
 COST: $30,000
 BENEFIT: $81,000
 ROI
 270%/yr
 PLUS OTHER BENEFITS




↑TIMELINESS
↓NITROGEN LOSS
↓WEEDS
ETC
CASE STUDY 2 – BIDSTRUP FIELD ALOE 3
 DRYLAND GRAIN FARM, WARRA, QUEENSLAND
"I lost half my crop to ponding. I was ecstatic to see zero water laying in the
field I Optisurfaced!" Wade Bidstrup
CASE STUDY 2 – YIELD MAP
 AREA: 117ha
 YIELD MAP
Green = high yield
Red = low yield
 2012 LOSS:
 $600/ha
 $70,000
PHOTO
CASE STUDY 2 – EXISTING TOPOGRAPHY
 AVERAGE SLOPE
0.08%
1m Fall
1200m
CASE STUDY 2 – EXISTING PONDING ANALYSIS
 PONDING >25mm:
45%
CASE STUDY 2 – YIELD MAP
 FOR COMPARISON TO
PONDING MAP
CASE STUDY 2 – PROPOSED TOPOGRAPHY
 2WAY SURFACE TYPE
 DESIGN SLOPES:
 MIN: 0.05%
 MAX: 0.5%
 SMOOTHING: 250m/%
CASE STUDY 2 – PROPOSED CUT/FILL
 AVE. CUT PER AREA:
96 m3/ha
 AVERAGE
 CUT: 17mm
 FILL: 18mm
 EARTHWORKS
 COST/HA: $250/HA
 FIELD COST: $30,000
CASE STUDY 2 – RETURN ON INVESTMENT
 FIELD
 COST: $30,000
 2012 BENEFIT: $70,000
 ROI
 2012: 233%
 AVERAGE: ?
 PLUS OTHER BENEFITS




↑TIMELINESS
↓NITROGEN LOSS
↓WEEDS
ETC
SUMMARY
 WATER IS KING WHEN IT COMES TO YIELD VARIABILITY
AND HENCE PROFIT
 OPTIMUM SURFACE LANDFORMING CAN HELP
 HIGH ROIs ARE USUALLY ACHIEVED
davcofarming.com
optisurface.com