PREMER farmer and Precision Seeding Solutions director, David McGavin, has been named the 2017 winner of the Brownhill Cup for his work in precision farming.

David McGavin (centre) holds aloft the 2017 Brownhill Cup. Image: Simon Chamberlain

Mr McGavin clinched the award through the adoption of leading overseas cropping technology to boost on-farm production.

Following tips from the American corn industry, Mr McGavin has been working to match sorghum hybrids with soil to allow for a higher yielding, more robust crop in variable soils.

Last year, he used the US-made VSET Select Multi Hybrid Planter to sow two different sorghum varieties side by side into sections of his soils, as determined by a pre-loaded variable-rate map.

Planting the multi hybrid seeds would allow Mr McGavin to grow a more resilient crop in soil that lacked good moisture holding capacity.

The technology assists with drought management as well as growing a high-yielding crop in variable soils.

“My passion is using technology that increases our productivity and profitability, I like to go with a gut feeling when deciding to implement technology then help make planting equipment available to fellow farmers,” he said.

“We love what we do and it is a very exciting time to be in agriculture.”

Brownhill Cup Committee member, Gordon Brownhill said the Brownhill Cup aimed to recognise people in the industry who practice innovative farming to improve sustainability, productivity and profitability in agriculture.

“Mr McGavin was very deserving of the award and his research will become more prominent in the industry over time.”

The result was announced today in the NSW Farmers’ tent at the AgQuip field days at Gunnedah.

To read more about Mr McGavin’s precision farming work, click here.

Source: NSW Farmers’ Association