Sławomir Kopeć: “We select the right fertilizer blend thanks to soil testing with the AgroCares Scanner”
PPH Stampol company sells fertilizers and offers agricultural consulting. In order to provide high quality services, the company decided to purchase an AgroCares Scanner for soil testing. So why did they decide to implement this near-infrared technology and analyze their customers’ soils?
Over 30 years of experience in offering fertilizers
Stampol has been supplying fertilizers to farmers all over Poland for 30 years. It is one of the leading agricultural distributors in the country. Stampol’s customers include both small-holder farmers with plots of 7-8 ha and larger farms with plots measuring up to 300 ha, involved in the cultivation crops as cereals or beetroot. The head office is located in Opole Lubelskie, but the area of activity covers the whole Poland. Stampol places great importance on constantly improving the quality of their services. In an effort to advice farmers in the best possible way, the company decided to purchase an AgroCares Scanner and provide soil testing services.
Improved services thanks to AgroCares Scanner
Sławomir Kopeć, Customer Advisor at Stampol: “We are always looking for new innovative services that can support our farmers in a better way. Since we are distributors of many products from various companies, mainly fertilizers, but also plant protection products, the Scanner is a perfect tool to support the farmers who work with us in a better way. Thanks to the Scanner, our advisors now have the opportunity to learn about the soil composition of their customers’ fields during their first visit. Because they instantly have knowledge of the basic processes taking place in the soil, our advisors can provide valuable advice and high-quality services.”
Valuable soil information
Sławomir Kopeć: “The information provided by the Scanner is extremely useful. In addition to the content of elements, the Scanner provides information about clay fractions, which is valuable for us, especially since in our area there is soil variability. This helps me to interpret the potassium content of the soil. As we know, the higher the clay fraction in the soil, the more it is absorbed to the soil and hence is unavailable to plants.
The Scanner also provides information about the soil’s cation exchange capacity (CEC). It is important to me, because it brings a lot of important information about the sum of such cations as calcium, magnesium and potassium, which are the determinant of the fertility and quality of the scanned soil. For me, as an advisor, this is a valuable piece of information. However, in Poland there are just a few laboratories that offer testing CEC. Being able to do this quickly with the Scanner is a great advantage for us.”
Fast and on-the-spot soil testing
The Scanner is an innovative tool that relies on near-infrared spectroscopy and a connection to AgroCares soil database to provide information about the scanned soil sample. This method of soil testing makes it possible to have soil test results within 10 minutes. The speed of delivery of the results is a big advantage not only for Stampol but also for their clients. Sławomir Kopeć: “Farmers are very enthusiastic about the Scanner. Most of them are used to waiting for their soil test results for weeks. So, the fact that we receive the report right away is, of course, a big advantage. When I tell them that results will be available immediately, on the spot, they are astonished.”
Year-round monitoring of soil fertility
The Scanner is fast and easy-to-use; this enables farmers and advisors to perform analyses throughout the year. Sławomir Kopeć: “Previously, soil analyses were conducted mostly before the fertilizer season. At present, AgroCares technology enables year-round inspections of soil condition.”
Gaining loyal clients over the years
When Stampol started offering soil testing services with the Scanner last year, they did 2-3 tests per farmer. Sławomir Kopeć: “This year the farmers are coming back and want to carry out more tests on their entire fields. This is the best proof that the device works effectively.”
Streamlined fertilizer sales
The use of the Scanner has allowed Stampol to streamline their fertilizer sales process. Nowadays, advisors can select fertilizers based on actual data and help farmers make a purchase much faster. Sławomir Kopeć: “It is known that soil analysis alone without proper knowledge is not very helpful, because farmers do not know what to do with the data received. For me, this information is very important. On the basis of this information, I know the condition of my client’s soil and I can choose the fertilizers myself knowing the specific needs of the soil. Farmers who don’t have the knowledge can benefit from the new SoilCares Adviser application, which identifies the soil’s nutrient requirements.”