This Croptracker Customer Spotlight is focused on Scocan Holdings / Springvale Pines Farm. Located in Queensland Australia, Scocan Holdings is a family run farm business growing quality pineapples for the domestic market. We spoke with farm owners, Katherine and Scott Maxwell to learn more about the benefits they get from using Croptracker. They have been using Croptracker’s Spray module since 2019 to track their chemical and fertilization treatments. They are heading into their 5th season with Croptracker this year.
Pineapple growing is a big investment. It takes 2 years for a pineapple plant to grow a single fruit and each plant will only grow 2 commercial sized pineapples within their 4 year life cycle. Scocan balances the long growing cycle of the pineapples with organized field rotations so there is always a block ready to harvest when they need it. After 4 years, each pineapple field is replanted. In fields with irrigation, a cover crop like soy, millet, cotton or barley is planted to allow for the soil nutrients to replenish. Pineapples are drought resistant and well suited to hot and dry farmland on Katherine and Scott’s farm.
Using Croptracker’s Spray system helps Scocan organize their harvest timing and rotations and estimate upcoming harvest yields. At a glance, Scott is able to see which fields will be ready next by checking how long it has been since their last fertilization. In their second year of growth the pineapples are sprayed with a fertilization treatment that boosts growth half a year before they are ready to harvest. By looking 6 months forward from this spray application, the timing of the harvest in that field can be scheduled. In Croptracker’s farm mapping system, Scocan documents the total number of plants everytime they do a new planting so they are able to estimate the total number of fruit they will have at the upcoming harvest.
It [Spray] checks all the boxes for audits.
Scocan derives the most value from the Spray module when it comes to record keeping and report generation for audits. Like most agricultural operations, Scocan is subject to yearly safety audits to prove that their chemical applications are in compliance with regional and national food safety, environmental protection and worker safety standards. Being able to prove that the maximum number of applications has not been exceeded and that the proper REI and PHI are recorded and honored is essential.
Previously, to handle the organization of the spray records across their 250 acres, Scott would spend long days in the office catching up on the compilation and filing of paper records in order to be prepared for audits. Now, Scott sets up the spray plans on Croptracker and he and his employees are able to view and update the records in a few clicks as they are in the field. It helps to share the work of organizing and being responsible for the record keeping. Previously Katherine would need to rely on Scott to find various records but now either of them can pull up one of the many spray reports on demand and find what they need.
Croptracker saves us easily an hour of paperwork after we spray.
Moving forward with Croptracker, Scott and Katherine plan to boost their cost calculations by digitally tracking their chemical inventory. Right now they are easily able to see how much of any given chemical they have sprayed, but they plan to more closely record the costs of their inputs so they can make informed cost saving decisions.
Scocan Holdings has very effectively integrated Croptracker into their farming operations, enhancing both efficiency and compliance requirements on their pineapples. The Spray module streamlines record-keeping, simplifies compliance with safety audits and also allows Scott and Katherine Maxwell to make informed decisions about harvest timing, labor and future plantings. Croptracker is proud to be able to support the future sustainability and growth of this family run farm.
