In the rolling hills of Northern Ireland, where emerald fields meet blue skies, cabbage farming has long been a blend of tradition and tenacity. But for one local farm, the challenge of planting 45 acres of cabbage on hilly terrain felt like an uphill battle—until they discovered the FJD AT2 Auto Steer System. This is the story of how precision technology turned grueling labor into a streamlined process.
Agriculture in Northern Ireland
Located on the island of Ireland, Northern Ireland features a diverse agricultural landscape characterized by both hilly and flat terrains. The northern and western regions are predominantly hilly and rugged, with the Mourne Mountains and other upland areas, while the eastern and southern parts tend to be flatter and more suitable for intensive farming.The climate in Northern Ireland is classified as temperate maritime, which means it experiences mild, wet winters and cool summers. This climate provides a generally moist environment with abundant rainfall throughout the year, contributing to a lush and fertile landscape. The moderate temperatures are conducive to a variety of agricultural activities.
Though the climate poses a challenge for farmers, it is ideal for hardy crops like cabbage, potatoes, and grass for grazing livestock. Cabbage thrives here because it can handle the chilly, wet conditions better than fussier vegetables. Cabbage is a natural fit for Northern Ireland's weather. Its thick leaves resist frost, and it grows well in the region's nutrient-rich soil, making it a practical choice for vegetable cultivation.
The Importance of Cabbage in Irish Cuisine
In Ireland, cabbage isn't just food—it's a cultural icon. For centuries, it's been a staple in hearty meals that fuel hardworking communities. Dishes like colcannon (mashed potatoes mixed with cabbage) and Irish stew showcase its role in comfort food. Cabbage was also a lifesaver during tough times, like the 19th-century potato famine, when it provided much-needed nutrients.Cabbage takes center stage during St. Patrick's Day celebrations. Many families serve corned beef and cabbage, a dish popularized by Irish immigrants in America but embraced back home. The meal symbolizes resourcefulness and pride—a way to honor heritage while feeding a crowd. Farmers often time their cabbage harvests to meet the March demand, ensuring fresh, local greens for the festivities. Even outside holidays, cabbage is a kitchen hero. It can be found in soups, salads, and even fermented as sauerkraut.
Cabbage's popularity isn't fading. Modern farms in Northern Ireland still dedicate acres to it, knowing it'll sell at markets and to restaurants. Its simplicity—growing well in tough conditions, storing easily, and fitting into countless recipes—makes it a timeless symbol of Irish resilience and ingenuity. Whether shredded into coleslaw or simmered in a stew, cabbage remains a humble star of the Irish table.
Cabbage Planting Made Easier with FJD Autosteering Tech
In Northern Ireland, a farm started using FJD autosteering systems on one tractor in 2024, and now they've got it on four or five farming vehicles. This year, before planting cabbages, the farmers applied pre-emergent herbicides and a liquid fertilizer with FJD autosteering systems. According to Alex Lyttle from RL Produce, FJD's regional distributor, this approach ensures that fertilizers are delivered precisely where needed, preventing any chemical residue on the cabbage leaves, thus safeguarding the quality of the produce.As the planting season arrives, the farmers recently leveraged the innovative FJD autosteering technology to efficiently plant 45 acres of cabbages within a couple of days. This rapid operation was made possible thanks to the advanced functionality of the FJD systems, which impressed the cabbage growers with some practical efficiency-boosting features.
Flexible Reusing of AB Lines
Notably, the ability to save and reuse AB lines—a fundamental feature of the FJD technology—provided unparalleled flexibility in field management. With preset AB lines, farmers can precisely plan the planting spacing, achieving a maximum coverage of their land.As Alex explained, traditionally, a planter tractor would have to generate an AB line on the fly, often limiting options and increasing the risk of errors, which can cost time and resources. "If you come into a field that's completely made ready for planting, the planter tractor has to try and decide on an AB line, you're sort of tied to your first options unless the par is there to take the line out or whatever."
No Cabbage Damage with Marked Tramlines
Moreover, the incorporation of tramlines has revolutionized planting operations by allowing for clear guidance during subsequent activities such as spraying. "AB lines made by the harrower, also used by the sprayer later. That means the tramlines have been marked out, which made the planting operation faster." With tramlines pre-marked by harrowers, growers can plant with confidence, knowing that they have factored in the necessary gaps for sprayers to navigate without damaging the crops.Alex continued, "Because whenever we're planting a tramline, the person who should plant stops to leave a big gap, so that whenever the cabbage grows big, there is enough room for the sprayer to get through without damaging any cabbage."
Without marking tramlines beforehand, farmers have to manually count each pass, which takes a lot of effort for the driver and makes mistakes (and wasted time) likely. "It's been a real benefit that all the tractors that are used for the land preparation, spraying, and planting, have been able to share the same tramline, which has been made before we've even started planting".
Easy to Swap Between Two Lines
The ease of switching between lines is particularly useful in hilly terrains, where growers are forced to adapt their planting strategies to the landscape. For instance, by simply pressing two buttons, farmers can quickly alternate planting directions, diminishing unnecessary turns in the field and increasing overall efficiency."In Northern Ireland, there is a lot of hilly land, but we still have to use it for vegetables. One of the fields that we planted this year, the quickest way to do it was to plant up the hill to the top of the hill, then switch lines because the field needed to be drilled in two ways due to the hang of the hill. So the quickest way to do it was to drive up the field, switch lines, plant back down the hill the other direction, turn, come back up, switch the line, and back down again. And it's only a matter of hitting two buttons to be able to do that, which is a real good benefit of the FJD system".
With the FJD systems, the farmers didn't have to plant the whole side of the field before moving on to the next line, and then planted the other side of the field. This means higher efficiency because they didn't have to keep turning in the middle of the field. Therefore, whenever the farmers came in to put the pre-emergent herbicides and liquid fertilizer on, they were able to move the same line to where it suited them to spray.
"So later in the year, whenever I'm coming to put fungicide in these cabbages or whatever, the tramlines all match up. So basically I just go up and turn and come back down again, and all the tramlines are matched up across the whole field," Alex said excitedly, referring to the benefit of easy line switching.
Stable RTK Accuracy (1–2 cm)
Additionally, the precision provided by RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) accuracy—boasting a remarkable accuracy of ±2.5cm—enhances field productivity. This makes planting perfect, with no messy overlaps or missed spots. "Obviously, working with vegetable crops that have higher values than cereals or grass, RTK is a must."While explaining the RTK benefit, Alex pointed to a field behind him and said, "We've got our base station in the yard, and that means that I think we're accurate to maybe 1 to 2 cm. And whenever you look over the field like it really shows (that accuracy). There are no wiggles and no wide and narrow drills. Everything is perfect."
As the farm expanded its adoption of the FJD autosteering technology from one to four tractors since its initial use last year, they have found it to be not only user-friendly and cost-effective, but also to work just as well as those expensive systems. "Definitely, I think it's a good system. Simple to use, affordable, and has all the functionalities of more expensive, probably better-known systems," said Alex.
A Sustainable Future Forward
The story of planting 45 acres of cabbage with FJD autosteering tech is a testament to how innovation can honor the past while sowing seeds for the future. By embracing FJD's precision navigation systems—reusing AB lines, marking tramlines, and harnessing RTK accuracy down to 2.5cm—local growers have turned backbreaking labor into a joyful adventure.For Northern Ireland's farmers, this is a big revolution. A revolution where cabbage, that humble hero of Irish tables, continues to thrive, now bolstered by the kind of modern innovation that ensures farms remain profitable, sustainable, and ready for whatever the future holds.
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