AMS Contracting is one of the first UK drainage contractors to have fitted the Trimble® FieldLevel II system and a TMX-2050TM Display System to its tractor and scraper. The software, sold by Mastenbroek, generates cut-and-fill maps allowing farmland to be formed or levelled, which improves drainage and yields.

Land forming, which is commonplace in the United States and Europe, uses a GPS survey to identify uneven areas of a field. The survey data is used to scrape the soil from higher areas of the field into lower areas to produce an optimum surface. When combined with a drainage scheme, the land becomes more productive, generating better yields for farmers.

"AMS Contracting are one of a handful of businesses in the UK using our machinery and Trimble's technology to undertake land forming and land levelling," says Christopher Pett, commercial director at Mastenbroek. "Ashley and Myles, who run AMS, are carving out a real niche and have helped several farmers improve the quality of their agricultural land and yields. We are delighted they have agreed to join us in the National Association of Agricultural Contractors' drainage hub at Cereals. We think their scraper will attract a lot of interest from farmers and other contractors keen to see how they add a new service to their business."

Established by Ashley and Myles Strange in 2011, AMS Contracting began life as a specialist big bale contractor but moved into agricultural drainage and land forming in 2017. Based in Chichester, AMS predominately works in the South East of England.

"We've been very lucky so far, and lots of farmers have put their trust in us, and word of mouth from delighted clients has undoubtedly helped.

"I don't think people are aware of the benefits of land forming," says Myles. "We've seen land forming grow to be a third of our business, and turnover has risen by 30% as a result. We've been very lucky so far, and lots of farmers have put their trust in us, and word of mouth from delighted clients has undoubtedly helped.

"As well as arable farmers, we've also helped fresh fruit growers, creating fields that look like billiard tables! Land levelling can turn some of the least productive areas of land into the most productive."

For more information about the Trimble® FieldLevel II system and Mastenbroek, visit the team at Cereals or www.mastenbroek.com, and to find out more about AMS Contracting, look at www.amscontracting.co.uk.