Precision Pays

Earlier this year Ag Leader launched a new GPS guidance and steering technology called ParaDyme. While the product is still fairly new, growers are already raving about it. To learn more about its unique features and benefits, I spoke with Jeff Bentley, GPS Guidance and Steering Sales Manager for Ag Leader.

ParaDyme is a fully functional, fully integrated hydraulic steering system. It includes a cellular modem for correction by cell, wireless, as well as wifi that’s integrated for future uses and it can be installed into any hydraulic valve vehicle. Bentley explained that it is also scalable from WAAS to OmniStar all the way up to RTK. “So it’s fully scalable to several correction sources,” said Bentley.

A major advantage of using steering technologies is efficiency. “Efficiency is going to be your biggest advantage,” said Bentley. ParaDyme offers accuracy and ease of use and Bentley said when you come back to spray or come back to harvest, the straight rows are going to be a big advantage.

ParaDyme can be used with multiple brands of equipment going back 20 years. It can also be integrated with other Ag Leader products into two displays, Integra, which was launched this fall, and Edge, which was launched earlier this year. In addition, growers can use DirectCommand and SeedCommand as well as the Yield Monitor with ParaDyme.

Farmers have commented that some of their favorite product features include the display as well as the integrated modem. We have a lot of growers, especially those doing RTK connection through a cell modem like you have in Iowa through the DOE network, who really appreciate the integrated modem said Bentley. “The modem is already in ParaDyme. They don’t have to get their own cell plan – they just buy their cell plan through us and away they go.”

Bentley concluded that it’s been a great year and they’re looking forward to seeing how ParaDyme performs on the combine as well as in tillage applications.

You can listen to my interview with Jeff Bentley here. Jeff Bentley Talks ParaDyme

Farm Progress Photo Album

Precision Pays coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by: .

Precision agriculture and the economics of technology will be the focus of the Ohio State University Extension Central Ohio Agronomy Field Day on Aug. 25.

The event will be held from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. at David Miller Farm, 10750 Millersport Road, Millersport, Ohio. Registration is $10, payable by noon the day of the event.

Precision farming topics include:

• “Yield monitor benefits–Using Yield Map Data to go VRT; Using Remote Sensing for Enhancing Profit Potential.”
• “GPS Options and Accuracy, Autosteer Benefits and Limitations, and Automatic Section Control.”
• “Use of RTK, CORS, Nitrogen Sensors, Grid Sampling, Infrared Sensing, and More.”

Other topics being covered throughout the day include corn and soybean disease and plant health reports, assessing fertility programs, identifying nutrient issues, anaerobic digestion economic opportunities, and watershed management.

Certified crop advisor credits will be available.

The field day is sponsored by OSU Extension offices of Fairfield, Licking, Perry, and Pickaway counties. Additional sponsors include Farm Credit Services, Laurelville Grain, ADM Grain, Southwest Ohio Corn Growers, New Era Liquids, Agro-Chem East, Coschocton Grain, Wilmington Case IH Super Store, and Ohio Soybean Council.

For more information, check out this link.

Research shows a lightbar can pay for itself in three years on only 300 acres. It can be done with a GPS receiver that receives the free WAAS correction signal that functions within 12-inch accuracy.

This was just one precision farming economic message presented by Matt Darr, Iowa State University ag engineer, during a field day at its Northern Research Farm field day, according to a story in AgriNews.

“This is suitable for non-critical guidance, including tillage, spraying and seeding/drilling,” Darr said. “They are also used for autoswath systems on sprayers, but accuracy will decline in larger fields.”

Investing in a $2,000 light bar for a sprayer can cut chemical costs by 4 to 8 percent per year, Darr said. In areas with rugged terrain, the savings have been as much as 17 percent.

Dual frequency correction offers advances over single frequency correction and provides pass-to-pass accuracy within 4-inches or better, Darr said. This works well for precise auto steering for planting and for planter section control. It requires a yearly subscription that can range from $800 to $1,500.

Real Time Kenematic, or RTK, correction is the most accurate GPS correction because it uses a privately-owned reference station located close to the GPS receiver. RTK can provide one-inch pass-to-pass accuracy and is the only GPS correction that provides year-to-year position stability. RTK allows controlled traffic, strip tillage/fertilization/planting and extremely precise autosteering. Darr said that although RTK receiver costs have come down, the investment is still high from a cost and complexity standpoint.

RTK networks maintained by groups of implement dealers are available for a subscription fee. The cost is similar to a dual frequency subscription.

Read the story to learn more about more network choices and their value.

AutoFarm has released a new video featuring its ParaDyme GPS Precision Farming system.

The new five and one half minute video highlights ParaDyme as the world’s first totally integrated precision farming system, with the capability of being installed on any “color” or brand of farm equipment from tractors, combines, sprayers and spreaders to swathers.

AutoFarm ParaDyme is the single system solution to all facets of precision farming: planter control, application control, yield monitoring, data logging and management, plus hands-free GPS steering via WAAS, EGNOS, OmniSTAR HP/XP, and RTK. It is also GLONASS ready. The ParaDyme System offers a choice of three displays: AutoFarm INTEGRA, AutoFarm EDGE and AutoFarm Viper Pro. It is also compatible with the AutoFarm OnTrac2 GPS Assisted Steering System running with ParaDyme/INTEGRA or ParaDyme/EDGE.

With its unique factory-integrated wireless, ParaDyme offers a Remote Real-Time Service connection to the dealer in addition to optional RTK ReadyConnect that provides RTK correction without a base station. A newly enabled WiFi function is another expansion of an already feature-packed solution to virtually everything precision ag.

Successful Farming recently compiled various statistics on how precision farming pays, based on the experience of some farmers and university experts. Check out this story from it’s special summer 2010 issue, where they highlighted such benefits as:

• Strip till and RTK guidance saves a huge amount of hours and fuel savings, while delivering big conservation and environmental benefits.
• Planter clutches can save 3-7% in seed costs.
• Banding P&K can reduce rates as much as 40%.
• Spray boom section control can save 5-15% in input costs.

The Alabama Precision Agriculture Team is sponsoring and participating in the International Conference on Precision Agriculture to be held July 18-21, 2010 in Denver Colorado.

Team members will present on various topics including Profitability of RTK and Its Influence on Peanut Production, Adoption and Use of Precision Agriculture Technologies and Proper Implementation of Precision Agricultural Technologies for Conducting On-farm Research. In addition the Alabama Precision Agriculture Program will sponsor an exhibit at the conference featuring current projects and outreach efforts of the program.

For further information on presentations provided by team members click on the individual titles below. Visit the Alabama Precision Ag Website at www.AlabamaPrecisionAgOnline.com for current precision ag information and updates.

A Case Study for Variable-Rate Seeding of Corn and Cotton in the Tennessee Valley of Alabama

Adoption and Use of Precision Agriculture Technologies by Practitioners

Application Rate Stability When Implementing Automatic Section Control Technology on Agricultural Sprayers

Determination of Crop Injury From Aerial Application of Glyphosate Using Vegetation Indices and Geostatistics

Economic Analysis of Auto-Swath Control for Alabama Crop Production

Precision Agriculture Education: Using Social Media

Profitability of RTK and Its Influence on Peanut Production

Proper Implementation of Precision Agricultural Technologies for Conducting Field-Scale Research

Tip Flow Uniformity When Using Different Automatic Section Control Technologies During Field Operations

Variable Rate Application of Nematicides on Cotton Fields: A Promising Site-Specific Management Strategy

Northern Illinois corn and soybean grower Todd Glendenning says he saved an estimated $1,200 per day during spring planting with his Trimble guidance and row control system, according to a story in the June issue of Trimble’s StraightTalk newsletter.

“After planting with RTK and implement guidance, I would
never want to plant any other way,” says Glendenning. “I used
to spend a lot of time looking back, and trying to compensate for the planter sliding down sidehills, but now I don’t have to.”

Glendenning also added Tru Count air clutches to all 24 planter row units. “We have countless acres of point rows and waterways, so we used to have a lot of overlap and wasted seed. With all the multiple-trait seed we plant, seed costs are around $125 per acre. I’d estimate we saved $1,200 in seed costs per day this spring. And since we aren’t overlapping in the headlands, the plants won’t be overcrowded and lodging. That should improve yield.”

Tillage is another benefit Glendenning sees from his Trimble
equipment. “We’ve found WAAS is just not accurate enough
for doing skip rows on 200-acre fields; by the end of the field
you can end up being off by six to seven feet. But if we pair an
EZ-Guide® 500 system with the Ag3000 modem in our tillage
tractor, we can till very efficiently.”

To learn more, check out the June issue.

WiFi in your tractor cab? The AutoFarm ParaDyme GPS system is the first to offer remote loading of software. And it can remotely connect to your dealer for help.

“AutoFarm is the only GPS steering provider currently offering this capability,” says John Bressler, Sr. Marketing Manager, AutoFarm. “The ParaDyme looks like a WiFi ‘hotspot’ to the user’s PC and once connected the software is quickly and easily uploaded.”

The WiFi connectivity to upload software, now enabled on version 1.2 of the ParaDyme Software allows users to remotely load software without the customary auxiliary cables or USB devices.

The ParaDyme System is the industry’s first single system solution to all facets of precision farming: planter control, application control, yield monitoring, data logging and management, plus hands-free GPS steering via WAAS, EGNOS, OmniSTAR HP/XP, and RTK. It is also GLONASS ready. With its unique factory-integrated wireless, ParaDyme offers a Remote Real-Time Service connection to the dealer in addition to optional RTK ReadyConnect that provides RTK correction without a base station. The newly enabled WiFi function is another expansion of an already feature-packed solution to virtually everything precision ag.

For more information on the AutoFarm ParaDyme system and WiFi capability, Remote Service, etc., visit www.gpsfarm.com.

With the rapidly changing GPS/GNSS satellite technology, it’s smart to do your homework and understand the facts to find what best suits your farm (see the links below). Auburn University’s Daniel Mullenix, a research biosystems engineer, offered his advice recently on www.alabamaprecisionagonline.com.

When considering purchasing GPS/GNSS technology for your ag operation, it’s best to do your homework. As with most technology, Precision Ag technology is rapidly evolving and changing to better suit the needs of producers and allow them to become more efficient and better stewards of the environment.

The “buzz” words and hot topics of a few years ago may now have been replaced with “later and greater” gadgets. This is the case with GPS/GNSS technology. Recently, new signals have been established such as L2C and L5, which increase reliability of navigation and guidance operations. Likewise, manufacturers of guidance and navigational devices are now producing units capable of utilizing other countries satellite systems in conjunction with GPS. For example, several manufacturers make guidance receivers that are GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) capable; meaning they can utilize US GPS satellites as well as others (e.g. Russia’s GLONASS satellite system, etc).

This technology holds great advantages in that a GNSS receiver can utilize almost twice the number of satellites a GPS-only receiver is able to use. Additionally, cellular modems can now be used to obtain base station data via CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Stations) or RTN (Real-Time Networks); increasing a producer’s distance from a base station from line-of-sight to over 25 miles when using RTK.

More satellite availability, new GPS signals, and cellular technology potentially means:

• less time for an RTK fix
• not having to wait for satellites to come into view
• not losing an RTK fix when against a tree line or other obstructions
• not having down time during hours of the day when GPS satellite geometry is poor
• increased distances from a base station
• no need for a personal base station
• greater mobility and efficiency

When investing in GPS/GNSS technology, consider:

• Is this system best for my operation, considering what’s on the market (GPS vs. GNSS, personal base station vs. CORS of RTN)?
• Will this system utilize other countries satellite systems so I get maximum satellite coverage?
• Can this system employ new GPS satellite signals (L2C and L5) so I get maximum reliability?
• Will this system allow me to be as mobile as I need to be (line-of-sight vs. 25-mile distance from a base station with a cellular modem)?
• Can I receive firmware updates for this system so I stay abreast of evolving technology?

For more information, visit www.alabamaprecisionagonline.com and see: Update on GPS: New Civilian Accessible Signals – L1C, L2C, and L5, Update on GPS: Explanation of GNSS, and RTK Networks: Cellular Modem Communication Technology.

With auto steering and RTK guidance correction, Mississippi farmer Chip Davis can plant and harvest 24/7 when he needs to, according to a recent story in Delta Farm Press.

For farmers, says Chip Davis, “There are toys and there are tools. We all have our toys — but for something to be a tool, you have to make more from it than you pay for it. For me, a guidance system is a tool that not only helps to be more efficient, it also gives an excellent return on the investment.”

Davis has one Trimble stand-alone system that he shares between a tractor and a combine, and another Trimble/Mid-Tech system that is devoted to a single tractor and is capable of both guidance and variable rate application. The shared system only takes about 10 minutes to swap from the combine to the tractor.

Although the manufacturers don’t guarantee or promote it, he says, studies have shown RTK systems can be accurate to one-half centimeter, about a fourth the width of a penny.

“We’re big on no-till, and with that kind of precision, we can put a seed right back in the same trench as the previous year, and we can do it row after row.

“We can do straight A-B guidance, or we can set up irregular patterns, or pivot circles. Pretty much whatever you need, you can do.”

He has the systems configured for various fields and crops and for various operations — fertilizing, planting, chemical applications, etc.

For more details, read the story.

For growers who seek the basics in assisted steering with the ability to work their way into it should check out the new OnTrac2 and the ParaDyme roof module from AutoFarm.

OnTrac2 gives affordable, easy-to-install, hands-free GPS steering with unmatched portability across vehicle types. Coupled with the new ParaDyme Roof Module, it offers superior assisted steering that can run on WAAS, OmniSTAR, or RTK. With AutoFarm’s RTK ReadyConnect option it can get RTK correction without a base station running on a CORS network.

Operating with any of AutoFarm’s three available touchscreen controllers, OnTrac2 is a cost-effective solution to hands-free steering that eliminates skips and overlaps, lowers fuel consumption, reduces operator stress and fatigue, and expands the seasonal operating window. The system offers pass-to-pass accuracy ranges of 8-10” on WAAS, 3-6” with OmniSTAR and 1-2” with the RTK upgrade.

The ParaDyme System is the industry’s first single system solution to all facets of precision farming: planter control, application control, yield monitoring, data logging and management, plus hands-free GPS steering via WAAS, EGNOS, OmniSTAR HP/XP, and RTK. It is also GLONASS ready. Plus, with its unique factory-integrated wireless, ParaDyme offers a Remote Real-Time Service connection to the dealer in addition to optional RTK ReadyConnect that provides RTK correction without a base station.

The company also recently announced that Paradyme is now installable on virtually all brands of farm machinery, and talked about how the system offers a unique AutoCalibration feature that gets you set up in less than 10 minutes.

For more information on the AutoFarm OnTrac2 System with ParaDyme, visit www.gpsfarm.com.

Agriculture.com, one of the longest running ag websites powered by Successful Farming, has a social network for young and beginning farmers called Farmers For The Future. One of the recent topics centered around precision farming talks about a move into RTK and the CORS network.

The challenge is dealing with all ages and different colors of equipment. Sam asks…We have three green combines 1 newer the 2nd is 10-11 years old and the other is a dinosaur and the newer one being the only one with yield mapping through waas signal using original brown box from JD ( never right ). Next we have 2 Planting tractors both have 20/20 seed sense systems from precision no GPS. Sprayer we have a XLRD 1000 Pull Type pulled by a JD 4430 with a INSight and an EZ-Guide 500 waas signal. Spreader truck we have a Insight along with EZ- Guide Plus. Now I must say that it looks like we just put a down payment on a 06 Apache with auto steer by Raven. Also a new red combine is probably coming this fall 8120 Case and we are talking about buying a new corn planter also.. we put a lot of tile in we bought a tile plow.. No GPS also we have a 8530 JD autosteer ready for doing a lot of tillage and side dressing corn with anhydrous. 9520 T John Deere does a good majority of the tillage and also runs the tile plow. Now you see my situation figure out a plan for that to move into RTK.

Several growers have responded here.  Take a visit and weigh in with your advice.

For US growers in nine states, Trimble launches its new VRS Now Ag service to deliver RTK sub-inch positioning via cellular communications–without the need for a local base station.

Growers in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and Nebraska can access VRS Now Ag. Additionally, European growers can receive correction services in Great Britain, Ireland, Germany, Czech Republic and Estonia. As with corrections supplied by conventional Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) radio towers, Trimble VRS network corrections provide sub-inch repeatable Global Positioning System (GPS) accuracy for precision farming operations such as tillage, planting, spraying and field preparation.

The Trimble VRS solution uses proprietary software to create correction models for regions covered by the network. The VRS service can provide growers with instant access to high-accuracy RTK positioning without the need for a local base station. VRS corrections are valuable in areas with natural obstructions such as trees and hilly terrain due to the fact that corrections are obtained by a cellular modem, rather than through the line-of-sight signals provided by an RTK tower.

Trimble pioneered RTK in the early 1990s as a means of delivering high-accuracy GPS positioning. Today, there are more than 750 million acres covered by Trimble agriculture RTK base stations. The VRS Now Ag service was developed to deliver high-accuracy positioning via cellular communications and provides more than 400 million acres of sub-inch accuracy.

“We are very pleased to provide Trimble VRS Now Ag service to nine U.S. states and five European countries,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “VRS Now Ag service provides an additional high-accuracy correction option for farmers who require reliable sub-inch positioning for their crucial field operations. Trimble VRS Now is fully supported and dedicated to the success of farmer field operations.”

A 12-month subscription will cost $1,200 or $1,500, depending on whether you want GPS only or access to GNSS. For more information visit www.trimble.com/agriculture/TrimbleVRSNowAg.aspx or contact your local Trimble dealer at www.trimble.com/locator.

AutoFarm’s new ParaDyme precision farming system comes complete with an integrated cellular modem for RTK accuracy with no base station when using the company’s unique, optional RTK ReadyConnect service.

RTK ReadyConnect allows ParaDyme users to access their state DOT CORS Network and receive RTK GPS accuracy without the expense of a base station, or without subscribing to an RTK tower network.

“AutoFarm’s RTK ReadyConnect service features totally factory integrated hardware which eliminates the hassle and expense of adding wireless. There’s no integration guesswork. No compatibility issues between devices. No boxes to add, cables to run, or antennas to mount. The service can be activated in minutes and when activated, it automatically finds the best signal available,” says AutoFarm Marketing Director, Deane Malott.

Because the system is factory integrated, and works with over 50 wireless partners across North America, it offers excellent flexibility. The customer can activate RTK only when needed and for the duration of time needed. AutoFarm has also just announced RTK ReadyConnect bundles that give the grower choices of 1-month, 4-month or 10-month activation. Because it is using multiple CDMA carriers, the ParaDyme system automatically and continuously picks the best available network as the vehicle operates in the field. In many areas, farms are covered by multiple carriers which means the ParaDyme system is less likely to lose signal.

Malott adds, “With optional RTK ReadyConnect, ParaDyme provides affordable access to subscription RTK networks that allow the grower to pick the duration that best matches his field operations, without having to get locked into a multi-year wireless contract.”

The ParaDyme system is the industry’s first single system solution to everything precision ag: planter control, application control, yield monitoring, data logging and management, plus hands-free GPS steering via WAAS, EGNOS, OmniSTAR HP/XP, and RTK. It is also GLONASS ready.  With factory integrated wireless, ParaDyme also offers a Remote Real-Time Service connection to the dealer in addition to the optional RTK ReadyConnect service.

For more information on the AutoFarm ParaDyme and RTK ReadyConnect, visit www.gpsfarm.com.

I’d like to introduce the newest sponsor for our AgWired.com website and that’s Leica Geosystems. They are also providing supporting sponsorship here on Precision Pays as well.

Today the company announced that Harlan Little has been named the North American Business Manager for Leica Geosystems’ agriculture group.

Little started with Leica Geosystems in late January, and will be based out of Leica Geosystems NAFTA headquarters in Atlanta.

“Harlan is a great addition to the team and brings with him a wealth of ideas and industry contacts to help grow our business throughout the U.S. and Canada,” said Rob Kiernan, global sales and marketing manager. “We are ready to take our business to the next level with new leadership and a suite of new products being introduced this year.”

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