Precision Pays

The opening of the trade show is the real “official” start to the Commodity Classic. The exhibit hall is filled with the latest and the greatest technology and machinery for growers of corn, soybeans, wheat and sorghum. According to the official attendance figures, there are 4175 attendees at Classic this year, 1338 of them are growers. This is the 15th annual Commodity Classic, which started as the combined meeting of the corn and soybean growers, but in recent years has grown to add wheat and sorghum grower organizations as well. It’s an event that can benefits a grower’s farm operation and profitability for years to come.

Take a look and a listen to the official kick off and ribbon cutting for the 2010 Commodity Classic, with coverage on Precision Pays sponsored by John Deere.

Commodity Classic Photo Album

If you’re thinking about adding precision farming planter row shutoff technology, you should look into the SureVac electric shutoff that AgLeader now offers, designed for John Deere vacuum planters.

Claimed to be easily installed, SureVac is designed for the Deere Pro-Series XP row units, but is compatible with any Deere vacuum seed meter made in the last 20 years. It works with all Deere corn and soybean seed disks, as well as the eSet vacuum disk from Precision Planting.

“We are excited to offer our customers another option for row-by-row planter control. SureVac allows for expanded seed meter compatibility, providing growers more flexibility in their operations,” says Roger Zielke, New Business Development Manager for Ag Leader Technology. “About this time in 2009, we introduced the SureStop electric row clutch for chain-drive planters. Due to its popularity and customer requests, we developed the SureVac option for the non-chain drive Pro-Series row units.”

Using GPS, Ag Leader’s SeedCommand or a compatible planter control system communicates with SureVac to turn planter sections on/off based on field maps and already-planted areas. The shutoff stops seed flow by cutting off the vacuum at the top of the seed disk. Planting is stopped and seeds fall back into the seed meter’s seed pool. When the shutoff device is pulled away from the seed disk, vacuum is restored and planting continues as normal.

Farmer tested. This week I spoke with Daren Lauritsen, who tested the SureVac system on his 24-row John Deere planter last spring on 1,900 acres of corn near Atlantic, Iowa.

“Row shutoff should be standard on planters, because you really don’t know how valuable it can be until you try it. The install was super easy; we just changed out the doors on the seed meter and installed the cables. I used my Insight monitor and WAAS GPS-correction and it worked really well,” Lauritsen says.

The biggest benefit he found is that he doesn’t have to worry about taking a big planter into small fields. “You just go in there and paint the field (like the monitor shows), and the planter takes care of not double-planting the point rows and headlands,” he adds.

“SureVac will provide growers with a tangible return on investment with reduced seed costs and increased yield potential in areas that are typically double-planted. However, growers will also appreciate the quick, easy installation,” Zielke says. “To install, you simply remove the manufacturer vacuum cover and replace it with SureVac. Its quick, clean and takes less than five minutes per row.”

SureVac availability will be limited through select dealers for the 2010 growing season. Full production is expected to begin in the second half of 2010.

To learn more about SureVac, see a video interview Chuck posted this week.

Raven precision agriculture products will now be offered on both the Versatile tractor line as well as its new self-propelled sprayer line, thanks to a strategic partnership between Raven Industries and Buhler Industries.

The Versatile Precision Ag System, or VPAS, will include a combination of Raven’s SCS consoles, Cruizer guidance system, Envizio Pro and Viper Pro field computers, and SmarTrax assisted steering products. By offering the customer different levels of precision ag products, from basic application controls and entry-level guidance up to integrated hydraulic steering and fully functional field computers, VPAS will match any operation with the type of technology they need to increase overall efficiency by getting the job done precisely and cutting costs. Versatile machines can be ordered today with the VPAS option for delivery around the world.

“We are excited to mark Versatile’s entry into precision agriculture, and we are excited to have Raven supply the technology. This partnership means the technology can be ordered as a factory or dealer installed option,” says Adam Reid, Marketing Manager for Buhler Industries.

“We’ve made the commitment to provide a comprehensive line of simple-to-use solutions that benefit operators and growers throughout the global market. Adding a partner with the international presence and respect of Buhler and Versatile helps us achieve that goal. Ultimately, growers from all over the world will benefit from this new partnership,” says Matt Burkhart, General Manager for Raven Industries, Applied Technology Division.

Reid adds, “Precision products offered with VPAS are also scalable, which gives the customer the flexibility of starting at entry level and continue to build on their system as their needs grow and change, or they can start with a fully integrated system.”

No-Till Farmer recently announced the top No-Till Products of 2009 according to a poll by readers, and the overall winner was Precision Plantings Keeton Seed Firmer.

The Keeton Seed Firmer was voted the top no-till product in the Planter/Drill Attachments category and was among 11 finalists entered in the overall Product of the Year voting. Precision Planting, the manufacturers of the Keeton Seed Firmer, also captured a second award when its 20/20 SeedSense planter monitor system captured the most votes in the Precision Tools category.

The awards were presented at the Annual National No-Tillage Conference last week in Des Moines. Here is a complete list of winners:

o No-Till Product of the Year: Keeton Seed Firmer, Precision Planting.

o Fertility: Agrotain, Agrotain International. Honorable Mention: Avail and NutriSphere-N, SFP.

o Fungicides: Headline, BASF. Honorable Mention: Quilt, Syngenta; Stratego, Bayer CropScience.

o Insect Protection: YieldGard VT Triple, Monsanto. Honorable Mention: Herculex, Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer; Warrior, Syngenta.

o No-Till Equipment: 3600 Twin-Line Planters, Kinze Mfg. Honorable Mention: Early Riser planters, Case IH; YP2425 Yield Pro planter, Great Plains Mfg.

o Planter/Drill Attachments: Keeton Seed Firmer, Precision Planting. Honorable Mention: Martin-Till WA1360 floating row cleaner, Martin Industries; 20/20 Airforce System, Precision Planting.

o Precision Tools: 20/20 SeedSense, Precision Planting. Honorable Mention: EZ-Guide 250 Lightbar System, Trimble Navigation; SmartBoom automatic boom system control, Raven Industries.

o Residue Management: Bt Crusher, Calmer Corn Heads. Honorable Mention: The Chaff Spreader, Spreader Inc.; 600C corn head, Deere.

o Seed Treatment: Poncho, Bayer CropScience. Honorable Mention: CruiserMaxx, Syngenta.

o Application Equipment: Patriot 3330 Sprayer, Case IH. Honorable Mention: 47/4830 sprayer, John Deere; RoGator sprayer, AGCO; Apache AS715 sprayer, Equipment Technologies.

o Strip-Till: Blu-Jet Strip-Till unit, Thurston Manufacturing. Honorable Mention: 2510S Strip-Till Residue Master, John Deere; Pluribus Strip-Till unit, Dawn Equipment.

o Weed Control: Roundup PowerMAX, Monsanto. Honorable Mention: LibertyLink with Ignite herbicide, Bayer CropScience; Touchdown herbicide, Syngenta; Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield, Monsanto.

Growers from Ohio and surrounding states should make plans now to attend the annual Conservation Tillage and Technology Conference, February 25-26 on the Ohio Northern University campus in Ada, Ohio.

On Friday the 26, one of the concurrent sessions is all about planters and precision agriculture. Presentation topics include planter and drill adjustment, precision guidance systems for auto steer, introduction to RTK systems, variable-rate seeding, uniform spray applications, RTK and CORS networks.

Other concurrrent sessions that growers can choose from include Corn University, Nutrient/Manure Management, Soil/Water/Biofuels, Advanced Scouting Techniques, Crop Management & Soybean School, and Cover Crops. Check out the program for all the details.

For more information on registration, you can visit the Website that lists hotel room details, as well as a phone number to call for more information.

Outback A220 Smart Antenna

At this week’s AG CONNECT Expo in Orlando, Fla., Hemisphere GPS introduced a new Outback eDriveX hydraulic auto-steering system and the Outback A220 smart GPS antenna.

“We are very excited about taking our new auto-steering technology to market as it takes our product portfolio to a completely new level of precision steering and control performance,” said Steven Koles, President and CEO of Hemisphere GPS. “Our eDriveTC technology has been successful in steering sprayers and other farm equipment to better than eight inches. Now, with eDriveX utilizing our world-class Celestia sensor fusion technology, we are able to steer more demanding farming practices including high precision planting, strip tilling and bedding, requiring centimeter-level accuracy at a wide range of speeds. This opens up a whole set of new opportunities with our aftermarket and OEM customers as we offer them the means to maximize their return on their investments by adopting the next level of precision.”

The company offers several vehicle-specific installation kits complete with all the necessary hoses, fittings, brackets and detailed installation instructions, which make Outback eDriveX immediately compatible with over 145 agricultural vehicle models. Additional installation kits will also be made available over the coming months. When teamed with Outback S3, and Outback A220, Outback eDriveX offers centimeter level automated steering in Straight, Free Form Contour, and Circle Pivot Guidance modes.

The Outback A220 smart antenna is an easy to install GPS receiver and antenna in an all-in-one, rugged enclosure making it the perfect choice for both aftermarket and OEM applications. Powered by Hemisphere GPS’ dual-frequency Eclipse GPS receiver technology, it provides fast, portable, sub-meter and decimeter differential GPS (DGPS) as well as centimeter real time kinematic (RTK) positioning accuracy.

With the optional internal radio, Outback A220 works in RTK mode as either a base or rover. It also supports Satellite Based Augmentation System (SBAS) signals and OmniSTAR(R) HP/XP corrections, and offers Hemisphere GPS’ exclusive COAST technology, allowing it to maintain an accurate solution for up to 40 minutes, even when a differential signal is lost. Outback A220 operates within RTK networks and with base stations from other manufacturers as it supports the most common open architecture formats.

Outback eDriveX and the Outback A220 smart antenna can be ordered at www.outbackguidance.com with availability in Spring 2010. These products will also be available through Outback Guidance Centers and other authorized Hemisphere GPS distributors in North America and worldwide.

As we kick-off a new decade here at PrecisionPays.com, I wanted to remind you of some features that can help you keep on top of the latest news in precision agriculture.

1. If you have a web site or blog, we have a free widget you can add that will automatically post our latest stories. All you have to do is paste some code onto your web page. The widget also allows you to choose some display options. Not sure what a widget is? Learn here. To get the Precision Pays widget for your web site just click on “Get Widget” at the bottom of the display below. If you want to see how it looks on a web site, you can view it here on my web site.

2. You can subscribe to our email newsletter that contains highlights of past content. Just click on “Subscribe to e-newsletter” under the Precision Links header in the right-hand column.

3. You can subscribe to our audio podcast, which is like a short 5-10 minute radio program that includes discussions with interesting people across the industry. Just click on “Subscribe to podcast” under the Precision Links header in the right-hand column. Listen to our latest podcast.

4. And, if you’re a fan of RSS feeds, you can also subscribe to our stories via your email system, or on your MyYahoo or iGoogle pages. Just click on “Subscribe to the RSS Feed” under the Precision Links header in the right-hand column. I have built industry pages on MyYahoo to track news from my favorite web sites and blogs.

Let me know if you have any problems or questions.

As we wind down another year here at PrecisionPays.com, I decided to take a look back at 2009 before we start a new decade.

Over the next few days, I’ll be posting my list of “Best of Precision Pays 2009″ stories, along with an additional list of noteworthy product stories.

I hope you continue to find value in the information provided. And, as always, we appreciate any and all comments from our readers.

January 2009
Get Precision Answers From University Experts
Teaching About Precision Agriculture Pays
Precision Irrigation With Remote Sensing
Precision Boom Control Saves 5% to 30% Input Costs

February
NRCS Precision Farming Initiative
Precision Spraying Pays Environmental Benefits
Precision Farming Success Starts With The Seed
Variable Rate Fertilizer Gaining Speed And Precision

March
Precision Technology Improves Sustainability
Educate The Public On Precision Farming Values

April
New Crop Forecast Tool For Precision Agriculture
Getting Started With Precision Agriculture

May
Technology Will Drive Economic Recovery
Promote Precision Ag Benefits Beyond The Choir
Auto Steer Helps Recover Wet Spring Delays
Who Makes Your Precision Ag Technology?
Concerns With GPS Satellites And Future Viability
Precision Crop Technology Proves Sustainability

June
New Precision Weather Growing Degree Days Tool
Precision Technology A Must To Feed The World
Ag Future Bright For Next 10 Years

Growers from Kansas and surrounding states should attend the 14th annual Precision Agriculture Technologies Conference on January 21-22, 2010, in Salina, Kansas at the Ramada Conference Center.

Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the program starting at 8:45 a.m. Industry and university speakers will update attendees on the latest information about new equipment, methods, economics and research related to precision agriculture. Commercial exhibits will be available for viewing, with time built into the day for attendees to interact with researchers, other producers and vendors.

Presentation topics will include:

* Site-Specific Management and the Future of Agriculture.
* Robotics in Crop Production.
* Precision Agriculture with “Normal” Crop Prices.
* Yield Data with Variable Swath Widths.
* Crop Health Imaging: A Seed Company´s Approach to Remote Sensing.
* Delineating Management Zones for Variable Rate Fungicide Applications.
* Utilizing Statewide RTK systems for Solutions in Agriculture
* Impact of Automatic Section Control on Ag Sprayer Performance

The conference, which ends at 11:30 a.m. Jan. 22, will be immediately followed by a two-hour Kansas Agriculture Research Association (KARA) lunch meeting, with on-farm research reports to follow.

The conference registration fee is $100. Visit KARA for more information.

University of Missouri Extension is offering an eight-week online course on managing farm machinery using precision agriculture, Jan. 12 through March 4.

“The course will provide participants the tools to develop a plan for incorporating precision agriculture technology into existing equipment lines,” said Kent Shannon, MU Extension natural resource engineer.

The focus of this course will be the use of Global Positioning System (GPS) technology to control machinery and store information, he said. “Planters, combines, and fertilizer- and spray-application equipment are now commonly equipped with Global Positioning Systems.”

The class will be available in three delivery formats: Interactive Television, Internet or a combination of both.

Participants can view the course’s 12 ITV sessions at the Mexico Telecenter, 2900 Doreli Lane, or the Portageville Telecenter, 147 State Highway T. Others may opt to use the Internet for some or all of these sessions.

The ITV sessions meet 9:30 -11:30 a.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 12 to Feb. 23.

The last four sessions will take the form of one all-day hands-on lab Feb. 25 at the Delta Research Center in Portageville, and March 4 in Columbia (location to be determined). This lab will cover setup, diagnosis and maximizing the use of GPS technology.

The $300 course fee covers online access, handout material and participation in the hands-on lab, which includes lunch. Registration deadline is Jan. 5.

For a registration form and program information, see http://extension.missouri.edu/boone/precisionag. For more information, contact Kent Shannon at 573-445-9792.