You can learn about site specific hardware, history of GPS, GPS system choices, accuracy of GPS, LIDAR technology and drainage, satellite imagery, precision ag adoption in ND, and much more.

Check it out!!

Updates include:

• Improved touch screen response
• Split Screen option is available in RealView Guidance mode on the Matrix 570G
• Improved touch screen calibration for the Matrix 570G
• Up to eight cameras can be used on the Matrix 570G (with the 8-Channel VSM)
• Updated translations to all languages except Swedish & Italian

Matrix v1.04 Software Update – software and instructions for updating your product.

TeeJet Technologies introduced the only system available offering guidance and live video to be displayed simultaneously, which helps improve accuracy and efficiency in field operations. Matrix Guidance System with RealView Guidance Over Video is an affordable system that allows growers to monitor what’s ahead or difficult to see machine parts or operations while at the same time viewing guidance information.

“The Matrix Guidance System offers growers exclusive features at an unbeatable price,” said Rich Gould, vice president and guidance business manager at TeeJet Technologies. “By combining guidance with live video instead of a virtual image, the operator now has access to more and better information to help make GPS guidance more intuitive to use.”

Matrix not only has the benefit of guidance over video, it can also be economically upgraded with automatic boom section control for use with sprayers and spreaders. Automatic boom section control helps minimize costly chemical consumption by automatically switching off sprayer boom sections when they enter a previously applied area.

Matrix is the interface for the FieldPilot® Assisted Steering System from TeeJet Technologies. Assisted steering helps improve accuracy, decrease input costs and reduce driver fatigue and stress. All of these benefits can improve operation productivity.

FieldPilot with Matrix Guidance can also easily be installed on older tractors. “There is a perception out there that you have to have a newer tractor to take advantage of precision ag benefits,” Gould said. “We have more than 65 custom installation kits for 275 different vehicles, new and old. It’s a great way for growers to add assisted steering capabilities without a costly investment.”

Workshop Goal: Present and discuss SSM concepts and applied research in order to provide the audience with a comprehensive understanding of how to identify and manage within-field variability to improve crop management.

Target Audience: Soils and crop management professionals, including UCCE Farm Advisors and Specialists, Pest Control Advisors, Certified Crop Advisers, Growers and others having an interest in improving their knowledge of SSM techniques.

Session I (8:30 AM to Noon) - Theory of SSM: Overview of concepts and techniques used to identify and manage within-field variability, Jose P. Molin, Biosystems Engineering, University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Integrating geospatial technology with agronomic practices, GPS/GIS overview, methods for detecting soil and crop variability, use of sensors and yield monitors, creation of maps and variable rate input recommendations.

Noon to 1:00 PM – Lunch break

Session II (1:00 to 5:00 PM) - Applied research findings and examples illustrating the practical benefits of this technology

• Use of Precision Agriculture in the West - Rob Mikkelsen, Director, Western North America IPNI

• Site-specific methods for reclaiming salt-affected soil using electrical conductivity; and Use of Remote sensing on cotton fields for irrigation management, planning defoliation and its relationship with cotton growth and yield. Richard E. Plant, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis

• Site-specific nutrient management in California orchards – identifying almond yield and fertility variability and its implication on fertility management. Patrick Brown, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis

3:00 to 3:15 PM – Break

• Site-specific herbicide applications based on weed maps provide effective control. Tom Lanini, Department of Plant Sciences, UC Davis

• Site-specific management at Bowles Farming Company – Cannon Michael, Vice President Bowles Farming Company

• Knowledge Acquired, Intelligence Applied: Tomorrow’s Technology for Today’s Crops – Jason Ellsworth, Regional Technology Specialist, Wilbur-Ellis Company

5:00 PM – Adjourn

Please contact Andre Biscaro for details: asbiscaro@ucdavis.edu  (661) 974-8825

Click here to register: http://ucanr.org/sites/paica/Registration/

Click here for flier: http://ucanr.org/sites/paica/files/13632.pdf

“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.

“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.

60-inch corn

Ag Leader’s Paul Rose blogs about his trip to South Africa, where the company installed its first ParaDyme system in that country. The 5,000 acre farmer featured in the story plants 60-inch corn that, moisture permitting, averages 80 bushels per acre.

For more details, check out the story.

Ever wonder what GNSS, CMR or CORS stands for? Or what a datum or repeater really is? The world of GPS and Precision Agriculture often abounds with confusing terminology and acronyms, especially for those who don’t live there. A new publication is available on the Alabama Precision Ag website defining common GPS/GNSS (see what I mean?) terms, acronyms and components. Check out the new publication GPS/GNSS Related Terminology at http://www.aces.edu/anr/precisionag/GPS.php.

Written by Amy Winstead, Regional Extension Agent for Precision Agriculture, Alabama Cooperative Extension System. For more information visit www.alabamaprecisionagonline.com

While that technology is a ways off into the future, Gearlog.com posted a recent piece on how unscrambled GPS has helped consumers. It listed a few benefits we’ll see before self-driving cars.

More efficient hybrids. A hybrid car is good for half a mile to two miles in EV (electric vehicle – only) mode but the car typically keeps the hybrid battery topped up as soon as it gets a chance. With a smarter GPS receiver that talks to the car’s navigation system and to the charging system, the GPS could advise the car it’s about to head down a long hill in a mile, but only after two hills. The car would use the electric motor on the hills, or whatever works best for efficiency, and arrive at the start of the downhill with the hybrid battery nearly depleted, then use the downhill to recharge the battery. The result would be improved economy.

Predictive swiveling headlamps. On higher-end cars, the headlamps swivel lift and right when you turn the wheel. With more accurate GPS, the car would start to turn the headlamps a second or two before the road curves. That adds a small measure of safety. Plus, on a dark country road at night, sometimes it’s hard to recognize if you’re seeing the road marking curve sharply to the right, or if that’s an angled white rail fence 20 yards off the highway. The headlamps could help show you the way.

Ultra-accurate speedometer. A GPS system also calculates your speed. Car speedometers are often inaccurate by a couple miles per hour, sometimes to insure that even if you use a slightly different diameter tire, you’re never going faster than the speedometer indicates. Some drivers like the insurance factor of a mechanical speedometer that reads high by a couple mph. Others may want to know that when the speedometer shows you’re doing 68 mph, you’re doing 68, not 65, 66, or 69. So you could use GPS to apply a correction factor to your speedometer. Or not. No doubt all these features would be ones you could enable or disable, at your discretion.

Read more details here.

Boeing announced that the first of 12 Global Positioning System (GPS) IIF navigation spacecraft that the company is building for the U.S. Air Force has successfully completed prelaunch testing. The satellite, GPS IIF-1, is scheduled for a May 20 launch aboard a United Launch Alliance Delta IV rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.

GPS is a space-based, worldwide navigation system providing users with highly accurate, three-dimensional position, navigation and timing information 24 hours a day in all weather conditions. The 12 GPS IIF satellites feature stronger and more precise signals that will enhance the services that support U.S. warfighters, their allies, and civilian GPS users around the world.

“These next-generation satellites provide improved accuracy through advanced atomic clocks; a more jam-resistant military signal and a longer design life than earlier GPS satellites; and a new civil signal that benefits aviation safety and search-and-rescue efforts,” said Craig Cooning, vice president and general manager, Boeing Space and Intelligence Systems. “GPS IIF is the culmination of our deep experience with 39 successful satellites from previous missions, representing more than 30 years of teamwork with the Air Force.”

“GPS is used by nearly a billion people worldwide for everything from farming and aviation to public safety, disaster relief and recreation, not to mention its military purpose of providing precision navigation and timing to combat forces,” said Air Force Col. David Madden, GPS Wing Commander. “GPS IIF will increase the signal power, precision and capacity of the system, and form the core of the GPS constellation for years to come.”

As the first spacecraft in the GPS IIF series, GPS IIF-1 underwent stringent and comprehensive testing following shipment to the launch site in February. Tests included verification of key satellite functions as well as end-to-end system testing to verify operations between the satellite and the Boeing-built ground control segment at Schriever Air Force Base in Colorado. Commands were sent from Schriever to GPS IIF-1 at Cape Canaveral to turn on payloads, reprogram processors, and verify interoperability with user receivers and equipment, both civil and military.

In April, the Air Force and Boeing team completed a comprehensive series of prelaunch exercises. These included a mission dress rehearsal and two integrated crew exercises that involved all GPS IIF launch and missions operations crews, from controllers at Schriever to space vehicle engineers and range radar operators at Cape Canaveral to tracking stations around the world.

“In addition to crop scouting essentials for documenting weeds and insect pressure, our new just-released software update for SMS Mobile, Version 4.0, offers additional crop scouting capabilities,” says Corey Weddle, Director of Software Solutions for Ag Leader Technology. “We added additional support for crop sensors, including Holland Scientific and Greenseeker. And we added the option to go to a previous sample/site when taking soil samples or scouting.”

This software improvement comes on the heels of a big Version 3.5 release last fall. “We added a unique navigation view that allows the operator to easily navigate to an exact location. We made it clear and easy to read, with a large “stop” graphic, so operators on ATVs or in pickup trucks can see their location quickly at a glance without having to stare at the screen when they should be driving,” Weddle says. And that feature has been really well received by customers.

Not only can you easily find exact locations in fields, the software helps you read plant and soil data from sensors, and log that information for later transfer to SMS desktop software. “We have a growing list of supported sensors—from soil electrical conductivity reading to leaf chlorophyll levels,” he says. It also has capabilities to log custom sensor data, such as yield monitors for bulk crops such as potatoes and sugar beets.”

For more information, visit the SMS Mobile page.
http://www.agleader.com/products/sms-mobile/

http://www.agleader.com/

Several farmers who use the social media Twitter are holding a one-hour chat about precision agriculture this Friday April 30th at noon Central.

According to Daren (@kansfarmer), topic will be precision ag, with a focus on planting precision-related topics and issues. We will use the #agtech hashtag for the chat. Format will be similar, although abbreviated from the standard Tuesday evening #agchat that takes place. Some guidelines on how AgChat works available here: http://michelepaynknoper.com/agchatguide.html. Everyone will be asked to give an introduction at the start, and a few minutes in we will open with first Q – give 10-15 minutes for discussion of that question, than move to the next one. Hope to see you there.

There is a regularly scheduled weekly agchat that usually attracts over 100 participants from diverse backgrounds and covers wide range of ag topics. We decided to try this more narrow-focused chat at least once. If you are unfamiliar with Twitter and do not have an account setup, you can still go to the www.twitter.com homepage and enter #agtech as the search term and see the chat as it happens.

This short chat is being organized by Daren (@kansfarmer) and Brandon Hunnicutt(@cornfedfarmer). Not a lot of ag technology activity on Twitter right now, but both Ag Leader and Raven have active accounts, have seen a handful of ag tech service providers, and several NeATA folks.

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.

Recent blog posts talk about variable rate (VR) seeding, VR calibration, data management, data collection with cellular modems, the value of on-the-go nitrogen sensors, firmware upgrades and much more.

The blog site also categorizes posts into topics to help you sort for exactly the info you seek.

One good overview of this science, published in 2003 by USDA-ARS scientists from across the country, will help you grasp the realties and benefits that can be achieved. And the technology has dramatically improved since this was written.

One independent agronomic guru who is a favorite of mine (and I’ve quoted many over the years in farm magazine articles) in Tom McGraw, owner of Midwest Independent Soil Samplers (MISS). Tom calls a spade a spade, and offers some excellent advice, which he gives in his newsletter, on their website, and especially to customers.

Bottom line is you should consider examining one field, perhaps your toughest most variable ground, to see what you can learn and improve upon with this sensing technology. Talk to your local retailer to understand their capabilities, or contact one of the four MISS locations.

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.

“I like knowing exactly to a row when hybrids and varieties start and stop—especially when you have to switch near the end of a field—so when you analyze yield results you know why the yields went up or down,” Cannon says. “That practice led to conducting strip trials across whole fields. And I often plug in all my hybrid/variety numbers into the monitor before I head to the field so changing numbers and fields is simple.”

And Will does a lot more than just track yields. “Last year we conducted alternate strips across a field to compare no-till and strip-till soybeans. We set up and mapped alternate passes of strip-till in the fall, came back in the spring, locked in with auto-steer to fertilize and plant into the strips, then no-till plant in-between those passes,” he says.

Cannon likes having all that mapped in the spring, because come harvest he doesn’t have to worry about where the combine is in the field. “I can just harvest and not worry about anything else, because I trust the monitor and data gathering.” Then during post-harvest into winter he crunches data. “I really like the capabilities of the SMS software. There are great tools I can use to select which passes across the field I want to analyze and compare. And I learned a lot about what tillage systems work best in specific fields.”

Another data layer is tracking his refuge management acres. I see this as becoming more and more important, as different hybrids change percentage of refuge acres, plus if I get audited I can direct them exactly to where they need to take tissue samples. And exact location is a big help if I need to apply insecticides on those acres,” he says.

Cannon continues to be impressed with the flexibility built into today’s software and data recording capabilities. “You have a lot of features to document things, so you don’t have to remember it all. And as more growers learn the capabilities, they figure out new ways to use it—because what appeals to one grower may be the opposite of what another guy wants. And the history of data that you build up is invaluable in the future.”

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.

“EGNOS is already a success story in the agricultural sector,” said Aguilera. “It already has 50% market share, which is expected to reach 70% by 2010. The ultimate result will be increasing yields, conservation of resources and materials, and lower costs. The benefits are there, the EGNOS signal is already being exploited by farmers, and it is available free of charge.”

The Galileo Application Days ‘High Precision’ session highlighted a number of GNSS applications already being used in the agriculture sector.

Michael Quinckhardt of Claas Agrosystems outlined how his company is exploiting advanced GNSS-based applications. “Precision farming includes automatic steering for tractors and monitoring of all our machines,” he explained. “We can help farmers to know where their machines are and what they are doing at any given moment.”

Tracking and yield analysis can also help to optimise the use of fertilisers. “One can understand that different fields across a wide area will differ in terms of various qualities and in their abilities to support crops,” said Quinckhardt, “But the fact is there is a degree of variability in terms of soil quality even within a single field.”

By recording information from harvesters about what the soil is producing from one patch to the next within a field, and matching that information with precise GNSS-based location information, farmers can pinpoint very accurately where they need to apply more fertiliser and where they can save money by applying less.

Rob Kiernan of Leica Geosystems discussed the three phases of action in agriculture: planting, crop protection and harvest. “Maximising production in agriculture is all about doing the right thing at the right time in the right place,” he said. “Systems like Galileo and EGNOS tell us about place with a high degree of accuracy throughout the production cycle, and this is revolutionising the way we work.”

For more on this story…

I talked to Nick Ohrtman this week, technical support supervisor for Ag Leader Technology. He said a good place to start is to check the manufacturer’s website (or with your local dealer) to see if any of your equipment needs a firmware upgrade.

“Be sure to clear out data from last-season (after you’ve copied and transferred it to your computer), and create a new season—including any new fields you have added, as well as load any new machinery, new hybrids and varieties, new herbicides or other new inputs you plan to use,” Ohrtman says. “Doing it now saves time when you’re in the field.”

The owner’s manual is a good resource as you run through your display. “Always a good idea to test your auto-steer by capturing a signal and run up and down the yard a few times. And the same dry run with your planter and a little seed helps calibrate the seed monitor,” he says.

When you do your walk-around to check planter shut-off clutches and hydraulics, don’t forget to also check all the cables to ensure nothing is pinched or was chewed by rodents.

Many companies also provide spring guides or checklists to help with product prep. “We provide our owners with a list, published in our newsletter, that details pre-season display setup, using the new INTRGRA display, as well as pre-season prep for SeedCommand and DirectCommand,” Ohrtman says. “We’ve also been conducting training sessions across the country during much of February and March for our customers.”

Hand-harvested crops such as broccoli and lettuce are easily threatened by weeds. Uncontrolled weeds can result in lower yields, reduced quality, and decreased harvest efficiency.

The job of cultivating between delicate rows of vegetable plants can be done more precisely and faster with machine guidance. A computer processes 25 digital photos of a crop row to determine the centerline.Previous studies have shown higher rates of error in human-guided cultivation.

The current study timed how long it takes a laborer to hand-pick weeds versus machine cultivation. It also tested whether smaller amounts of herbicide or none at all could be applied to the crop with the use of machine cultivation. Reducing the use of herbicides would have economic and environmental benefits.

The many variables at play produced mixed results. Herbicides proved the most effective method against weeds. But with the heaviest use of herbicide tested, the lettuce yield was not improved—the herbicide also affected the crop’s growth. In rainy weather, when both hand weeding and machine weeding are difficult, herbicides again provided the best weed deterrent. In dryer seasons, machine cultivation was more effective than hand weeding.

In California and Arizona, lettuce and broccoli are grown year-round, and cultivation is an important part of the process. More accurate and timely cultivation may be the greatest benefit that machine-guided cultivation has to offer.

Weed Technology journal is a publication of the Weed Science Society of America. To learn more about the society, please visit: http://www.wssa.net/

Topcon Precision Agriculture’s senior VP Albert Zahalka gave a talk recently about how the future of precision ag is here today, and the journey is just beginning. Some of the key points he made:

• Receivers with GNSS technology will have fewer lost signals.
• Today’s precision ag is about three key elements: saving time, reducing costs, and environmental stewardship.
• Future: Massive user interface improvements will make operation simple without the need for a manual.
• Future: Expanded telematics will allow users to remotely monitor critical operating conditions and status of machines whether in a field 5 minutes away or across the globe. You’ll be able to manage your farm from inside your home.
• Future: Autonomous machine operation, already at work in the mining industry, will come to agriculture. Coming safety measures will allow for autonomous driverless machines to work in fields.

In the future, farmers will be increasingly reliant on accurate, dependable statistical information, which will then feed into integrated precision agriculture systems to deliver outstanding productivity and crop yields.

In the not-too-distant future, we’ll have a farmer sitting in his farmhouse, looking at his computer and saying to his wife, “Marge, we are going to do the planting today.”

Then he will press the “planting” button and his tractor (or tractors) will come out of the shed, head off to the fields and begin planting the right seed in the right location, in the right quantities for optimum growth, all with minimal human intervention.

And if there’s a problem or a machine breakdown, the farmer will be instantly alerted.

And as those crops grow and mature, we’ll have sprayers and watering equipment driving along in the farm field. It will see that one plant is not as green or thriving as well as the next, so it will apply a shot of water or nutrient as required.

That vision is still a little way into the future – but it is clearly the direction precision agriculture technology is going.

Read the entire speech.

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.

The Precision Agriculture Research Group (PARG) at the University of New England in Armidale has been studying the benefits of real time GPS tracking for monitoring livestock activity, according to Dr. Mark Trotter. “GPS tracking of livestock has been around for several years and a lot of research has come out of Texas, Oregon, Kansas and other places in the states,” Mark says. Mostly this has involved collars on the animals that store information which can be downloaded to find out where they’ve been. “But we are starting to see a shift towards real time GPS devices where the information is transmitted back to the researcher or producer to give them an idea of where their animals are in real time.” Mark says they have been demonstrating the value of precision technology in crop and livestock production through a project called Clever Cattle and Cropping Systems.

Mark and his PARG colleagues will be presenting some of their research at the 10th International Conference on Precision Agriculture July 18-21 in Denver. Listen to the podcast to find out more.

Subscribe to the Precision Pays Podcast here.

Listen to or download the podcast here:

1. Why should a grower consider the CORS network and technology?
• CORS is a service provided by some states, and in most cases is provided free or at a very low cost.
• CORS allows a user to have access to an RTK level correction almost anywhere in the state’s network as long as they have cellular access
• Rapidly becoming accepted at the end user level.
• Companies are adopting this new technology and producing hardware that will take advantage of it.
• Allows growers to have an RTK signal over a larger distance—to cover farms that may be spread out over 20+ miles. A traditional RTK base station would not cover this large of an area without moving the base station or using repeaters.

2. How does it work and what are the pros and cons of this technology?
• CORS is a network of base stations, strategically located throughout participating states. Position information is fed back to a central server where it is broadcast over the internet to anyone with a login.
• A user can create an account with the state and using an internet-enabled device, begin streaming the data to their RTK capable GPS receiver.
• Pro: CORS provides statewide RTK coverage.
• Pro: This service (from the state) is usually free or at a very low yearly cost. Iowa, for example, provides this service free of charge.
• Pro: More states are recognizing this technology and have plans to add a network if one is not already in place.
• Pro: In Iowa, base stations are Glonass capable, which provides better satellite coverage during times of the day when the US GPS satellites may not be enough (5 are required for an RTK fix). The rover receiver would also need to be capable of Glonass to take advantage of this.
• Con: Signal reception is dependant on cellular coverage and limited by the cellular data plan.
• Con: Since the signal is controlled by the state, there is always risk of outages that may not be fixed until the next business day. This is not very common, but it can happen.

3. How can a cell phone signal truly deliver RTK-correction accuracy? Or can I get any level of accuracy? And do I need another cell phone and use package?
• A cell phone with a data plan can use an application to configure the login information and begin streaming data.
• Most Smartphone’s are capable of doing this, but the user should check with their provider.
• Using the CORS technology, you can only stream RTK level accuracy at this point.
• Most users will have a dedicated cell phone or air card that will be used to stream data.
• In general, voice calls take priority over data, so if you are using a personal cell phone to also stream data, you run the risk of drops and disconnects when you receive a voice call.

4. Do I still need to keep my current GPS-corrected signal? What happens if the CORS signal gets dropped?
• If you are using OmniSTAR as your differential signal, you can upgrade a capable receiver to RTK level and use it with the CORS network.
• The receiver must be RTK capable in order to be used with a CORS network.
• The user should not have to keep the OmniSTAR subscription as a backup
• With the Ag Leader ParaDyme, if signal is dropped briefly, the system will continue to steer the vehicle and provide GPS until the connection is regained.
• ParaDyme also uses a “flex” technology that will drop back to the next most accurate differential signal until the CORS connection is regained. This allows the system to keep steering, without affecting accuracy. Since this transition happens gradually, the user does not see any position jumps in the field or with their steering system.
• ParaDyme will automatically try to reconnect if a signal drop is detected.

5. What does Ag Leader offer for hardware to use the CORS network and what are all the costs associated with using a CORS signal?
• Ag Leader offers the new ParaDyme roof array that uses a built-in cellular modem to connect to the CORS network and stream RTK data.
• This allows the user seamless access to the CORS signal with one piece of hardware, no additional cell phones, laptops or any other extra hardware in the cab.
• The ParaDyme user interface allows the user to configure the login information and select which of the CORS network data streams they want to use.
• The ParaDyme uses a CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) modem that will allow the system to access any CDMA cellular tower (both Verizon and US Cellular use CDMA)
• Using the CDMA modem allows access to more cellular towers and better cellular coverage. CDMA is a digital signal, and it has been around since the early 90’s and is up to 15 times faster than analog technology
• Ag Leader offers a monthly access plan for $300/month. This provides a truly unlimited data plan with no worry of going over your monthly limit and incurring additional charges. It also allows the user to go month-to-month as their situation allows. Not everyone is probably going to use the network 365 days a year.
• Ag Leader also offers discounted 3 and 10 month plans at $750 and $1500 respectively. This gives the user more flexibility to get the work done within their timeframe.

6. How do I get started with setting up a CORS signal?
• First, contact the DOT in your state and see if they have a CORS network or are planning one. Here is an example map of Ohio.
• Second, get access to the network by creating an account. Most states with CORS networks allow you to do all this online. Check your states DOT website for more information.
• Third, configure your hardware, like ParaDyme, using the account information you get from your state DOT. An Ag Leader Dealer will be able to help with any setup questions.
• Finally, connect to the network and enjoy RTK level accuracy without being tied to the traditional base stations distance limits.
• Traditional 900 MHz base stations generally have a limit of 6 miles, line of site. A CORS network generally does not have limits on distance because there are base stations installed and covering the whole state.

In our final installment of looking back at the top stories of 2009, here’s a list of newsworthy stories that featured new or updated products. I list the stories starting with the most current from December, working back to January of 2009. No ranking of importance is included…but feel free to post your comments about these products.

Lindsay Adds Remote Irrigation Pump Control

Trimble Adds Harvest Capabilities to Monitor

Ag Leader Welcomes Dealers To New Facility

Leica Offers Cost-Effective Lightbar Guidance

New RTK Module Receives Tower or Cell Signals

Topcon Launches On-The-Go Crop Nutrient Sensor

Six New Products From Ag Leader Technology

Raven Buys Interest in SST Software

Trimble Adds Modem To Enhance RTK Signal

Take Command of Planting With SureStop

New SMS Software From Ag Leader Technology

Deere Adds New AutoTrac Guidance Products

Trimble Expands Capabilities of FmX Display

Trimble Buys Farm Works Software

Trimble Acquires NTech and Greenseeker Technology

Deere Dealers To Offer Raven Products

Smart Nozzles Aid Precision Application

Raven Adds Planter and Sprayer Control

New GreenSeeker Precision Products To Save Fertilizer

Trimble and Tru Count Increase ROI

Technology Makes 120-Foot Planter Possible

Growers Learn More About APEX Software

RowSense Makes Sense

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

Enjoy. And have a fun, safe and happy New Year’s Eve tonight.

July
Planter and Sprayer Controls Make Precision Farming Pay
InfoAg Speaker Promotes Fertilizer BMP Needs
Virtual Weather Technology Helps Agronomic Decisions
InfoAg Talk: Soil Management Zones Increase N Efficiency
InfoAg Talk: Understanding Nutrient Variability

August
Precision Farmers Cut Pesticide Use With Seed
Add Precision Farming Promotion To Your Chore List
Yield Monitors: Extreme Value in Precision Farming

September
Precision Farming: How To Grow Your Technology
Free Satellite Images Help Spot Field Problems
Variable Rate Precision Farming – The Next Big Thing
Precision Farming And Water Quality Efforts

October
The Power Of Harvest Data
Researchers Using GPS To Cut Erosion With Waterways
Precision Soil Sampling Made Easier
Harvest Data That Keeps On Giving
Talk Precision Farming With Your Seed Dealer
Can Precision Farming Cure World Hunger
GPS Accuracy – How Accurate Is Accurate

November
Think About Saving Seed Input Dollars In 2010

December
Precision Farming Adoption And Payback
Precision Agriculture Starts At The Soil Level
Precision Farming 2009 – What We Learned
Technology Helps Farmers Plant And Fertilize More Precisely

“Automatic guidance gives producers precision farming capabilities throughout the growing season by allowing them to map tillage operations and crop planting, spraying and harvest, and can help tailor fertilizer and chemical applications to avoid waste,” said Tony Vyn.

The most precise form of automatic guidance, real time kinematic, or RTK, is especially helpful to guide planting in strip-till corn systems. RTK guidance can help achieve precisely parallel strip-till passes in the fall or spring. The same guidance system can ensure the corn planter is centered on the strip-tilled berms, even if the planter is wider than the strip-till unit itself, and even if the berm positions are difficult to see in spring. Planting in the center of the berms helps achieve higher yields, especially in high-residue situations like corn after corn, Vyn said.

“When we’re talking about preplant nitrogen application in the form of urea ammonium nitrate (UAN) in either no-till or strip-till systems, precision guidance allows producers to plant corn either directly on top of the fertilized bands of the soil or at a precise distance away to reduce the risk of corn or seedling injury when higher UAN rates are applied,” Vyn said. “When preplant UAN exceeds 50 pounds per acre, it is safer to plant corn at least 4 to 5 inches to the side. This is another area where automatic guidance gives an advantage because it offers precisely parallel planting abilities.”

But automatic guidance isn’t the only precision agriculture technology that can increase producer efficiency. Take, for example, yield monitors, automatic planter row shut-off and automatic sprayer boom control.

Data from yield monitors can prove a need for tiling and show how it will pay off in specific fields. Both automatic planter row shut-off and sprayer boom control prevent overlap, and thus help producers improve the bottom line by decreasing waste.

The most important aspects of the advanced guidance and other precision technologies are more than just cost alone.

“Sometimes with precision technology, the challenge is for farmers to stay sufficiently alert in the tractor or the combine,” Vyn said. “Although automatic guidance helps farmers to work longer days, and although the improved ability to monitor implement functions helps farmers make fewer mistakes, the guidance technology is no substitute for doing all field operations with sound agronomy.”

When choosing an automatic guidance system, or any other precision technologies, there are a few tips Vyn said producers should keep in mind:

* Assess the farming operation before investing in precision agriculture tools. Decide what level of precision is needed for each field operation, both within a season and from year to year, and what financial benefits the technologies will bring to a specific cropping system.

• Make sure the system purchased has upgrade capability, as new technologies continue to come into the market.
• Less expensive systems won’t save producers as much as the higher quality guidance and monitoring systems.
• Review the compatibility of the precision technologies with the current equipment and planned replacement equipment.
• Look for a dealer with experienced precision farming technicians who can assist with any questions or issues producers may have.

Pre-conference programs will focus on Optimizing Pivot Irrigation Management (9:00 to 4:00) and Social Media Applications in Agriculture (1:00 – 4:00) will be offered the afternoon of January 27.

The conference opens Wednesday evening with Dr. Raj Khoslo, Precision Agriculture Specialists, Colorado State University, discussing Precision Nutrient Management on Site-specific Management Zones, followed by Bill Kranz, Irrigation Specialist, University of Nebraska-Lincoln addressing Monitoring Irrigation Water Application with Computerized Controllers.

Thursday morning opens with international guest and precision agriculture expert, Sam Tengrove, Australian farmer, sharing Adoption of Precision Agriculture by Australian Grain Growers. Additional general sessions offered include Broadband: Who Needs It?, Mapping Evapotranspiration with High Resolution and Internalized Calibration (METRIC), and Global Perspectives of Site-specific Weed Management.

Twelve concurrent sessions addressing a variety of emerging agricultural technology topics will also be offered on Thursday. The concurrent sessions in the Ambassador room will be hands-on workshops. See the conference brochure.

Up to 8 CCA credits are available for conference participants with an additional 6 CCA credits available to those who attend the Optimizing Pivot Irrigation Management pre-conference workshop.

More information is available at http://neata.org.

“Rather than a lot of companies that offer a segment of products, we’re getting down to a core set of companies offering full-service solutions—products for every type of ag operation,” he says

For example, Darr cites the recent Ag Leader and AutoFarm partnership. “And Trimble purchased numerous smaller precision ag companies to fill out their portfolio of products (like Farm Works software, NTech GreenSeeker and Tru Count).”

From a technology introduction standpoint, there haven’t been a whole lot of truly new products in 2009, according to Darr. “The largest growth segment of products has probably been in the area of CORS-compatible GPS equipment. Trimble, Topcon, AutoFarm—they all have CORS-based capabilities,” he adds.

Impact of CORS? There’s more and more grower interest. “I always tell growers that CORS isn’t going to provide a better RTK solution, as the accuracy of a single base solution is still governed by the distance to the base station, just like traditional RTK. What it does is bring coverage to every farmer in the state Iowa (and in other states that have CORS network),” Darr says.

It wasn’t but a couple years ago that it cost $50,000 for an RTK system—not even including the cost of auto-steer. Today, you can get a complete CORS auto-steer system in the tractor for $15,000 to $17,000.

Coming in 2010. Darr says we’ll continue to see expanded interest in CORS network products. “Auto-steer will continue its rapid adoption, because the efficiency, the savings and intrinsic benefits of less stress and greater productivity in the cab will drive sales.”

As the price of agricultural fertilizers begins to increase again, he sees an increased interest in nutrient management and variable-rate products. “There continues to be a need for real-time sensing of nutrients. These products—GreenSeeker (Trimble), OptRx (Ag Leader) and Crop Spec (Topcon)—are still very young in their developmental stages. These technologies have huge potential to make an impact on both the economic and environmental aspects of agriculture,” Darr says.

“The perpetual rising price of seed will continue rapid adoption of the DirectCommand AutoSwath-type products that provide pretty immediate payback on seed and chemical savings. A $300 bag of seed equals $120 per acre seed costs. An auto-steer system and planter unit control will save a minimum of 2 percent (not including possible variable-rate seeding savings), which equates to $2,400 per year over 1,000 acres,” he adds.

Farmers can use the recorded yield data to analyze performance and create variable rate prescription maps using Trimble AgGPS EZ-Office software. Yield data stored on the FmX display can easily be transferred to the office using a USB storage device. EZ-Office software can help farmers evaluate field performance and identify problem areas.

The yield monitoring functionality allows growers to perform accurate area calculations using the auto cut width feature when the header is not full. This is an advantage for harvesting odd-shaped fields, point rows or areas already harvested. It relieves the farmer from having to manually adjust actual cut width when not harvesting a full swath.

“Yield monitoring is beneficial for farmers who want to analyze how well their fields perform. They can record and monitor results, and then adjust their seed and fertilizer application rate to generate higher yields,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “In addition, growers can now perform yield monitoring with the same display that steers their vehicle, reducing cab clutter.”

The yield monitoring and mapping functionality upgrade is expected to be available in the first quarter of 2010 and is priced at US$995 MSRP. For more information, call 1-800-874-6253 or visit www.trimble.com/agriculture to find a Trimble reseller.