Precision Pays

The Coalition to Save Our GPS is growing as new evidence mounts that a proposed communications network would interfere with GPS systems.

A report was released last week by a Federal Communications Commission (FCC) technical working group on the potential for interference to GPS from the proposal by Virginia-based company LightSquared to set up 40,000 wireless broad-band stations across the nation on a frequency that is right next to the one used by GPS.

The FCC reports that the working group “identified significant technical issues” related to potential LightSquared interference in the upper portion of the L-Band, next to the band used by GPS. “The tests demonstrated potentially significant interference between LightSquared operations in the upper portion of the band and various GPS receivers,” the agency said in a public notice announcing a 30 day comment period on the issue.

“The report of the working group demonstrates there is no practical solution to mitigate the interference that would result if the proposal is allowed,” said Ken Golden of John Deere. “It is not acceptable to allow a new network to interfere with these vitally important industries and weaken the strong competitive position of the U.S. in the global economy. Research has shown that losing the use of GPS technology could have a negative impact of $14 billion to $30 billion annually for U.S. farmers.”

The coalition just announced an expansion of its membership last week, including new agriculture industry members such as AGCO, Agricultural Retailers Association, National Agricultural Aviation Association, National Cotton Council of America, National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, North American Equipment Dealers Association, and USA Rice Federation. The coalition reportedly now represents more than 100,000 companies and millions of individuals, either independently or through trade associations – including public safety, aviation, transportation, construction, technology, recreation, shipping, agriculture and consumer manufacturers.

Information on how to comment on the issue to the FCC can be found here. Comments must be received by July 30, 2011.

I love my TomTom.  I really am not sure what I would do without it.  I come from a small town in Central Illinois and I recently made a career move that took me to Indianapolis.  Tom is the best co-pilot a girl from small town USA that moved to the big city could hope to find.  He takes me turn by turn to my destination, coaxes me through wrong turns and rarely is he incorrect.  At this point, I can’t imagine my life without “him“. 

In this edition of the Precision Pays Podcast, sponsored by Ag Leader Technology, we explore GPS technology.  If you’re like me – and rely on your GPS just to navigate the roadways – imagine how heavily some industries (like agriculture, airlines, railways and even the New York City Fire Department) rely on the accuracy and efficacy of GPS in their daily operations.  What would happen if we lost the ability to use it?  This month we sat down with Sid Parks, Manager of Precision Farming with GROWMARK, and learned about the Coalition to Save Our GPS, how we could potentially lose it and why this is something for us to monitor.

You can subscribe to the Precision Pays Podcast here. The Precision Pays Podcast is sponsored by Ag Leader Technology.

A company planning to provide a wireless broadband/satellite network claims to have solved a GPS interference issue, but a new study finds interfering with GPS signals could cost the economy.

Officials with the Virginia-based company LightSquared, which wants to set up 40,000 wireless broad-band stations across the nation on a frequency that is right next to the one used by GPS, have outlined a proposal they say will address the problem of interference.

Early test results indicated that one of LightSquared’s 10MHz blocks of frequencies poses interference to many GPS receivers. This block happens to be the specific set of frequencies that LightSquared planned to use for the initial launch of its nationwide wireless broadband network.

Test results show this lower block of frequencies is largely free of interference issues with the exception of a limited number of high precision GPS receivers that are specifically designed to rely on LightSquared’s spectrum. In its original plan, LightSquared planned to move into this other frequency block as its business grew over the next two to three years.

Agricultural interests are concerned about that exception. A study released by the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which includes several agricultural technology companies, estimates that LightSquared’s plan could result in “direct economic costs of up to $96 billion to U.S. commercial GPS users and manufacturers.” Jim Kirkland, vice president and general counsel of Trimble, says the analysis “also highlights how LightSquared’s recently announced ‘solution’ to the interference problem, which LightSquared admits will not reduce interference for high precision GPS uses, is no solution at all. High precision GPS uses represent nearly $ 10 billion in historical investment by GPS users over the last five years and $30 billion in annual economic benefits.”

“The use of GPS technology is vital to thousands of people who make their living with agricultural and construction equipment. It is simply not acceptable to allow this new network to interfere with these important industries when all indications are that there is no practical solution to mitigate this interference,” said Ken Golden, director of global public relations at John Deere. “In agriculture, the loss of a stable GPS system could have an impact of anywhere from $14 to $30 billion each year. That could significantly erode the strong competitive global position of U.S. farmers in the world agricultural economy.”

Meanwhile, the 2012 agriculture appropriations bill recently passed by the House includes language specifically to register concerns about the LightSquared network and directs the USDA “to ensure the FCC is aware of these concerns.”

Initial reports indicate a proposed high-speed wireless broadband network would interfere with global positioning systems around the country, including those used for precision farming.

Virginia-based company LightSquared wants to set up 40,000 wireless broad-band stations across the nation on a frequency that is right next to the one used by GPS. After concerns were voiced about possible interference, the Federal Communications Commission had the company investigate the possibility and report back to them. Preliminary findings from that report released yesterday indicate there may indeed be a problem. Company officials acknowledge that the tests show the technology could interfere with other signals at certain frequencies and power levels but they believe adjustments could be made to address that. LightSquared has been given another two weeks to present final findings to the FCC.

Opposition to the plan has become organized in the form of the Coalition to Save Our GPS, which consists of a wide variety of industries and companies, including agricultural interests and technology providers such as New Holland, Deere, GROWMARK, Leica Geosystems and Trimble Navigation.

Look up in the sky! It’s a bird! It’s a plane! No, it’s a Multi-Rotor Remote Sensing System!

Somehow Multi-Rotor Remote Sensing System (MRRSS) just doesn’t have quite the same ring as Superman, but these tiny remote-controlled, camera-equipped drones could give some farmers super powers to see their crops from a bird’s eye view. University researchers from Arkansas, Florida and Ohio are currently studying the applications of the system which consists of a six- to eight-rotor, remotely controlled helicopter that provides a stable platform for the off-the-shelf digital camera that sends back video and stills to the ground crew. The system includes image recognition software that can teach itself to recognize individual trees or plants and count them. With different sensors, the machine could potentially detect disease, irrigation or fertilizer issues, predict crop yields and more.

The idea for the system came from Reza Ehsani, Assistant Professor and Precision Agriculture Specialist with the University of Florida’s Citrus Research and Education Center. It’s powered by a lithium ion polymer battery and a basic unit costs from $7,000 to $10,000. Ehsani says it would be a great tool for citrus growers to use to combat citrus greening.

Arkansas researchers are interested in how the system could help row crop farmers and the project in that state is being funded partially by the state soybean board. In Oregon, nurseries and tree farms have the most interest.

Topcon Precision Agriculture announced that the HiPer series of satellite receivers has been expanded to include a specialty receiver for the worldwide agriculture market. The HiPer AG is now available.

The integrated one-piece unit incorporates a GPS receiver, radio communications and batteries. The HiPer AG is a next generation replacement of the HiPer Lite as a portable base station for high accuracy RTK applications and is designed for simple setup and operation with Topcon’s Systems 150, 200, 210, 250, or 350. HiPer AG is a dual-frequency, GPS+GLONASS receiver that provides access to more satellites at any point in time for more consistent and reliable positioning in all field conditions.

Other features include:
– Innovative, cable-free, compact design;
– Complete GPS and GLONASS satellite system tracking;
– Advanced digital radio communications system;
– Integrated Bluetooth wireless technology;
– Powerful 40-channel GNSS board operating at up to 20Hz; and,
– Rugged, field-proven design.

A recent post from the Iowa Power Farming Show that featured Ag Leader’s new SMS Mobile Technologies spurred a guest post request from Broadband for America. They asked if I could write a blog about how broadband technology has really changed the way agriculture does business. And for the better I might add. With their permission, I am reprinting the article here. It was originally published under the title “How Broadband & Precision Ag Are Increasing Farmers’ Profits.”

For my mother, who grew up on a farm in Iowa, it was hard to imagine how far technology would advance agriculture in such a short time. For instance, the introduction of broadband would be a welcome surprise for many. It’s hard to fathom living without internet access; however, in the past, those in rural America did not have as much access as those living in urban areas. Fortunately, this is changing. According to Pew Internet, adults living in rural America have witnessed high-speed usage grow from 38% in 2008 to 46% in 2009. Many of these adults are farmers.

With the introduction of broadband also came the introduction of many precision agriculture technologies. For example, Ag Leader’s new SMS Mobile Technology helps farmers gain important information. The technology is designed to run on their handheld Mesa Rugged Notepad and provides a platform for farmers to gather information such as soil tests, scouting records and documentation of test trials. With the help of a wireless broadband network, farmers can instantaneously transfer the data to his SMS desktop software. The data can be combined with previous data and take his crop management to another level – a level that is designed to improve his profitability.

While this technology is still somewhat in its infancy, access to wireless communications has offered possibilities not before thought possible. Precision agriculture is taking full advantage of this technology. Each year, data integration and programs are more effective and easier to use as adoption among growers increases.

According to Tim Murphy, in a 2002 article, “Broadband Connection Highs and Lows Across Rural America“, the census found that half the farms in the country were connected to the internet in some way whether it be via broadband or dial-up. By 2007, the percentage of farms connected rose to 56.5 percent. As precision ag comes of age, I expect to see greater growth in the adoption in broadband in rural America. Why? Because broadband and precision ag, together, are helping to change the face of agriculture in a positive and profitable way.

When it comes to precision agriculture, it’s quite simple to get lost in the technical terms, the acronyms, and the sea of capabilities available. So today, Ag Leader Technology is helping to decipher, in layman’s terms, Real Time Kinematic, or RTK.

The quick answer is: It’s still GPS, it’s just more accurate. It’s a differential correction system capable of sub-inch repeatable and pass-to-pass accuracy. Traditionally, it has required a base station within several miles of your rover.

Now here’s the longer answer:

Maybe Differential GPS (DGPS) isn’t accurate enough for your farming operation. In the past, RTK has been prohibitive for some agricultural applications due to the cost or because the rover has to be fairly close to the base station in order to get a clear signal. But now, by having an Internet connection at your base station, or by using a base station network such as CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Stations), and a cell phone in your rover (with a monthly data plan), you can get a clear RTK signal within 6 miles from your base station (some locations aren’t limited by distance). RTK signals are transmitted via radio, high-speed wireless and Internet.

Here’s what you need:
• A dual frequency GPS receiver. Data is transmitted from the base station to your receiver once per second.
• Your own base station, or there is a network of base stations available for you to use (such as a CORS network)

Here’s what you get:
• Sub-inch accuracy (+/- 1 inch as compared to +/- 6 inches with DGPS)
• Increased profits (get an increased payback through increased area covered per hour, reduced time spent in the field, fuel savings, minimizing labor costs and time savings)
• Increased time-savings
• Reduced skip and overlap
• Reliability, speed and repeatable solutions, meaning you can drive the same row pass-to-pass, year-to-year.

Making the investment in RTK means equipment can be driven more efficiently for longer periods of times with less fatigue.

So what kind of applications can benefit from RTK? Strip tillage and other types of precision fertilizer placement, laying drop irrigation tape, or planting and harvest of high-value crops such as potatoes, peanuts and cotton. And of course, contact your Ag Leader dealer (http://www.agleader.com/dealer-search/) to see what is right for your needs.

Click here for additional information or for a CORS article in Ag Leader’s March 2010 Insights Newsletter.

GPS technology firm DeLorme is now offering its topographic World Base Map for any DeLorme GPS and desktop software customers to download online.

Previously offered only as a worldwide data set, the DeLorme World Base Map now enables users to select the scope of coverage they want. An exceptional value at just one penny per 100 square kilometers (minimum order $10), the downloaded data can be displayed on Earthmate PN-Series GPS receivers and within Topo North America consumer software and the XMap suite of GIS applications.

The DeLorme World Base Map is truly unique in that it is seamless and horizontally accurate, with a consistent level of detail and a compelling topographic view of the Earth. It has been used extensively in U.S. government applications, oil and gas exploration, and by countless geospatial industry customers including ESRI. Now, with its value pricing and easy accessibility, it is an ideal choice for small businesses and consumers as well.

The data is topological and includes major roads and geographic features, inland bodies of water, shoreline hydrography, and the latest agreed and disputed jurisdiction boundaries. The DeLorme World Base Map uses the Shuttle Radar Terrain Model (SRTM) to display digital elevation and create 3-D models on a computer.

Precision agriculture is playing a much larger role in helping potato growers become more sustainable, according to a recent story in Spudman.

Bruce Crapo, a grower of 6,000 acres of commercial potatoes and 2,000 acres of seed potatoes in Idaho, is a good example of how the average potato farmer looks at precision agriculture – he uses technology to reduce costs, increase output and improve profits.

Crapo isn’t thrilled at the cost of high-tech equipment such as GPS-guided tractors, but he knows it’s saving him money and there’s no way he can turn back now.

“There is a substantial initial cost involved,” Crapo said. “But I also know it is saving me money. What do you do? Go back to what you were doing before? That’s not an option.”

Crapo, who uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology on all his planters and harvesters, said the latest precision ag technology has taken farming to a different level.

“It’s light years ahead of what it was when we were doing it by hand,” he said. “We’re not going to go back to not using it, but we are wincing a little at the cost.”

Precision agriculture can loosely be defined as using new technologies such as GPS, sensors, variable rate application equipment and aerial or satellite images to make farming easier and more profitable.

Simply put, precision agriculture can help farmers improve their margins by decreasing their operating costs.

Idaho farmer Robert Blair, owner of PineCreek Precision, says the biggest benefit of precision farming is that it gives producers the ability to manage their farm on a production zone basis rather than a whole field basis. This shift, he said, allows farmers to save time and money and helps them offset the rising cost of chemicals, nutrients, fuel and fertilizer.

Blair uses a wide array of precision agriculture techniques on his 1,500-acre farm and said the technology is saving him tens of thousands of dollars every year.

Read on to learn more…

At the recent Holdrege Water Conference in Nebraska, several speakers talked about how precision technology is not only conserving water but saving growers money as well, according to this Nebraska TV report.

It really is a big money-saver,” said UNL Extension Educator Chuck Burr. “Several years ago, we had some irrigators figure out how much it costs them to make a circle, or put an inch of water on 130 acres. That can range from $600 to $1200 every time they apply an inch of water to that field. So if they can reduce a couple applications, you’re talking a couple thousand dollars for every pivot.”

The cost of pumping goes down, and so do labor and gas costs.

“With the new technology, [farmers] can sit at their computers and make sure the pivot is still
working,” Burr said. “If there is a problem, then they can drive specifically to that pivot.”

The experts say, irrigation technology helps more crops grow better. “Let’s say I have a field that has two different types of soil,” said Burr, “those soil types may require more different amount of water applied during the irrigation season.”

“We’re able to vary the speed that they run,” added Thorburn, “so that we can adjust them for different soil types. Sandy soils need more water than heavier soils.”

More efficient use of land and water means a brighter tomorrow. “Apply water just when it’s needed,” Thorburn said, “the better we are able to conserve that resource for the future.”

Click on the camera icon at this link to view the video.

Learn more about how AGCO’s AgCommand telemetry product can help you track, monitor and management all machinery in the field. Watch this video posted recently by Farm Industry News.

Steve Tupa of AGCO talks about an advanced version of AGCO’s recently introduced telemetry product called AgCommand. This product provides 25 different messages from fuel use to engine load which can be sent to home computer for observation. It was introduced at Ag Connect Expo, held recently in Atlanta, GA.

Telemetry systems like AgCommand allow navigation, prescription application, location and other data to be transferred easily to and from farm machinery. These systems will grow in importance as farmers seek ways to improve efficiencies on high-priced equipment.

Effective control of Southern root knot nematode looks promising with the use of GPS-controlled, variable-rate applications of soil fumigants, according to University of Arizona researchers, as reported by Western Farm Press.

Field trials conducted from 2006 to 2010 tabulated information gathered by global positioning systems and variable rate technology, including the electrical conductivity-based Veris 3100 and EM38 sensors for on-the-go soil mapping, plus harvest yield mapping data.

This technology illustrates that nematicide applications can be applied sparingly in some cases while maintaining good nematode control and trimming chemical costs.

The grower cooperator field trials included six studies with the nematicide Telone II applied at pre-plant in cotton and corn in central and southwestern Arizona conducted by University of Arizona (UA) researchers Randy Norton, Tim Hatch, Mike McClure, and Pedro Andrade.

Norton, UA regional extension cotton specialist based in Safford, shared the findings during the 71^st annual Cotton Disease Council meeting at the 2011 Beltwide Cotton Conferences in Atlanta, Ga., in January.

Norton labeled the RKN as the No. 1 nematode species threat in Arizona. The microscopic roundworm damages crops by attacking the young tap and secondary roots which stimulates the production of galls. Galls interfere with the ability of the roots to absorb water and nutrients, and allow other disease-producing organisms to enter the plant.

Arizona hotspots for RKNs include the Coolidge, Casa Grande, Florence, and Buckeye areas in central Arizona and the Bonita area in the Sulphur Springs Valley in southeastern Arizona.

In cotton, the RKN is responsible for a 5 percent lint yield reduction on average across the Cotton Belt, Norton says. Five gallons is the standard Telone II application rate in Arizona to maintain cotton yields in RKN-infected fields.

Read on to learn more…

The Iowa Power Farming Show kicked off in Des Moines today and Ag Leader Technology launched some new precision ag products just in time to show them off for the thousands of growers on site. One new product is the updated Mesa Rugged Notepad with the SMS Mobile software package.

The Mesa Rugged Notepad is a handheld device that is larger than a PDA but smaller than a laptop and the perfect size for growers to take out to the field. And it’s durable – it can be rained on or dropped and it will stand up to the wear and tear. It also has a glare-proof screen so even on the sunniest of days, you’ll have no problem reading the screen.

The SMS Mobile software includes several key types of in-field information that can be collected and analyzed including Soil Sampling Mode, Crop Scouting Mode, Coverage Mode, Boundary Mode, and General Logging Mode.

I caught up with Michael Vos, Software Sales Manager for Ag Leader to learn more about the SMS Mobile technology that was launched and how it will improve a grower’s operations. Vos gave me a step-by-step tutorial on how one element, the Soil Sampling Mode, worked. You can watch here in this detailed video. Now don’t worry. Even if you’re new to GPS systems and the software, the Ag Leader team will get you set up, trained and started in no time.

SMS Mobile is available right now through the purchase of a Mesa Rugged Notepad kit or you can purchase the SMS mobile and install it on your own device. To learn more, contact Ag Leader or visit their website.

You can check out Ag Leader during the Iowa Power Farming Show in our flickr photo album.

Precision Pays coverage of the Iowa Power Farming Show is sponsored by: .

If tree lines or other obstacles sometimes cause dropped signals, you may benefit from the Russian global navigation satellite system (GLONASS) that Ag Leader’s ParaDyme automated steering system will now support.

“The main advantage GLONASS capability will offer ParaDyme users is longer run-time without losing signal due to coverage interruptions or low GPS satellite availability,” says GPS and Guidance Product Manager, Matt Leinen. “This feature will be especially beneficial to our growers that often lose satellite signal due to tree lines or other field obstacles; additional satellite availability will help them maintain a GNSS signal and keep running.”

GLONASS support is the latest functionality added to the ParaDyme automated steering system. The ParaDyme can be controlled through Ag Leader’s EDGE or INTEGRA display, and features remote service and the ability to receive RTK differential correction signals via cellular network. The ParaDyme automated steering system benefits include sub-inch accuracy, increased fuel efficiency, reduced operator fatigue and more.