Precision Pays

John Deere talked up its latest application for cotton growers during this year’s Beltwide Cotton Conferences. Harvest Identification Cotton will continue to automate the production of a cotton module. This is tied into the 7760 cotton picker. The application will use the RFID tags that are embedded into the module wrap. These will be captured by an RFID reader on the cotton picker and then that information will be complied along with data from the John Deere Starfire receiver. That will generate a file that can be sent to the ginner and grower. Janae says it will be available soon.

Listen in to my interview with Janae here: Interview with Janae Althouse

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

Holiday season is rapidly approaching with just a few short weeks from Thanksgiving and only 55 days until Christmas.  We oftentimes forget about what it takes to get the food to our table.  In this Precision Pays Podcast, sponsored by Ag Leader Technology we sit down with Trenton Beemis, a Wisconsin cranberry farmer and recently the National FFA Organizations Proficiency Award winner in Fruit Production to examine just how that beautiful red fruit makes it from the bogs in Wisconsin (or any of the other bogs in the United States) to your holiday dinner table.

You can subscribe to the Precision Pays Podcast here.

Don’t miss the upcoming February 9-10 NeATA conference in Grand Island, Neb., as it promises a technology extravaganza, along with other valuable topics such as precision Nitrogen management, social media, building consumer trust and much more.

The Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association (NeATA), founded in 2001 by innovative Nebraska farmers, ranchers, agribusiness representatives and the University of Nebraska Extension, has compiled another great conference.

Need a technology makeover? How about using Nitrogen more wisely? Do you want to learn how to tell your story and share your values with consumers? How about learning a better way to select crop genetics? Check out the upcoming program, and book your trip now.

For Facebook users, find NeATA here and add them as a favorite.

Strawberry harvesting is a one of the most labor-intensive agricultural operations since it generally has to be done by hand to do it right. The berries ripen at different rates and they are very fragile, so mechanization in the field has been very limited.

But, leave it to the Japanese to come up with a robot that might be able to do the job. Last week, the Japanese Agriculture and Food Research Organization debuted a strawberry picking robot that can move along a track in the strawberry, scan the strawberries for ripeness and carefully pluck them off the plants. The robot can reportedly pick a berry every nine seconds, almost twice as fast as human labor. The robot only picks those berries that are at last 80% red colored and can be customized for picking other types of fruits or even vegetables.

Still in the research phase and not ready for the commercial market yet, but you can see a demo here from YouTube.

Take a look at a story in Indiana Prairie Farmer that selected ten different agricultural technologies of interest this year.

They listed:
- Raven Sling Shot system
- Connected Farm concept
- GSI Binspector
- Grain entrapment rescue tubes
- Votivo nematicide seed treatment
- SmartStax corn
- Agrisure Viptera trait
- Surveillance sunglasses
- Vertical till revolution
- Kixor herbicide technology

Read on to learn why.

In the North Dakota Farm Business Management Program, coordinator Steve Metzger says producers are telling him they are using far less chemicals, saving money and the environment thanks to the tools of precision agriculture, according to a recent story in Farm & Ranch Guide.

“We talk to each producer that we work with, and they are the ones telling us that they sure use less chemicals on a field than they used to because of the (precision farming) technology they have,” he said. “I think from those discussions, most are figuring they are saving between 5 to 10 percent on a field with GPS technology.”

Metzger likes to mention the story of a farmer who has been enrolled in the Farm Business Management Program for several years. When ordering herbicide for his total crop acreage he always added five percent to what he had figured and ended up using the entire amount each year. However, the year he added a sprayer with GPS and boom control to his operation he took the entire extra five percent that he always ordered back to the chemical dealer because he didn’t need it.

With the average chemical cost for wheat today at $31.23 per acre, Metzger said there is the potential for great savings.

“If you start looking at saving $2 to $3 an acre on chemical on a couple thousand acres of wheat, it doesn’t take very long before the savings can add up to $5-, $10- or $20,000 on an average farm,” he said.

“And as the costs increase, there is even more of a desire to save all the time,” he continued. “If we didn’t have the GPS units we might still be over-applying by going around sloughs twice, doing the headlands twice – those types of things. But with the GPS and the automatic shutoff, those areas of over-application are taken care of.”

And the savings doesn’t end with chemicals. The five major costs associated with crop production–chemicals, fuel, repairs, seed and fertilizer–can all be trimmed back. Read on for more details.

More equipment companies involved in precision agriculture are deploying remote diagnostic capabilities as part of a broader telematic system offering.

Farm Industry News offers a fascinating look at some of the current technology.

After being on the agriculture market for almost a decade, telematic systems that once were thought to be useful mostly to large farming and custom application operations with far-flung equipment fleets are beginning to offer features that smaller operations may find attractive as well.

The newest systems offer remote diagnostics of power equipment, real-time combine monitoring and on-the-go transfer of prescription application, as-applied and yield maps. GPS-based features like current location, field and transport speeds, and idling versus working time also are becoming more sophisticated.

Read the rest of the story.

Watching those yield numbers register as data on a map as you go round by round during harvest will help aid decision making this winter. To this end, John Fulton, Extension Specialists, Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, wrote a good piece on how to use such data on the Alabama Cooperative Extension System’s Precision Ag Blog.

While yield monitors or maps can provide beneficial data to make informed farm management decisions, one must ensure they are properly implementing yield monitors so the correct decisions are made. Yield monitors are excellent tools to conduct field-scale research and spatially document yield differences across fields. Yield maps can identify issues within fields where low yields exist, support the implementation of site-specific management, and make comparisons between varieties, seed treatments, and new management practices.  However, data needs to be collected over whole fields or several fields in order to obtain a sufficient amount of yield data to make the right decision(s) for your farm.

Caution is extended for those using yield monitors to harvest variety trials or plot-scale studies. While this data can provide useful information and support plot-scale work,yield monitors are not a replacement for weigh wagons which should be used to obtain and compute yields for making comparisons in plots. Variety trials and plot studies are generally too small (100, 300 or even up to 900-ft long) in order for yield monitors to accurately measure the accumulated yield over 1 or 2 passes.  The potential errors of yield monitors in these small areas are too high.  Therefore, a measured +/- 5 bushel difference might not really exist between treatments being compared.  While proper calibration is always recommended for yield monitors and the calibration process indicates only a few percent error, the error in yield data generated will be higher for plot size studies and can actually be in the range of 10% to 20%.  For field-scale yield data, these errors will be “averaged” out and the mean yield for a treatment (e.g. variety) can be accurate (1% to 5% error depending upon operating conditions).

As an example, lets say a yield monitor has an actual error of 5%.  If yields are running around 150 bu/ac for the plots, then a 7.5 bu/ac error exists,  Therefore, greater than a 7.5 bu/ac difference must be measured before a variance can be concluded between treatments.  Further, if the actual error is 10% or 20%, then a 15 and 30 bu/ac difference, respectively must exist before any substantial conclusions can be drawn saying one treatment is better than the other.  In any of these cases, one cannot say that one treatment is better than the other if only a 3 or 5 bu/ac difference was measured; a weigh wagon would be required to indicate whether such a few bushel difference.

Remember, while yield monitors can provide useful information for small-scale studies, they are not a replacement for weigh wagons.  Solely relying on yield monitors for providing the necessary performance data at this scale, can lead to incorrectly analyzed yield differences and ultimately the wrong conclusion or management decisions being made. Yield monitors are excellent tools to support management decisions but must be used properly.

As the heart of the Corn Belt is cranking up harvest, I’m guessing combine prep is done. But if not, perhaps some quick troubleshooting tips to keep your harvest data flowing into your monitor may help.

I talked today with Nick Ohrtman, Technical Support Supervisor for Ag Leader Technology, and he mentioned some of common tech support topics they hear this time of year. And some of these issues can be resolved with some simple troubleshooting.

First, check your firmware. Hopefully you’ve got the latest firmware versions installed in all your components—from your display to the connected modules and the GPS unit. It’s important because different versions contain unique features, which help technicians troubleshoot. “Almost every tech support call we get we end up having to check the firmware,” he says.

Is the light green? Most modules and GPS units have an LED light showing its current status. Green means power is on and it is communicating with attached modules. If yellow, the power is working but it’s not talking with other devices. And a red light means the module is in program mode. “Take note of the color by module, which will help the technician troubleshoot your issues.”

Disappearing maps. Another common call during harvest deals with coverage maps that do not show up on the display. Different scenarios can cause this to happen. “The most common is when the operator loads a field on the run screen while at home with the combine head lowered to the ground,” Ohrtman says. “The monitor then logs that point as harvested and it is actually miles away. As the operator drives to the field the onscreen map will zoom out to keep the point that was logged at home. It also keeps the combine’s current position on the map screen. By the time the operator arrives at the field the map is zoomed out so far the field is no longer visible on the display. The short-term fix is to press the ‘clear bounds’ button that re-centers the map over your current position. The long-term solution is to create field boundaries for all of your fields.”

Moisture sensor haywire. If the moisture sensor on the combine clean grain elevator is not giving you readings or is providing the same exact reading, check the proximity sensor in the elevator mount unit. If not adjusted right you won’t get a full clean grain sample to monitor because the cleanout auger isn’t running properly. Simply remove the electrical cover, find the small screw that adjusts the sensor, turn it clockwise until the cleanout auger runs continuously, then turn it back counterclockwise three full turns.

Chewed or loose cables. One other common malady is forgetting to visually check all the cables leading from the display all the way back. Rodent damage is more common that you think.

Visit these links for more information.

Troubleshooting Tips – http://www.agleader.com/2010/04/23/troubleshooting-tips/

Q & A from Hardware Training – http://www.agleader.com/2010/07/22/more-q-a-from-hardware-training/

As the dog days of summer heat up and are still delivering too much rain in many areas of the central Corn Belt, it’s a good time to pull out the combine manual and start gearing up for Midwest corn and soybean harvest.

We spoke this week with Nick Ohrtman, technical support supervisor at Ag Leader Technology, who provided a good pre-harvest checklist that works fairly universally no matter what Ag Leader display you operate. And these same philosophies will work with other monitors; just get the specific details from your operator’s manual.

1. If you haven’t already, create a backup of your spring and summer information.
2. Make sure your display firmware, manual and all connected modules are up-to-date. Find them on the Ag Leader website under Customer Support.
3. If you have purchased a new combine or new heads, create new configurations for any setup that is different from last fall. Remove all old configurations.

Inspect the Combine and Components
1. Check to make sure all cables are properly attached and in good condition.
2. Remove flow sensor and inspect for damage.
3. Check the elevator deflector and impact plate for wear. Verify you have the proper clearance at the top of the clean grain elevator. Clearance should be between 3/8- and 5/8-inch.

Sensor Calibrations—Before going to the field
For step-by-step instructions on how to do these calibrations, consult the Grain Harvest section of the display manual.

1. Calibrate stop height. This will set the height when the display stops recording harvested area as the header is raised at the end of the pass. Stop height calibration is required for each grain type.
2. Run a distance calibration. This will calibrate the ground speed sensor connected to the display. Note: If you are using GPS speed as the primary speed sensor, you will still need to calibrate the backup sensor. Measure off 200-400 feet, drive that distance and record any difference in length.
3. Calibrate temperature. This will set the temperature offset to help provide a correct moisture reading.
4. Run a vibration calibration. The vibration calibration is used to compensate for the amount of force that is being measured by the flow sensor with no grain flow.

Sensor Calibrations—In the field
1. Calibrate moisture. This will set the moisture offset to help provide accurate moisture and yield readings. Moisture calibration is required for each grain type. Take 4-8 samples from a wagon/truck load, then plug in the average reading.
2. Calibrate grain weight. This is critical, and you need to run four to six smaller loads (in the 3,000 to 6,000 lb. range) at varying field speeds, so enlist your nearest weigh wagon owner. If done correctly, this will provide accurate yield readings across all flow ranges. Calibration is required each year and for each grain type. If your average harvest speed is 4.5 mph, then make sure you run loads at 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5 and a maximum speed. And with Ag Leader displays, you can do this at any time during harvest, because once calibrated it will back calibrate any harvest data already completed.

Have a safe harvest season.

Visit these links for more information.

Product Manuals – http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/product-manuals/

June Insights Newsletter – http://www.agleader.com/media-center/insights-newsletter/

After a season spent trying to protect yield, we all know the view from the combine seat is judgment day for hybrids, varieties and assorted management decisions. Watching that yield monitor as you open up fields gets more focused viewership than the alma mater versus the big rival on a football Saturday.

Like flat screen TVs, precision ag monitors keep getting better with more features. Thanks to software improvements, you can even watch yields as they shift among hybrid locations in the field. Ag Leader recently upgraded their SMS desktop software so it can import planting data from various planter monitor brands to export as reference files to the INTEGRA display.

“The SMS software’s ability to translate data from almost any brand of planter monitor and export it into our INTEGRA display is a great tool, as it allows the varieties to show up as different colors during harvest on the display, as well as to be used for variety tracking,” says Corey Weddle, director of software solutions for Ag Leader.

Before, if two monitors were used to plant and only one of those monitors is used for harvest, you couldn’t combine the planting data from both monitors into one. “SMS Basic and SMS Advanced Version 10.0 software can handle that task,” he says. “And it’s a simple, straight forward process to export the data.”

Read more about it here: http://precisionpays.com/2010/07/watch-hybrid-and-variety-harvest-results-in-real-time/

Visit these links for more information.

SMS Software http://www.agleader.com/products/software/

INTEGRA http://www.agleader.com/products/integra/

Yield Monitoring http://www.agleader.com/products/yield-monitor/

Long known as the pioneer of the yield monitor, Ag Leader continues to gives farmers greater features as they roll out new hybrid/variety maps for its INTEGRA display. Now farmers can see hybrid and variety results in real time during harvest.

“For a long time growers have used our yield monitor to compare varieties at harvest. However, the field had to be harvested with the same display that planted the field to see the variety map in real time,” says New Business Development Manager, Roger Zielke. “I’m happy to say this added feature gives our customers a solution, regardless of their planting display. SMS-compatible data can be read into the software to create a reference file. That file is then loaded on to the INTEGRA display to show the variety map at harvest.”

Using SMS software to generate variety maps helps farming operations with multiple precision ag displays or mixed fleets of precision ag equipment in the operation.

“We take great pride in the number of precision ag products SMS can read and manage data from. Now we can integrate variety map data from multiple collection devices and make those maps available on the INTEGRA display to use in harvest operations,” says Corey Weddle, Director of Software Solutions. “Users with the following precision ag equipment brands can take advantage of this feature: Ag Leader, AGCO ISO-based displays, Case IH, DICKEY-john, Flexicoil, John Deere, KINZE, Mid-Tech, New Holland, Raven, RDS, Trimble and any ISO11783 display using the XML file format. That’s an extensive list; we’re excited to facilitate this data exchange among multiple brands in order to help growers get the most benefit from their precision ag equipment.”

This new feature is available in the recent INTEGRA firmware release, Version 1.5; SMS Basic or SMS Advanced Version 10.0 (released in May) is required to export hybrid/variety reference maps to the INTEGRA display. The update is available for existing INTEGRA owners to download at www.agleader.com, under “Customer Support”.

Cutting input costs are driving more growers to invest in precision agriculture and guidance systems. And once they have auto steer available, they are finding ways to use it they had not considered, such as mowing hay, says Amy Winstead, Auburn University, in a recent Southeast Farm Press story.

“In the last year or two, we’ve seen large increases in first-time buyers of precision agriculture technology. These have included livestock producers, forage producers and row-crop producers.

“The increasing cost of inputs has caused everyone to think about how they can save money, and precision agriculture figures into that.”

The benefits of using guidance systems are numerous, she says.

“It decreases skips and overlaps — that’s one of the biggest advantages. It also minimizes driver error and eliminates guess rows. In row crop situations, we’ve seen up to an 8.5 percent decrease in overlapping. In a pasture situation, we would expect that to be much higher because you obviously would have no rows to go by.”

A guidance system increases efficiency, allowing the grower to operate at faster field speeds. “You can cover more area with fewer hours of operation, and you’re able to reduce per-acre fuel consumption because you reduce overlaps in the field,” says Winstead.

To learn more about non-cash benefits, ease of use and costs, read the story.

Added features to existing precision farming monitors can truly benefit owners and prospective buyers alike. Such is the case with Ag Leader’s dual product application upgrade for its mid-range, economical EDGE display.

Owners of granular spinner-spreader fertilizer rigs and anyone with a sprayer will benefit thanks to new dual product control. “Fertilizer applicators can now variable-rate apply both P and K, or apply a fertilizer blend along with micronutrients at the same time,” says John Howard, DirectCommand Product Manager with Ag Leader Technology. “The EDGE has the ability to precisely control the speed of the spinners to deliver spread pattern accuracy.”

For sprayers, dual control means you can control both a liquid carrier and a direct-injection pump. “With our DirectCommand system’s AutoSwath control, and the interface to the Raven Sidekick chemical injection pump, growers and retailers gain complete control of both products,” he says.

Howard says that fertilizer retailers who seek an economical monitor with just the right functionality for their needs will be pleased with this new addition to the EDGE display—especially with the auto steering guidance control features added last December. “We continually strive to provide practical and economical solutions, while helping users upgrade as seamlessly as possible.”

Current EGDE display owners can download this firmware upgrade to their monitor. http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/downloads/

For more information, visit
http://www.agleader.com/2010/04/28/ag-leader-adds-dual-product-application-control-to-edge™-display/

EDGE Monitor:
http://www.agleader.com/products/edge/

Difference between EDGE and INTEGRA monitors:
http://www.agleader.com/products/displays/

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

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

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