Precision Pays

As the nights begin to cool, we know harvest is just around the corner. But before your mind gets totally wrapped around the culmination event of your hard work, take a break to visit and learn at one of the best outdoor farm shows, the Farm Progress Show, Aug. 31 through Sept. 2 near the central Iowa community of Boone.

If you’re going to the show, Ag Leader Technology has a special free t-shirt offer with a chance to win an EDGE display. Before you go, just visit the Ag Leader Facebook page and click on the invite under the tab ‘EDGE Giveaway.’ Then fill out the survey and bring it to the Ag Leader booth (Lot 517).

While at the booth, check out the live demonstration of the OptRx Crop Sensor. A Hagie sprayer, complete with the OptRx sensors, INTEGRA display and ParaDyme steering system, will be gathering crop condition data on live corn plants.

Also check out the new SMS Mobile PC software that will be available this fall for PC-based devices such as laptops, netbooks and tablets that run Windows XP, Vista or Windows 7.

And stop inside the tent to learn more about all the products from Ag Leader—from displays and guidance to planter/sprayer controls and software that handles all the data. Product experts will be on hand to help you learn what can best fit your operation.

Visit these links for more information.

Farm Progress Show Website http://www.farmprogressshow.com/

Ag Leader Precision Point Blog: Calling Farm Progress Show Attendees!
http://www.agleader.com/2010/08/23/calling-farm-progress-show-attendees/

Ag Leader Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/AgLeader?v=app_4949752878

Survey for Free t-shirt and EDGE drawing http://www.agleader.com/mirror/FB-EDGE-Survey.pdf

OptRx Crop Sensor http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx/

Fall Release of SMS Mobile Software http://www.agleader.com/2010/07/19/ag-leader-announces-fall-release-of-sms-mobile-pc/

We all know the complexity and challenges of precision farming technology, along with the value of a local technician who can resolve issues quickly. Since change is rampant in this industry, quality education leading to skilled employees is paramount.

To this end, it’s always refreshing to know that companies are working with universities to make sure today’s students are gaining practical experience and hands-on learning—along with critical thinking and communications skills.

Iowa State University began a Precision Ag Lab in 2007, thanks to the donation of equipment, software and support by Ag Leader Technology. “I’ve been working with Matt Darr, who teaches the TSM (Technology Systems Management) 333 ‘Precision Farming Systems’ course every fall semester,” says Michael Vos, Software Sales Manager at Ag Leader.

Vos has worked with Darr since he was in the graduate program at Ohio State University before his arrival at Iowa State. Now they work together to make the class the best it can be. And not only do Iowa State students benefit, but so do students at South Dakota State, Kansas State and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Off-site students at the three partner universities will watch the recorded lectures. For the lab work, Iowa State sends each ag engineering college the precision ag hardware, SMS software, simulation software and complete installation instruction to set up their own lab.

“In the lab, students have a computer with a precision agriculture display next to it. The computer has simulations of planting, spraying and harvesting, giving hands-on experience in running each task, recording data, transferring data to our SMS software, writing prescriptions, working with aerial imagery, soil samples and much, much more,” Vos says.

Iowa State Professor, Matt Darr updating Ag Leader personnel on Iowa State’s precision ag programs/classes.

Vos, backed by his ten years of experience with Ag Leader since he graduated from Iowa State, also guest lecturers in Darr’s class. “I give students perspectives into the world of precision agriculture, the types of jobs available, as well as answer many questions during the course. We want to make sure students have a fundamental understanding of the complexity of this technology, the critical thinking skills needed to make processes and technology work, and as much hands-on experience as they can get to help prepare them to resolve conflict—in sensors and people,” Vos says.

Visit these links for more information.

2007 Story on Ag Leader Creates Precision Ag Lab at ISU
http://www.abe.iastate.edu/no_cache/news-events-amp-seminars/news-article/article/1368/1311.html

ISU Technology Systems Management (TSM) Program
http://www.public.iastate.edu/~catalog/2007-2009/courses/tsm.html

ISU Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering
http://www.abe.iastate.edu./

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/

Despite the heavy rains at times followed by high heat and humidity, around 800 growers, retailers and crop consultants came to Farm Journal test plots near Bloomington, Ill., to gain in-depth knowledge from experts at the recent Farm Journal Corn College.

During this week-long classroom and in-field event, hosted by Farm Journal field agronomists Ken Ferrie and Missy Bauer, participants gained hands-on information about such topics as planter impact on root growth and development, variable-rate population and nitrogen, the significance of water pH on herbicides, lime quality and application methods, and much more.

Ag Leader Technology was one of the sponsors of the event, and the company hosted a luncheon ‘Learning Session.’ “We talked about crop sensor technology from A to Z—from helping growers understand how the technology works to what farmers need to consider when adding the technology to their operation,” says Jessica Reis, Marketing Communications Specialist for Ag Leader.

“It was an excellent dialogue with growers, who helped remind us how cutting-edge this nitrogen sensor technology is from their perspective, which is different from those of us who deal with it daily,” Reis says. “We talked a lot about how growers can add sensors to gauge crop health during a postemergent herbicide application, as well as how the sensors, such as our OptRx Crop Sensor, can be incorporated into a nitrogen application program. It was a great learning session for us as well as the growers.”

Sponsors of the event also participated in a trade show area to answer any and all questions. “We had a lot of questions about planter section control, such as our SureStop Clutch and SureVac Shutoff, to help grower save seed costs,” Reis says. “Data questions, such as how to analyze years of collected data for improved management decisions, were very popular. We helped growers understand the benefits of our SMS Basic and Advanced software, and how it can work with data from many types and colors of equipment.”

For more information from this third annual event, visit www.farmjournalcorncollege.com. And check out RFD-TV on September 1 as Corn College TV will air 30-minute educational programs weekly.
Visit these links for more information.

Farm Journal Corn College http://www.agweb.com/farmjournal/farm_journal_corn_college/

OptRx Crop Sensor http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx/

SMS Basic Software http://www.agleader.com/products/sms-basic/

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/

For farmers who deal with the planting and spraying challenges of farming on contours, terraces and hills, there’s a new guidance pattern from Ag Leader Technology that offers help.

Called SmartPath, this new ‘drive and guide’ pattern is designed for fields beyond the straight and flat, and it doesn’t require the traditional set-up using beginning and end points.

“If you have farmed contoured fields, you know there is no sequential pattern that is followed; it’s much more random. With SmartPath, once you drive the first pass, all subsequent passes are GPS-guided to follow the previous path,” says Matt Leinen, product manager with Ag Leader. “This pattern will make planter row shutoff or sprayer boom shutoff technology very effective, especially when dealing with the convergence of many point rows.”

While this type of pattern isn’t unique in the industry, Leinen says their technology is designed to follow the best path. “The challenge with this type of pattern is the convergence of numerous paths which come together that are unevenly spaced. We designed the SmartPath to select the right path.”

This pattern is available with any of Ag Leader’s manual guidance, assisted steering or automated steering products, including the INTEGRA and EDGE displays, as well as the OnTrac2 and ParaDyme steering systems.

SmartPath is joining a family of guidance patterns available with Ag Leader’s guidance and steering, including Straight AB, A+, Identical Curve, Adaptive Curve and Pivot. It is available in the following firmware releases: Version 1.5 of the INTEGRA display and Version 3.5 of the EDGE display. Updates can be downloaded from www.agleader.com, under ‘Customer Support’. http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/

Visit these links for more information.
SmartPath http://www.agleader.com/media-center/
Steering products http://www.agleader.com/products/steering/

Computers and software are an essential element in a grower’s toolbox to achieve greater efficiency. Without advanced software, the coming explosion of variable-rate prescriptions and precise field management zones will not be possible.

Even if you are not a power user of software yourself, it’s nice to know that those suppliers creating maps and prescriptions for your fields have the expertise. To that end, Ag Leader Technology offers it’s three-day SMS Certified Training course for its SMS Advanced Software program – held at its Ames, Iowa headquarters. The next course is July 13-15.

“This class is mostly for ‘power users’ of our SMS Advanced program, primarily service providers like crop consultants and retailers who have already been through the one-day Basic and Advanced training and have worked with the software for at least six months to a year,” says Issac Bauer, Software Support and Training Supervisor for Ag Leader. “We created these small group classes because users wanted greater in-depth knowledge of our analysis tools—from yield by hybrid and yield by soil type comparisons to writing the needed equations for prescription application.”

Not only do participants receive a 500+ page, in-depth manual (only available with this class), but they also receive 22 CCA credits toward their Certified Crop Advisor accreditation. “At the end of the course, the 10 to 12 participants are tested on their knowledge. If they pass, they earn a plaque as a Certified SMS Software user, which they can promote to their customers.”

Class size is kept small to ensure all individuals get all their specific questions answered. “Participants really like this course because they get to drill down and really understand the power of the software. Not only do they learn how to speed up the processes they are already doing, but they learn more about the analysis tools—from how to run multi-year data analysis and how to compare data sets, to learning the ins and outs of the equation editor to create management zones, create layers and make prescriptions,” Bauer says. “In addition, attendees get to interact with others from different areas and backgrounds to discuss ways they handle different situations.”

For more information on this and other SMS Software training classes, call 515-232-5363 extension 1.

For more information:

SMS Advanced Software: http://www.agleader.com/products/sms-advanced/

Upcoming SMS Software Training Classes http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/training-sessions/software-training/

Anytime I hear a grower mention best corn planting in 38 years, my ears perk up and the brain wonders why? Then you hear corn seed savings of 45 bags of seed, or $9,900. Wow. I’m beginning to understand this best year deal.

Franksville, WI, grower Mike Borzynski attributes his personal best in the field due to his investment in the new Ag Leader ParaDyme steering system with the INTEGRA display. He used the system on part of his 3,500 acre grain and 4,000 acre vegetable operation—along with another 1,200 acres of custom work.

Borzynski used the INTEGRA to run the SeedCommand with his ParaDyme system to achieve those seed savings over 1,240 acres of corn. And after these results he plans to plant other crops with it in the future. “The ParaDyme worked great. After the first week using it, I bought another one,” he says. Using multiple ParaDyme systems on his operation, Borzynski is confident that he’ll see even more reduction in his input costs in the future.

The ParaDyme automated steering system can be easily transferred from one piece of equipment to another. This allows growers like Borzynski to utilize the ParaDyme not only for planting, but also for application and harvesting.

His next trial is moving this system into his John Deere 7230 tractor, using DirectCommand and his pull-type sprayer to reduce application costs. When asked if he would recommend ParaDyme to a friend or neighbor, Borzynski says without hesitation, “Absolutely. I believe in it 100 percent.”

The ParaDyme automated steering system can be used with the INTEGRA or EDGE display, and offers its users a wide range of benefits for their precision ag operations. For more information about the ParaDyme steering system, visit www.agleader.com.

For more information, visit
Ag Leader Technology Insights newsletter http://www.agleader.com/docs/insights-jun10.pdf

ParaDyme steering system http://www.agleader.com/products/steering/

Almost every farmer I’ve interviewed about their precision agriculture investment over the years talks about technology complexity and the HUGE value they place on their retailer’s expertise.

To that end, I like to hear about companies and their retailers continually offering product and software training to customers. Starting next week and running all summer, dealers for Ag Leader Technology will be hosting day-long product training sessions across the Midwest.

The focus is on products involved in fall operations, everything from harvest to fall tillage. “Our summer hardware training sessions will talk about Ag Leader displays, DirectCommand setup and operations, automated steering with ParaDyme and OnTrac2, yield monitoring systems and other topics,” says Andy Boyle, Training Coordinator, Ag Leader Technology. “We’ll have opportunities for customers to ask questions and bring up issues from this past year to help optimize performance and gain tips for smoother operation.”

Currently, the company has 17 sessions scheduled, winding through Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Illinois and more (see link to sessions below). “Check with your local Ag Leader dealer and ask if they plan to hold a training session,” Boyle says.

“Dealers will tailor specific topics to local needs, and primarily discuss what to do before heading to the field at harvest—such as what components to check and how to calibrate and when recalibration is needed,” he adds.

Registration is $25, which includes a meal. To register call Kimberley Warnick at 515-232-5363, extension 6205.

For more information, visit
Customer training http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/training-sessions/

Product training schedule http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/training-sessions/hardware-training/

Wow, 19 years of test plots is a major undertaking, especially when started and conducted by a magazine. I’m sure you’re familiar with the Farm Journal Test Plots, started by Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie and Editor Charlene Finck. Initially, the plots were basically learning tools about how to grow crops better—shared with farmers. Today, Farm Journal launches into its third year of Corn College classroom and in-field events along with the test plots. And the knowledge goal remains unchanged.

This July, Ag Leader is sponsoring Farm Journal’s Corn College events near Bloomington, IL. Led by Ken Ferrie, Associate Field Agronomist, Missy Bauer and the Corn College crew, the events are packed with take-home crop production knowledge integrating both classroom and in-field instruction. The Corn College location is surrounded by 17 acres of demonstration plots which allow attendees to head out to the field with Ferrie, Bauer and other agronomic coaches.

As a sponsor of Corn College events, Ag Leader experts will present a Tech Session on crop sensors. Growers can learn details about how sensors work, how to collect crop scanning data, how to implement crop sensors into a nitrogen program and how this information can lead to successful management decisions.

“We’re participating in this event to not only educate growers on precision farming and the latest technology, but also to learn from the sessions and by visiting with growers,” says Jessica Reis, Marketing Communications Specialist for Ag Leader Technology.

The company will also be located in the vendor tent to answer questions about the latest technology trends and how growers can put together a year-round precision farming system—designed to achieve optimum input efficiency and maximum productivity.

If you cannot attend, Reis says to check out their Precision Point blog (link below) as they will be posting knowledge gained from the meetings.

Corn College is being held July 19-23. If you register for Corn College by Friday, June 18 (TODAY), you get the early-bird rate of $199. Otherwise you pay $249. Sessions are filling up fast. For more information and to register, visit www.agweb.com or http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=804054

For more information, visit

Precision Point blog http://www.agleader.com/blog/

Farm Journal Corn College https://secure.lenos.com/lenos/pcg/fjland/summer.htm

Corn College Registration http://www.regonline.com/builder/site/Default.aspx?eventid=804054

When discussion centers around all the data that fields can generate these days, crop consultants and savvy growers truly love powerful software programs. Especially when data can transfer easily between desktop and a mobile device to take to the field.

I spoke with Greg Kneubuhler the other day, who is a certified crop consultant, agronomist and owner of G&K Concepts in Harlan, Ind. Greg has been a true pioneering consultant in the NE Indiana/NW Ohio area—starting growers down the precision farming/yield gathering path back in the late 1990s. Today, his clients’ business has evolved into intensive precision management that includes precise zone management and applying the right variable-rates—all driven by on-farm research on every farm. To help accomplish such research, Greg works on numerous projects in cooperation with Joe Nester of Nester Ag, Bryan, Ohio.

“We’ve always used a zone management philosophy in fields—which started with soil types. Then we added yield and soil test data layers to begin developing variable-rate applications of nitrogen, lime, and even seed by management zones. But an accurate yield map is critical,” he says.

Kneubuhler, who has used various software over the years, now relies on SMS Advanced software from Ag Leader. Its data layering and management zone capabilities, along with its smooth data transfer between the SMS Mobile software on a handheld computer.

“I’m a daily SMS Advanced user, and I have yet to find a software that is better. If there was one, I’d be using it. I can manage all clients zones, all research trials, and easily sync data to SMS Mobile so I can use it to walk corn fields to exact locations for stalk nitrate tests or to check on potential issues that show up on aerial imagery,” he says.

These valuable information tools help Kneubuhler take all the geo-referenced data his clients collect, which he layers into his ‘sandwich.’ “As an agronomist, we use this tool to build a sandwich of every type of information we can gather—and that really helps us make very good management decisions today, and down the road.”

For more information, visit

SMS Advanced Software http://www.agleader.com/products/sms-advanced/

SMS Mobile http://www.agleader.com/products/sms-mobile/

Ag Leader Precision Point blog – “Scouting the Crop” http://www.agleader.com/2010/05/25/scouting-the-crop/

G&K Concepts http://gkconcepts.com/Contact-Us.html

Nester Ag http://www.nesterag.com/

Certified Crop Advisors https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/

As corn continues to grow across the Midwest, areas of heavy rain in portions of states may cause more problems than just pond replanting. Loss of applied Nitrogen can cause valuable yield loss.

I spoke with Cory De Jong, Certified Crop Advisor and GIS/Agronomy Sales at Sully Cooperative Exchange in Sully, Ia. today. They tested the Ag Leader OptRx crop sensor system last year during all the heavy rains. “We strictly used the sensors on a sprayer for mapping purposes, as we weren’t set up yet to apply nitrogen. And we saw a lot of (plant health) variability in fields, covering several thousand acres that we mapped,” he says.

“Last year, sidedressing N definitely paid due to all the spring rain we had here in central Iowa. On average, growers gained at least 15 bushels an acre by sidedressing. And if they applied variable-rate, they could have gained 30 bushels,” De Jong says. “We saw 50 bushel per acre differences within fields with the OptRx. So this year we’ve got a bar ready to custom apply with OptRx to apply sidedress N. And we have a bar with OptRx that customers can rent, too.”

De Jong says there is a lot of hog and chicken manure used by customers in his territory, and they are interested in this sensor technology. “For example, one grower who has a lot of hog buildings wanted to know how much N he was getting from his manure. We used the sensors to shoot the plant leaves and saved him input dollars. And in some areas the N gets reallocated to areas of the field where N is needed most,” he adds.

He feels this sensor technology will gain more and more users, once growers see the benefits of variable-rate application. “As interest picks up, we’ll add sensors to a sprayer that will just be dedicated to sidedressing. We may be losing some N business due to manure, but we’re gaining business by helping customers apply N only where the sensors detect it is needed—as well as how much the plants need.”

For more information, visit

OptRx Crop Sensor http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx/

Ag Leader Products http://www.agleader.com/products/

Sully Cooperative Exchange – Agronomy Dept. http://www.scecoop.com/index.cfm?show=10&mid=7

Certified Crop Advisors https://www.certifiedcropadviser.org/

We’ve written before about economic savings derived from auto steering and auto planter row shut-off off. But many growers often favor the aspects of increased productivity with less fatigue at the end of the day.

We spoke with Adam Gittins, Precision Ag Sales Manager for HTS Precision Ag Solutions in Harlan, Iowa, about the current planting season and local farmer philosophy on this subject.

“Farmers, and I’m one of them, often apply two schools of thought regarding productivity and planting season—auto steer and auto shut-off,” Gittins says. “First, adding auto steering allows growers to run later at night with less fatigue and still be every bit as accurate as planting during the day. Second, by adding auto row shut-off to the planter, guys are saving time with quicker turn time at the headlands.”

Farm more acres. Running longer hours combined with quicker turns can help growers farm more acres with the same equipment. “We’ve seen operations add farm land, and instead of buying another tractor and planter, they’ll instead buy auto steering and planter shut-off to increase productivity—and be able to farm 20 percent more ground with the same equipment,” he says.

“It so much less stress when you don’t have to stare at a marker furrow all day. And I feel I’m doing a much better planting job because I can swivel my seat part way around and watch row units and planter attachments, and can make quick adjustments as needed—instead of focusing mostly on driving. And I feel so much better physically at the end of the day,” he adds.

Becoming standard equipment. Gittins cited one extreme example from this past winter where a farmer saved money by buying an auto steer unit instead of paying for markers on a new 90-ft. planter. “Another trend we’re seeing is that guys who purchase new tractors won’t wait and add auto steer later, they put it in now.”

While good weather is really helping a lot of farmers get crops in the ground quicker this spring, any grower with auto steer and auto planter shut-off will tell you how this technology has truly helped them improve their entire planting operation.

For more information, visit
Tips for using AutoSwath http://www.agleader.com/2010/04/08/tips-for-using-autoswath/

Ag Leader Steering Products http://www.agleader.com/products/steering/

Ag Leader Products http://www.agleader.com/products/

HTS Precision Ag Solutions, Harlan, Iowa
http://www.htsag.com/

HTS on Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Harlan-IA/HTS-Precision-Ag/222272725264?ref=ts

HTS Precision Ag’s blog
http://htsag.blogspot.com/

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/

As planting continues throughout the country, some of our thoughts here begin to focus on the emerging plants and keeping stress off of them. One good technology tool to help with this task is Ag Leader’s rugged SMS Mobile Field PC.

“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/