In 2011 the USDA Federal Crop Insurance Program, administered by the Risk Management Agency, began accepting precision agricultural data which meets the specific requirements listed in RMA’s Crop Insurance Handbook and/or Loss adjustment Manual. The new reporting system will help farmers more quickly, easily and accurately meet USDA requirements related to acreage, planting and harvest. Geo-referenced data may be collected from the tractor or combine cab with a compatible precision farming display such as the Trimble® FmX® integrated display or CFX-750™ touch screen.

Trimble CenterPoint RTX can deliver better than 4 centimeter (1.5 inch) accuracies in real time without the use of traditional reference station RTK infrastructure. The initial coverage area for CenterPoint RTX offers a direct, satellite-delivered correction service over a broad, central swath of North America. The new coverage area offers cellular-delivered corrections throughout Australia, where reliable cellular connections are available.

The global expansion of Trimble’s RTX technology further extends the broad portfolio of correction services offered by Trimble, which already includes OmniSTAR VBS, HP, XP and G2, Trimble VRS Now™ TEC, network-based Trimble CenterPoint VRS, as well as the CenterPoint RTX service.

The Trimble CenterPoint RTX correction service pairs the RTX positioning innovations with convenient, widely available cellular communications delivery. Agriculture customers subscribing to this CenterPoint RTX service will need the Trimble DCM-300 modem and a cellular data plan. The service is compatible with both the Trimble CFX-750™ and FmX® displays.

Yield Monitoring
Trimble Yield Monitoring allows growers to accurately view and map yield and moisture data as they harvest, providing instant information about the performance of their crop. In addition, Trimble Yield Monitoring enables growers to track the amount of grain loaded onto the trucks in the field and wirelessly transfer the information back to the office to reconcile yield records using Farm Works® software.

RG-100 Row Guidance
Trimble RG-100 row guidance utilizes sensors on the combine head to signal the Autopilot™ steering system when to adjust to changes in the corn rows. It also centers the combine head on straight, curved, or hillside rows. The system operates in conditions that are traditionally difficult for the combine operator, such as down corn, long passes, and other poor visibility conditions, allowing the combine to harvest more corn without manual input from the farmer.

Trimble Yield Monitoring and RG-100 row guidance are expected to be available in the third quarter of 2011.

AgLeader’s Russ Morman (left) says being at the conference was good for two reasons. “Number one, it’s certainly helped to educate us as to where the peanut industry is going and number two, it’s helped to show the growers in the area that AgLeader is definitely a big power in the precision ag industry and we’re here to help them.”

Listen to my interview with Russ from the SPGC here: Russ Morman, AgLeader

Ag Technologies and Trimble were also at the SPGC, sponsoring the conference blog for the fourth year.

Robbie Tabb of Ag Technologies, pictured here on the far right, says they love coming to the conference and talking to peanut farmers about how they can help them be more efficient. “The southern peanut grower can stand to increase yield by 300-400 pounds per acre simply by having GPS,” he told me. “That’s why we’ve grown so much in the southeast is because of our peanut growers. They’ve really seen an increase in profitability just by having the guidance on the tractor.”

Listen to my interview with Robbie here: Robbie Tabb, Ag Technologies

Both Scott and Robbie say the use of GPS for farming in the southeast has improved dramatically over the last several years, thanks to additional satellite availability and improved technology.

CenterPoint RTX is a GPS and GLONASS enabled correction service that covers approximately a 1.8 billion acre swath of central North America, extending fromCanada into northern Mexico.

The CenterPoint RTX correction service can deliver a fully-converged position in less than one minute at startup within the five central U.S. “corn belt” states from Nebraskato Illinois, so farmers can begin work immediately. For the area outside of the five U.S. states, the CenterPoint RTX correction service provides the same 4 centimeter (1.5 inch) repeatable accuracy, but farmers will experience additional convergence time to reach full accuracy. By using Trimble’s FastRestart technology, this convergence time can be reduced and full accuracy can be achieved in less than 3 minutes.

The corrections are satellite-delivered directly to the GNSS receiver, so there are no additional hardware costs such as radios, antennas or cellular data plans.

MyTopo offers several products to outdoor consumers using its topographic, satellite and aerial photograph map imagery. Products include print-on-demand custom waterproof maps, Internet-based map layers, digital map tiles for mobile devices and Terrain Navigator, a suite of mapping software products.

Trimble Outdoors’ customers can access the new maps at www.trimbleoutdoors.com. The digital maps are available on more than 300 smartphones and mobile handsets that run Trimble Outdoors mobile apps.

OmniSTAR provides space-based GNSS correction services that can improve the accuracy of a GNSS receiver for precise positioning applications. Currently, there are four levels of OmniSTAR service: “VBS” offering sub-meter positioning, “XP” delivering better than 20 centimeter accuracy and “HP” delivering greater than 10 centimeter accuracy. In addition, the new OmniSTAR “G2” service combines GPS plus GLONASS based corrections to provide decimeter level positioning.

The Field-IQ system pairs seamlessly with the guidance capabilities of the Trimble FmX integrated display or CFX 750 touch screen display, which both run Trimble’s unique overlap detection technology. Farmers using the Field-IQ crop input control system for seed placement have reported average savings of 5-10 percent from reduced seed input costs and less waste.

Trimble’s Field-IQ system is compatible with a wide variety of crop and application equipment, providing monitoring for planters, air seeders for small grains, or granular strip till systems. Seed monitoring on row crop planting systems allows operators to obtain information related to how their seeding system is performing. This includes factors such as singulation, skips and multiples, and quality of spacing for an entire planter average or detail by individual row. For fertilizer, variable rate application capabilities can be driven by a prescription map or real-time with Trimble GreenSeeker sensors.

The Field-IQ system is easy to install on application equipment from a broad range of manufacturers, allowing farmers and custom applicators to use and enhance the performance capabilities of their existing equipment without having to start from scratch.

“The new Field-IQ enhancements optimize planter operation by delivering more accurate seed placement, giving the operators more confidence in their planting applications,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager of Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “With the addition of rate and application control for up to six different materials, the system now manages functions that span the entire growing season.”

The new seeding and multi-rate capabilities for the Field-IQ system are expected to be available in March 2011. Contact a local Trimble dealer at www.trimble.com/locator for more information.

The additional functionality provided by a Dispatch service plan offers farm managers a visual tool for organizing fleet movement to save fuel costs and increase equipment efficiency. Through email alerts and on-screen maps, a farm manager can easily track the location of their equipment including sprayers, spreaders, tender trucks and harvesters.

By integrating Trimble GPS and information management solutions, managers can also be notified if vehicles are stolen or moved into unauthorized non-farm areas. The system is compatible with Connected Farm Sync wireless data management software and Trimble VRS Now Ag cellular Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS correction services.

The Dispatch software works with Trimble’s Sync wireless data management and goes beyond simple vehicle tracking by also allowing the transfer of A-B lines, yield and application maps, work orders and other maps between vehicles and back to the farm office. This creates efficiency during busy production times such as tillage, fertilizing, planting, spraying and harvest.

“Dispatch software was designed to give farm managers an all-in-one solution for tracking the movement and productivity of their machinery fleet,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “With more information at their fingertips, it will be easier for managers to see where additional efficiency can be gained. These capabilities can mean more efficient production, less wear and tear on equipment, or more efficient use of inputs such as fuel, fertilizer and chemicals.”

The Trimble Farm Works Dispatch asset tracking software is expected to be available in March 2011. Contact a local Trimble dealer at www.trimble.com/locator for more information.

The new modem can be used to access Trimble VRS Now Ag RTK correction service and to enable Connected Farm wireless field data transfer. The DCM-300 modem is also compatible with the new Farm Works Dispatch asset tracking software, an expansion of the Connected Farm solution. Dispatch software uses wireless communications and Global Positioning System (GPS) to manage vehicle movement and productivity.

The DCM-300 modem is available in two models for use on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) cellular networks, such as AT&T, or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular networks, such as Verizon. The modem is available with a single data plan subscription, which will be provided by Trimble, offering farmers a cost-saving solution to consolidate data plans under one subscription.

The DCM-300 offers efficient access to both Connected Farm and VRS Now RTK sub-inch accurate correction service. Job orders, coverage maps and A-B lines may be transferred wirelessly to multiple vehicles in different locations for follow-up operations, or within the same field for accurate overlap protection. Farmers can save time without the need to hand-deliver electronic data cards or jump drives from the farm office.

“The DCM-300 is an expansion of Trimble’s goal to continue to develop solutions that simplify a variety of farming applications taking place, often simultaneously,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “The new modem enhances the data transfer and guidance capabilities of the Trimble FmX integrated display as well as the CFX-750 touch screen display, putting the Connected Farm within reach of anyone who has a reliable wireless data carrier signal.”

The Trimble DCM-300 modem is expected to be available in March 2011. Contact a local Trimble dealer at www.trimble.com/locator for more information.

One such example of precision efforts and communications can be found in Iowa at HTS Precision Ag Solutions, with locations in Harlan and Ames. One look at their website proves this emphasis. From product investment strategies and installation to maintenance, repair and troubleshooting, they do it all. And you can get software training to learn how to use the tools to manage your data, or let their experts do it all for you.

HTS also believes in precision communications to customers and prospects, from monthly electronic newsletters and weekly radio shows to use of social media through Facebook and Twitter. And they have started a classified advertising section for anyone to post precision ag equipment for sale.

Check them out here.

Specifically designed for land leveling and drainage applications, it works in conjunction with a laser transmitter to provide automatic machine control of implements such as scrapers and drainage machines, helping farmers to manage water on their fields regardless of crop type or water requirements.

The system is ideal for implements with PT valves, and can use either dual rigid mast control, or single electric mast control. Key components include the LR410 laser receiver and the new CB60 control box, providing a digital elevation display that can be used in both survey and control modes.

The CB60 control box delivers greater flexibility than its predecessors with configuration options for both surveying and grading. Owners of existing control systems can use the CB60 box as a drop-in replacement product, so customers with existing P.A. Laser Grade Control systems do not need any new cables or components.

The AG GCS200 system and the CB60 control box are compatible with English or Metric units and can be used with several types of laser controlled water management and field-leveling products.

“Drainage and leveling professionals have experienced that through the use of laser-guided leveling and drainage equipment, they can substantially improve productivity and accuracy as well as provide the grower with increased crop yields,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “Now, the AG GCS200 makes it easier to keep laser-leveling equipment operational and productive on scraper and drainage type implements in the field.”

The AG GCS200 system and the CB60 control box are available now. Contact a local Trimble dealer at: www.trimble.com/locator for more information.

Farm Works Mobile streamlines data management in the field by bundling record keeping, scouting, soil sampling, and variable rate application into one low cost solution. Field records include application dates, hybrid locations, field and weather conditions, scale tickets, and notes. In addition, users can take advantage of GPS to record soil sampling positions (by grid or zone) and easily navigate to any spot using a 3D display. Farm Works Mobile connects to existing controllers to perform variable rate application using single or multiple products. The software will also connect to most sensors for recording “as-applied” data which can be downloaded in the Farm Works office suite or other third party desktop software.

The Farm Works Mobile software will operate on any field computer with Windows Mobile, XP, Vista, or 7. When using field computers with built in digital cameras for scouting, such as the Trimble® Juno™ or Nomad™ handhelds, images of weeds or pests can be captured while geo referencing their location in one step.

Farm Works Mobile retails for $500.

Farm Works View, an addition to the Farm Works office suite, is a free software program designed to read and write data from popular farming devices. Display and print yield maps, coverage maps, guidance paths, and more. View can easily be upgraded to other Farm Works software solutions for additional functionality in mapping, field records, accounting, herd management, analysis, and water management.

Farm Works 2011 is the latest version of Farm Works office suite. Some of the highlights include:

• Automatic display of roads and streets for any location in the world
• Automated seed variety layer that includes the ability to track split planting information
• Full support of formula-based variable rate prescription maps

Contact Farm Works at 1-800-225-2848 for more information.

To learn more about the technology and how two farmers are using it, check out this recent story in Nebraska Farmer.

“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.

The EZ-Sync solution adds wireless connectivity throughout the entire farming cycle, fulfilling a key component of Trimble’s Connected Farm solution. Information flows seamlessly between your mobile handheld device, your Precision Ag display on your vehicle, and to your office for easy-to-use record keeping and reporting solutions. With the Connected Farm solution and the EZ-Sync solution, your precision farming is now completely in sync.

• Trimble scouting devices work with the EZ-Sync solution to enable farmers or agronomists to map field operations data while on foot, in a pickup truck, or from an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) and wirelessly transmit mapped data to and from the office.
• The EZ-Sync solution for the FmX integrated display adds the ability to wirelessly send data files like variable rate prescriptions and guidance lines to and from the display. A wireless modem is used to transfer data to and from Connected Farm servers for use in EZ-Office software.
• EZ-Sync information from field displays wirelessly links to the EZ-Office software for easy-to-use record keeping and reporting solutions that include field and crop management, vehicles, operators, staff, and crop inputs.

Check out these products and solutions on the Trimble Information Management pages.

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.

EZ-Sync™ is a wireless data transfer capability that provides enhanced information management for growers and agribusinesses, and the EZ Surface Software provides surface drainage analysis and design for farmers and drainage contractors.

Brian Stark, who does information management for Trimble, is the company’s EZ-Sync expert. “EZ-Sync allows you to take data wirelessly from a mobile computer or from the Trimble FMX display and send that data from the field to the office,” Brian explained in an interview. “Or, if I’m in the office, I can send my data from the office, [such as] prescription maps or target points, to the field.”

Brian says the software is compatible with several different computers offered by Trimble and it lets producers and managers exchange information in real time. Plus, it decreases the amount of data that is lost simply because workers don’t have time to manually enter information gained in the field when they come back to the office. And, managers are able to better communicate with their workers still in the field.

Trimble retailer Joey Schlatter of Schlatter Inc. of Francesville, Indiana explained EZ Surface. “This software helps contractors define watersheds and flow patterns so they know how to properly drain their fields, whether using surface or sub-surface drainage methods,” Joey said.

With this system, elevation data is gathered through using some GPS-based tools from Trimble. “Once we’ve collected all that elevation data, we bring that data into the office, into our EZ Surface program and generate a 3-D elevation map. Then, with a click of a few buttons, we can see the flow lines, watesheds and all the tools we need to properly design that [drainage] system,” he added.

More information on both EZ Sync and EZ Surface are available from www.Trimble.com.

When Trimble launches a new product it’s available worldwide and this week Trimble will be launching several new products. I tried to coerce Guillermo Perez-Iturbe, the regional manager for Latin America, to give me a scoop during the AG CONNECT Expo, but he held out. Good for Trimble – bad for me.

Today, the company has a suite of precision ag products available including GPS guidance systems. One of their new products is the EZ-Steer assisted steering system which takes over the steering while the farmer focuses on steering, spraying and more. There are three versions of the EZ-Steer system including the AgGPS FmX Integrated Display. This display has 3D land leveling capabilities and the technologies in the pipeline will add even more options to the current products.

In the past year, Trimble has acquired several key companies in order to, “close the cycle of the ag precision space,” said Iturbe. The company has a worldwide presence and Iturbe noted that other countries are in very different places in their adoption of precision ag technologies.

The Trimble Team: Sergio Lucas, Vilson Hansen, Guillermo Perez-Iturbe and Rafeal Bull

For example, Argentina started precision farming 14 years ago with lightbars and has yet to adopt the higher levels of precision technology while Mexico has adopted the most advanced precision ag technology available but doesn’t use something as simple as a lightbar.

Today, Trimble is working with its customers to better help them identify the best precision ag technologies for their farms, and this is important to the company because they understand that no farmers’ operations are the same.

Listen to my Precision Pays exclusive interview with Guillermo Perez-Iturbe here.

The writer did call precision agriculture “a budding field” which raises my eyebrows about his agriculture savvy. But irregardless, he recommends to investors they “should monitor Trimble (Nasdaq: TRMB) with great interest.”

I first became aware of Trimble when I started researching precision agriculture. This budding field involves the application of positioning technologies like GPS to farming. Trimble’s positioning solutions — which extend to construction, transportation, and other industries — are backed by over 900 patents. That intellectual property portfolio should support the company’s competitive position relative to other precision ag players likeRaven Industries (Nasdaq: RAVN) and privately held Ag Leader.

Demand for Trimble’s wares got socked this year along with other agricultural equipment suppliers like Lindsay(NYSE: LNN) and AGCO (NYSE: AGCO). The long-term outlook for this sector, especially in emerging markets like China, is nevertheless very strong.

And here’s the rest of the story.

]]> http://precisionpays.com/2010/01/precision-agriculture-gets-a-stock-mention/feed/ 1 http://precisionpays.com/2010/01/2009-top-stories-on-precision-pays-products/ http://precisionpays.com/2010/01/2009-top-stories-on-precision-pays-products/#comments Fri, 01 Jan 2010 15:20:16 +0000 Kurt http://precisionpays.com/?p=3083 HAPPY NEW YEAR!

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

Listen to all of my interview with George below:

“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.

The Field-IQ system combines input control capabilities into one comprehensive, modular system, including map-based planter row unit shutoff for seed and liquid fertilizer, variable rate seeding, variable rate liquid fertilizer, variable rate spreading and real-time variable rate nitrogen application. The Field-IQ system reduces the need for complex calibrations—farmers can simply purchase the components they need, set up, test and begin operations.

The modular functionality of the Field-IQ system allows growers to:

Automate Individual Row Control for Seed
Reduces overlap and overcrowding, helping growers use less seed while improving yields. Use the new, easy-to-install Tru Count Meter Mount air clutch to shut off seed row units.

Automate Individual Row Control for Liquid
Easily shut off liquid fertilizer for individual rows with new Tru Count LiquiBlock valves. These valves connect to Tru Count air clutches, sharing the same air source, allowing growers to simultaneously shut off seed and liquid.

Perform Variable Rate Application
Vary the rate of seed, granular material or liquid fertilizer application using Rawson variable rate drives to provide precise control. No lag at the beginning of a pass so seed, granular material or liquid fertilizer is applied at a steady rate at the start of each row.

Control up to 48 Sections
Automatically control planting and precise seed placement for up to 48 individual rows with the Field-IQ system.

Record Coverage and Mapping Automatically
The FmX integrated display or the EZ-Guide system records where the grower has been and what activities have been performed, eliminating the need to manually turn on and off application and logging.

Perform Real-Time Variable Rate Nitrogen Application
The Trimble GreenSeeker optical sensing system registers the amount of nitrogen needed by the plant, then automatically prescribes the right amount of nitrogen for the sprayer to deliver it on-the-go.

“Precisely controlling inputs allows farmers to save on seed and material inputs while enhancing yield. Field-IQ puts automatic shutoff and variable rate application capability within reach of farmers who previously thought the technology was too complex or expensive,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “Designed to combine a broad range of capabilities into one flexible, modular system, Field-IQ allows farmers to choose the capabilities they need now and add new input controls as their operations grow.”

Field-IQ is expected to be available in January 2010 through Trimble’s Agriculture reseller network. For more information, call 1-800-874-6253 or visit www.trimble.com/agriculture to find a Trimble reseller.

EZ-View, EZ-Office and EZ-Office Pro focus on data management in the office while EZ-Office Mobile software runs on the Trimble Nomad or Juno SB handheld Global Positioning System (GPS) computers in the field.

“The new EZ-Office software products help take the stress out of the vital, but often tedious record keeping and data management tasks for crop growers,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “These records are not just the foundation data for making precision farming practical and more productive—for some operators, they can be the legal records required by government agencies, landlords and farm management firms.”

Trimble EZ-View software is a free application that allows farmers to easily view and print basic reports from data collected by the Trimble EZ-Guide® 250, EZ-Guide 500 and FmX™ integrated display.

Trimble EZ-Office 2010 combines powerful mapping with ease-of-use and enhanced importing and exporting functionality.

Examples of crop and field management data that can be collected and stored by EZ-Office software include:

• Guidance line data from Trimble displays
• Precise areas tilled, planted or sprayed
• Specific “as-applied” data showing how much seed, fertilizer, and crop protection chemical has been applied
• Yield data can be imported from the FmX display as well as many other popular systems
• Google Maps™ background images and support for other imagery

Trimble EZ-Office Pro 2010 includes all the features of EZ-Office plus additional tools for information analysis:

• Flexible formula-based prescription map generation
• Automated multi-year yield map averaging for discovering consistently high and low yielding areas of a field
• Integration of financial data with precision farming operations for profit map analysis

Trimble EZ-Office Mobile 2010 enables farmers to map field operations data, such as field boundaries, farm drainage tile lines, field obstacles and weed infestations, while on foot, in a pickup truck or from an all-terrain vehicle (ATV).The field imagery tool allows crop scouts to utilize the built-in GPS receiver and digital camera on the Nomad or Juno SB handheld computers to capture geo-referenced photos of problems such as weeds and insects.

The EZ-Office 2010 software suite is now available through Trimble’s agriculture distribution channel. For more information, including the location of your nearest Trimble reseller, call 1-800-865-7438 or visit www.trimble.com/agriculture. The EZ-Office software is designed and developed by Farm Works Software, a division of Trimble.

Let me simplify things. Basically, 11,000 miles from earth is a constellation of satellites (between 24 and 32 at any given time) strategically placed and managed by the Air Force. You know this constellation of satellites as GPS. The receiver on your vehicle receives signals from three or more satellites to determine vehicle location. This concept is called “trilateration”; four or more satellites are needed for accurate time and location.

Since GPS satellite signal has to travel through the ionosphere (charged particles in the atmosphere) and space weather (commonly referred to as sun spots), some time error or delay occurs. To correct this and improve accuracy (called differential correction, or DGPS), two receivers are needed to receive the signals. A stationary receiver calculates all signals, measures the timing errors, and then provides a corrected signal to the receiver in your vehicle.

Differential GPS Signals:

WAAS – Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS)  is an air navigation aid developed by the FAA to add accuracy to GPS by using a network of ground-based reference stations. It is a free signal, and it provides position accuracy within 25 feet or better (sometimes within 7 feet), at least 95% of the time.

OmniSTAR HP service offers a 2-4 inch pass-to-pass accuracy and 4-inch long-term repeatability. It is particularly useful for agricultural machine guidance and many surveying tasks. It operates in real time, and without the need for local base stations or telemetry links. OmniSTAR HP is a true advance in the use of GPS for on-the-go precise positioning.

OmniSTAR XP service offers a 3-5 inch pass-to-pass accuracy and 8-inch long-term repeatability. It is especially suited for agricultural automatic steering systems. While it is slightly less accurate than HP, it is available worldwide and its accuracy is a significant improvement over regional differential systems such as WAAS.

OmniSTAR VBS (not used much in the U.S.) is a sub-meter (less than 39 inches) level of service. A typical 24-hour sample of VBS will be significantly less than 1 meter horizontal position error (95% of the time), with a horizontal error close to 1 meter 99% of the time.

RTK – Real Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS  is the gold standard in signal accuracy, placing your vehicle within 1 inch of its target. And RTK system delivers such accuracy by counting the number of wavelengths of the carrier frequency radio signals between a minimum of five satellites and receiver. These systems typically cost more because they require a base station, or tapping into a neighbor or a nearby retailer’s RTK network.

How do you judge what type of signal will best fit your operation.

Pass-to-Pass Accuracy. This measures the relative accuracy of a GPS receiver over a 15 minute interval. This is typically thought of as “guess row error” when driving rows, or skip/overlap from one pass to the next when driving swaths. GPS receivers can provide pass-to-pass accuracy that is acceptable for operations such as tillage, spreading, spraying and harvesting. Typically a DGPS receiver will provide 6–12 inch pass-to-pass accuracy performance over a 15-minute interval.

Year-to-Year Accuracy. GPS receivers using dual frequency technology can be as accurate as +/- 1 inch and can be applied to operations requiring extremely precise fieldwork such as the laying of drip tape directly in preformed beds, or strip-till applications of fertilizer followed by planting of seed directly over such strips of fertilizer. Only GPS receivers using RTK technology can deliver +/- 1-inch year-to-year accuracy. You may have also heard this referred to as “repeatability”, returning to the same location after a time period has passed.

Hope this gives you a brief glimpse behind some of the technology. And don’t forget to check out Ag Leader’s website early next week for a new look, and possibly some other news…

The company was showing various levels of precision integration. They had two different land leveling systems. One used a GPS control and one used a 2D laser system. They also had their new TrueGuide passive implement steering system in use. This system puts an antenna on the implement to tell the tractor where it is so the tractor knows how much to move in relation to the desired line to optimize the placement of the implement. They also had their TrueTracker System on multiple tractors and implements.

Matt says that they take applications that are not possible for human beings and put them into a machine to do it for us. This ultimately increases efficiencies that have produced up to 20 bushels per acre increases in corn.

Feel free to check out my photos from this year’s Sunbelt Ag Expo 2009 Photo Album. My visit to the show was made possible by Growth Energy.

Now in it’s 32nd year, it features 1,200 exhibitors and 600 acres of field demonstrations. And this year the show will feature a new Technology Innovations and Solutions series of seminars, sponsored by Farm Press and hosted by Southern States Cooperative.

If you come Tuesday, October 20 at 11:00 a.m., you can hear an excellent presentation on the latest in precision agriculture featuring Harlan Little of AGCO, Russ Moorman of AgLeader Technology, Jared Hayes of John Deere AMS, Todd Smith of Outback Guidance Hemisphere GPS, Phil Howard of Southern States, Ron Cox and Jesse Chisholm of TopCon and Sid Siefken, Tim East and Brian Kelley with Trimble Navigation / Ag Technologies.

Check out Visitor Information for more news on the show, and a schedule of events.

Trimble designed the Ag3000 to easily interface with Trimble Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receivers, lightbars and the FmX integrated display powered by Transcend technology, a proprietary Trimble positioning capability that provides users with high accuracy, flexible solutions for the most challenging agriculture applications and environments. With a rugged enclosure for easy in-cab installation, the Ag3000 also offers an external cell phone antenna for enhanced reception. Pricing for the modem, cabling and an external antenna is US$1,495 MSRP.

“Trimble VRS networks complement existing RTK base stations and allow us to provide more acres of sub-inch accuracy to the agricultural community,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “Using the Ag3000 modem, farmers located in areas with robust cell phone coverage and access to VRS networks have more choices available to improve machine guidance accuracy for their precision agricultural operations.”

The Ag3000 can access RTK signals from U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) networks in states where they exist, such as Ohio and others. A partial directory of Trimble VRS installations can be found at: http://www.trimble.com/infrastructure/vrs-installations.aspx. In addition to public and private networks that use Trimble VRS technology, Trimble also owns and operates Trimble VRS Now(TM) service, a subscription-based service, in select locations around the world and is constantly adding more locations. For more information about subscribing to Trimble’s VRS Now service, visit:http://www.trimble.com/infrastructure/services.aspx.

The Ag3000 modem is expected to be available in September 2009 through Trimble’s Agriculture reseller network. For more information, call 1-800-874-6253 or visit www.trimble.com/agriculture to find a Trimble reseller.

Check out this Sept. 2008 story on RTK networks in Farm Industry News magazine.