The Precision in Practice column brings you the latest reports from producers across North America who have put precision farming into practice in their own operations. Visit this column regularly to see what your neighbors are saying about precision farming and how they use it on their farms.

Short broadcast interviews with these and other producers can be found in the Precision Ag Minute archives.

John Hussey
4,500 acres of grain
Windfall, Indiana
John Deere components used: Mapping, 2600 Apex system, AutoTrac

Q: When do you use your precision ag products?
A: We use them throughout the season – during planting, spraying and harvest. The systems are farmer-friendly and take the fatigue out of driving.

Q: What are the cost benefits to owning the John Deere system?
A: When you compare what it costs to the tools you get, the system gives you the confidence you need that your farming operation IS working better. Precision ag gives me benefits that I didn’t have prior to owning the system and those benefits far outweigh the expense of the purchase cost.

Q: Explain the primary benefits you’ve experienced during each stage of the season.
A: Planting – AutoTrac reduces the wear and tear on your body. You also don’t have wide and narrow gaps as if you planted with a guide marker because each round is exactly the same.

Spraying – No overlap is a tremendous asset. Using foam markers, it’s virtually impossible to see 45-60 foot to one side without overlapping or leaving a gap. Using precision ag, you don’t overlap at all.

Harvest (9760 John Deere combine) – Once you set you’re A/B line, you can harvest all the way across the field – you can skip over 400 feet and have the same width to finish with no gaps. Our biggest benefit is with soybeans because of the relaxation of the operator to scan the ground and look for obstacles in the field you don’t want to run thru your machine.