Fascinating video of how one Sonoma County, California vineyard, Jordan Winery, is finding the best grape characteristics in various field locations, digging soil pits and analyzing soil attributes and characteristics in order to bring that location’s success to the whole field. Talk about precision agriculture! Take a look. And here’s a blog post about the soil mapping study.
Less Stress With Auto Steering
Anyone who has spent 12 to 16 hours in a tractor on a given day (and for several weeks during spring and fall) knows how physically and mentally exhausting that can be. Having done that throughout my youth, I knew farmers would value the ‘less stress’ aspects of auto steer just as much if not more than the potential money … Read More
New Trimble Display Touts Affordable Capabilities
Trimble recently introduced its latest in-cab, touch screen CFX-750 display. The 8-inch, full-color display allows farmers to choose the specific guidance, steering and precision agriculture capabilities that best fit their farm’s particular needs. The farmer can upgrade the CFX-750 display as business needs change, including adding GLONASS capabilities, or adding section and rate control for crop inputs such as seed, … Read More
Precision Farming Software Upgrades Boost User Experience
In precision agriculture, farming your data is darn near the most important management operation on your farm. And like a finely tuned combine, a computer and the right software program backed by a company that continually strives to improve its data harvesting is invaluable. Ag Leader Technology, one such company, expends a lot of effort in continually improving its SMS … Read More
Precision Pasture Fertilization with GPS
Who says livestock producers can’t benefit from precision agriculture? Ever tried to follow your tracks when spreading manure in a hayfield or pasture? Extension educators were inspired to secure the same advantages for the southwest Alabama livestock producers. “Much like row-crop farmers, livestock producers use fertilizers and herbicides to make their pastures more productive, but they often have trouble making … Read More
Precision Farming Tools Can Reduce Your Environmental Footprint
Conservation. Sustainability. Water Quality. These hot topics are on the minds of government, and should be a continued focus by every grower. As you look at your operation, and your investment in precision farming equipment, it pays to think proactively and adopt components that can improve your environmental footprint. I spoke the other day with Iowa farmer Tim Palmer, who … Read More
Farm Works Expands Software Offerings
Farm Works Information Management, a division of Trimble, just announced three new products to expand its capabilities for growers and agribusinesses. 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 … Read More
New RTK Network Started By Farmers
There’s a new cell phone modem-based RTK Network being built by farmers for farmers, starting in Illinois. Recently established by a group of agriculture industry partners, MyWay RTK LLC is introducing the first independent, open-technology RTK (Real Time Kinematic) network engineered for the specific guidance needs of growers using precision farming technologies in their operations. The network is designed to … Read More
On-Farm Research Using Yield Monitors
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 … Read More
Do it Yourself Troubleshooting Before and During Harvest
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 … Read More