Judging Your Crops from the Combine Seat

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Displays, Harvesting, Insights Weekly, Software

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 … Read More

Watch Hybrid and Variety Harvest Results in Real Time

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Company Announcement, Displays, Harvesting, Software

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 … Read More

Precision Farming Auto Steering Has Many Benefits

Kurt LawtonGuidance, Harvesting, Spraying

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 … Read More

Control More Products With Mid-level Precision Farming Monitor

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Displays, Fertilizer, Guidance, Harvesting, Insights Weekly, Software, Spraying

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 … Read More

Young Farmer Forum Talks Precision Agriculture

Kurt LawtonEquipment, Farmers, Fertilizer, GPS, Guidance, Harvesting, Planting, Satellite, Software, Standards, sustainability

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 … Read More

Use Precision Software Data For Planting Trials and More

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Corn, Farmers, Fertilizer, GPS, Guidance, Harvesting, Insights Weekly, Planting, seed, Software, Tillage

Give farmers a piece of technology and they find inventive ways to use it to benefit their operation. In the case of Newton, Iowa farmer (and Ag Leader SeedComand product specialist) Will Cannon, it all started with the yield monitor and mapping hybrids. “I like knowing exactly to a row when hybrids and varieties start and stop—especially when you have … Read More

Time Savings With Precision Farming Equipment

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Conservation, Farmers, Guidance, Harvesting, Insights Weekly, Planting, Spraying

We like to write weekly about how growers and how company technology makes precision agriculture pay. Part of making these tools pay almost always includes time savings—which isn’t always as black and white as input dollars saved. Today I spoke with Hannibal, Mo., grower Mark Lehenbauer about his first decade with precision farming tools on their corn-soybean operation. Mark, who … Read More

The Move to Reduce Monitor/Controller Cab Clutter

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Displays, Equipment, Fertilizer, Guidance, Harvesting, Insights Weekly, Planting, Spraying

The fight for space in the tractor/sprayer/combine cab continues, especially as more and more precision farming capabilities are added to an operation. Clutter has happened for a variety of reasons. From anxious early adopter growers buying numerous early controllers, to anxious dealers selling the latest equipment without regard to grower needs, to growers not thinking about longer term needs. Paul … Read More

Planter Row Control Can Save You Money

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Displays, Equipment, Guidance, Harvesting, Insights Weekly, Planting, seed

As I talk to many growers about their adoption of precision farming equipment and tools, I always like to find out what technology they could eliminate from their operation—if they were forced to give up something. Well, as you can probably guess, almost everyone who has auto steer would never go back to steering again. Who can blame them. However, … Read More

Training Can Truly Speed Precision Ag Adoption

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Education, Equipment, Farmers, Guidance, Harvesting, Insights Weekly, Planting, Software, Spraying

As with any piece of machinery, computer, etc., there’s always a bit of a learning curve. Same goes for precision farming equipment. A good dealer with good technicians can be worth their weight in gold. But good ongoing training from a manufacturer can really help speed the adoption process. To that end, this week I asked Jessica Reis, Marketing Communications … Read More