Who Makes Your Precision Ag Technology?

Kurt LawtonGPS, Industry News, International, Trimble

If you like to track what company’s technology is used where, GPS World offers an interesting take on the OEM market for Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) business.

Industry consultant Rob Lorimer writes about the future of three competing OEM business models. 

One. The first model posits that core OEM GNSS technology (at board or chip level) is designed in-house and released to market-focused internal divisions and JV’s at undisclosed transfer pricing. The same products (or variants of it) are also released via an OEM business unit for external customers. Examples of this model are Trimble (who market their professional OEM GNSS boards via Pacific Crest) and Topcon.

Two. The second model resembles the first, but the supplier and customer are slightly more at arm’s length, such as the cases of NovAtel supplying Leica (both companies belonging to the Hexagon group) and Navcom supplying Deere (Navcom now a Deere company).

Three. In contrast to the first two models, the third model is based on relationships between unrelated parties. This allows for a wide range of commercial terms and conditions covering length of contract, sole/multiple supplier status, exclusivity, and so on. Examples of existing open market arrangements include Septentrio supplying Veripos and Hemisphere GPS supplying Farmscan.

Looking at the precision agriculture side of the biz, Lorimer looks at three professional OEM GNSS suppliers working with 70% of the global machinery manufacturers.  You have Trimble‘s JV with Caterpillar and an OEM deal with CNH–supplying two of the top four machinery manufacturers. Then there’s Topcon‘s relationship with AGCO and Komatsu. And you have Navcom supplying Deere. 

To learn more details about his scenarios on how this industry may or may not shake out…read more.

Auto Steer Helps Recover Wet Spring Delays

Kurt LawtonCompany Announcement, Education, Equipment, Farmers, GPS, Precision Ag in the News

Rain delays always impede timely planting in areas of the country every spring. But thanks to precision farming tools like GPS-guided auto steer, farmers like Johnny Verell near Jackson, Tenn. can make up for lost time. 

“It takes a lot of the stress out of planting,” Verell told Monsanto Today. “We can cover more ground and work at night a lot easier because we don’t have to worry about seeing our markers.”

Since GPS-derived agriculture products were introduced in the late-1990’s many farmers have been adopting the technology because of the benefits—improved efficiency, higher yields and better environmental stewardship.

Improved Efficiency

In the past, farmers would have to overlap their rows to prevent missing parts of their field. Now, with GPS-enabled auto-steer, growers don’t have to worry about human error in applications.

“Ten years ago we used a 20-foot planter,” Verell said. “Now we’re using 40-foot planters, farming the same 20-acre fields that we did 10 years ago. We used to have to overlap at least five feet with the 20-foot planter. Now, with the 40-foot planter, we are able to reduce overlap to a matter of inches. That really helps us be more efficient.”

GPS also allows farmers to apply fertilizers at variable rates based on soil test data collected from the fields in previous years. The data is loaded into an onboard computer that maps out the field and automatically drops fertilizer only where it is needed. With this technology, farmers can manage their fields spatially rather than on a whole-field basis.

“Variable-rating is a big cost saver for us,” Verell said. “Since we started variable-rating our fertilizer, we’re saving anywhere from $20 to $30 an acre just on our [potassium and phosphate]. And with nitrogen we just try to level out the field and make everything uniform.”

The technology is also available to allow farmers to fine-tune application rates on seed and chemicals in the same way. “We take a few years of yield data and then write a prescription for each field,” Verell said. “We’ll place higher seed rates where the water holding capacity is higher. Once you start increasing seed in those areas you’ll start pulling out extra bushel per seed. The numbers start adding up really quick. That’s when the technology starts paying for itself.”

Environmental Stewardship

Precision farming has significant impacts well beyond the individual farm. For example, more efficient use of chemicals and fertilizers means less runoff.

“With auto-steer on the sprayer we’re minimizing the amount we’re spraying on our field borders,” Verell said. “The new technology makes it easy for us to keep track of what chemicals we’re spraying. We’re able to see what we sprayed and on what day. If we are ever asked for our records, we can just print it off.”

Check out this story, some planting updates and other pieces on agriculture at Monsanto Today.

Promote Precision Ag Benefits Beyond The Choir

Kurt LawtonEducation, Farmers, GPS, Resources, sustainability

As efficient farmers–using precision agriculture tools to apply less fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, et. al.–you know your technology ROI is helping your bottom line. But do the people we feed know the improvements–in crops as well as livestock? Sadly, no they don’t.

It’s time we all make a greater effort to use some precision social media tools (Twitter and Facebook, along with blogs and websites) to help tell a wonderful environmental story to our off-farm folks who enjoy the foods of our labor–and talk beyond the choir.

As a farm-reared agricultural journalist (www.stellarcontent.biz), I’m just as guilty of talking tech benefits solely to the choir. But thanks to Twitter and Facebook, connecting with concerned consumers has become much easier. In fact, I’ve had some interesting dialogue with anti-agriculture folks who, once you help them understand that large farms are run by ‘families’ who truly care, they can start to soften their stance a bit.

Now, it does no good to fight fire with fire, and granted there are some people who won’t listen or have an open mind beyond their “industrial ag is bad” mode. But there are some in agriculture who are just as guilty by not having an open mind about organic production, or eating local. We can learn from each other. We can all do better. Yes we can.

To this end, I leave you with some links to efforts by some admirable people who are fighting (figuratively) the good fight and telling the good story of agriculture to consumers. This is a short list, and keep me posted of more, which we’ll pass along in coming posts! Have a great, safe weekend.

One Nebraska farm couple and their excellent blog

Very good Alabama dairman’s blog

Ohio farm broadcaster Andy Vance and his great blog

The Hand That Feeds U.S.

Read Michele Payn-Knoper’s Cause Matters blog and check out all her valuable links on this page.

See how farmers are using Twitter:
KHAS-TV
Nebraska Corn Growers blog

Join Twitter and become a part of the AgChat group (farmers, industry folks, foodies and more) held every Tuesday night from 8-10 EDT. You can check out a recent chat here. And AgChat has a Facebook page, too.

Technology Will Drive Economic Recovery

Kurt LawtonCompany Announcement, Equipment, Industry News, sustainability

Farm operations that embrace increased productivity through technology will help drive the world’s economic recovery, according to Ray O’Connor, president and CEO of Topcon Positioning Systems. “And this drives top-ranked technology companies to continue to support strong R&D efforts.”

“In tough times, increasing productivity through the acceptance of technological breakthroughs will be the difference in success and failure, the difference in being competitive and trailing the competition.

“The economic turnaround will be technology-fueled, driven by the products of forward-thinking companies and the forward-thinking businesses that buy the products that increase productivity,” he said.

The key to any successful farm operation “is managing time to optimize results. If you can save time on every phase of every job, you put more money in your pocket. If you find a technology that will make your machines and people more productive, you become more competitive. And, if you look at what technological breakthroughs can do to not only help you make it during the tough times, but exceed, or even double, the industry averages, you will be in the driver’s seat when business turns around.”

History, he said, “shows us this is true. The companies that emerged from the Great Depression in the 1930s strong and viable adopted emerging technologies when times were tough. They made investments in technology to maximize productivity in every phase of their operation.

“The same opportunities exist today.”

O’Connor says the company’s AGI-3 next generation satellite signal receiver and System 150 prove it’s drive for innovation. “It’s not just another improvement on an old technology. We’re talking about a unique technological innovation,” he says. “It sets the standard for complete in-the-field control of machinery and applications.

“If farm owners recognize the need to do whatever is necessary to create a lean, efficient operation in the economic conditions we are all facing today, the first thing to check out is what technologies are available to increase productivity in their operations . . . and do whatever is necessary to obtain that technology.

“In this economy, the future viability of many farm operations will depend on expanding upon or adopting that forward-thinking philosophy.”

AGCO Adds AgCam Video Camera System

Kurt LawtonCompany Announcement, Displays, Equipment, Precision Ag in the News

If your neck, shoulders and back ache from constantly turning around to view what you’re pulling through the field, check out this farmer-developed AgCam system.

Dakota Micro partnered together with AGCO to sell AgCam, the most comprehensive, user friendly and versatile rear view and monitoring system available. AgCam offers a complete camera system, which consists of a camera, monitor, remote, and cables. Each product may also be ordered separately.

AgCam is commonly used on larger machines such as combines, sprayers, and hay balers. The Massey Ferguson 9005 series, Gleaner A and R series, and Challenger 600B series now have the ability to plug the AgCam camera and cables directly into the factory installed monitor – now achieving a reliable monitoring system is that much easier, just plug and go.

Easy-to-install, built to withstand an ag environment, the ability to be easily moved from one application to another, and can be used day or night, AgCam’s possibilities are endless. AgCam products can be ordered through any AGCO Parts dealer. To locate a dealer nearest you, visit www.AGCOCorpDealers.com.

And if you want to learn about other uses for this system, check out these grower and producer testimonials.

Marriage Proposal Thanks To Precision Ag Tools

Kurt LawtonFarmers, GPS, Humor, Tillage

Give credit to farmers and their creativity. Not only are they saving time, input dollars and the environment thanks to the tools of precision agriculture, some growers find ways to use it to enhance their personal lives.

Vega, Texas grower Braden Gruhlkey used his John Deere GreenStar GPS-based guidance system to accurately plow the letters of his marriage proposal to his girlfriend Lauren.

“I just used an A+heading line for the top and bottom  of the letters. I used this as a guide to see how big to make my letters.  Then I just made ab and a+ heading lines to make the letters. And it worked nice because when I got one letter finished I could use the same lines and  just shift track them. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be, and I did it all in the field. I thought it turned out pretty neat.”

Then, on April 18th, Braden took girlfriend Lauren for an airplane ride and popped the question. 

With the help of GreenStar, Braden’s creativity was a huge hit…she became his fiance.

Precision Farming Australia Style

Kurt LawtonEducation, Farmers, International, wheat

Competing with neighboring farms and other US farmers has long been a stimulus to help farmers adopt tools of precision agriculture that improve efficiency.

But in our global economy, it’s always wise to track what other farmers around the globe are doing. To this end, check out how this 43-year-old Australian farmer is using precision farming tools for efficiency, as reported in a story by WAtoday.com.au.

The giant red tractor edges along steadily at 9.6 km/h — on auto steer — and the air seeder it tows behind drops seeds in freshly made furrows, a few millimetres above fertiliser that has just gone in.

The tractor drives in a straight line for the length of the paddock, 2.2 kilometres, before Mr Luehman touches a red stop sign on the screen, disengages the auto steer and negotiates a bumpy U-turn over dozens of furrows. Powerful headlights light up the long red bonnet and the flat Mallee paddock ahead. Similar headlights are doing the same turn in the paddock over the fence, while behind there is only soft moonlight. The scene is repeated in many Mallee paddocks in this district tonight, because it’s prime cropping time.

It is 7.30 on Thursday, 12½ hours after Mr Luehman arrived in “Harry’s Paddock” to start spraying weeds. He’s got another three hours of sowing before knocking off. It’s a long day but the time for sowing is ideal; the farm received up to 27 millimetres of rain in late April and he wants to capitalise on the conditions.

Five years ago he overhauled his approach to farming to become more efficient. He stopped ploughing his paddocks before sowing and moved to direct drill sowing, ripped out all the internal fences to enlarge his paddocks, sold all his livestock and changed his sowing timetable. The changes mean he has cut his tractor hours by 1200 per year, his fertiliser use by 60 tonnes and his diesel consumption.

Precision Ag Companies Use Social Media

Kurt LawtonCompany Announcement, Education, Industry News, Precision Ag in the News

As traditional advertisers continue to move more media dollars to the web to improve customer targeting and ROI, they’re also using social media—such as Facebook, YouTube, Twitter—to reach innovators and early technology adopters.

While social media is still in its infancy, more and more people and companies are experimenting with various tools to capture customer conversations and conversions to gain information, sales, interaction and more.

I did a quick search on Twitter to see if I could find some precision agriculture companies, and I found Raven Industries and Topcon (Please send me your link if you know of other companies on Twitter).

Raven is using Twitter to direct ‘followers’ to view videos on their website, to talk about product benefits, to listen to interviews from company personnel, and more. Topcon is doing similar product and company news and promos.

Who knew 140 character messages could help people educate, promote, interact among many groups of people from across the globe. And for the curious, stop by AgChat every Tuesday from 8-10pm EDT to read ‘tweets’ from a broad cross section of agriculture, and consumers, too, who wants to voice their opinions. It’s fascinating and fun.

Farmers Continue Precision Agriculture Equipment Buying

Kurt LawtonDealers, Equipment, Events

At this week’s 3i Farm Show in Garden City, Kansas, several farm retailers report continued confidence by farmers in the value of precision farming tools, according to a story in The Hutchinson News.

“Farmers are buying technology and new concepts of innovation,” says Greg Brenneman, marketing director with Salina-based Great Plains, noting that innovation “has always been a cornerstone at Great Plains.”

Mike Zimmerman, sales manager for Lang Diesel out of Hays, says that while the agriculture economy has slowed after an extraordinary year in 2008, he expects to see plenty of visitors interested in updating equipment or precision agriculture systems.

January and February were dry months for farmers and slow for his industry, he said. When rain started falling in April, the pace picked up.

“We’re selling quite a few tractors and combines,” he said. “It’s a lot better than we thought.”

Precision Herbicide Application A Must

Kurt LawtonEducation, Equipment, Spraying

 

Courtesy John Deere

Courtesy John Deere

In the midst of this busy application and planting season, make sure you don’t neglect exact herbicide application rules. Read the label.

Minnesota Department of Agriculture commissioner Gene Hugoson says to watch herbicide setback rules. “Many products have setback requirements, so it is important to carefully read the pesticide product label before using a product.”

Atrazine, and pre-packaged or tank mixes containing atrazine, carry label-specific application setback requirements. These application setback requirements are measured as the distance between a sensitive area and the area of application. Legal requirements include a 66-foot application setback from the area where field runoff enters streams, rivers and certain types of tile inlets, a 200-foot setback from lakes and reservoirs, and a 50-foot setback from wells (including irrigation wells) or sinkholes.

Some insecticide products used to control soybean aphid require both a 10-foot vegetative filter strip, and an application setback of 25 feet for ground applications or 150 feet for aerial applications near surface waters.

Weed and pest control might be difficult in areas where effective products cannot be used. If corn or soybeans are planted near surface water, sinkholes or wells, use of certain pesticide products may be prohibited. Options in these areas include not applying products that carry such restrictions, not cropping these areas, or using alternative products that do not carry application setback or filter strip requirements.

Carefully reading labels and working with an ag professional or chemical dealer can resolve the selection of weed and pest control products. Commercial applicators responsible for pesticide applications must follow label requirements and cannot be expected to apply products in areas where such use is a violation of the label.