Growers Seek Guidance
July 1, 2008 
Precision agriculture is defined as “an agricultural concept relying on the existence of in-field variability.” Precision ag uses technologies such as global positioning systems (GPS), among other things, to assess and understand crop variations. The information gleaned from using these technologies may be used to estimate the amount of fertilizers needed as well as other input costs. The data also can help predict crop yields — and much more.
And growers are embracing the technology. According to research done by Marvin Batte, an agricultural economist with the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics with the Ohio State University, precision ag went from basically very little adoption in 1999 to many large and small growers finding it useful today.
Batte surveyed 2,500 Ohio growers last year with sales of $50,000 or more to determine the rate of precision ag adoption among 17 components including guidance systems, like real-time kinetic (RTK) auto steer. He learned that precision guidance is one of the top precision agriculture components of choice.
Many precision ag farming practices are very management intensive, he says. “A lot of learning is involved if you are doing variable rate fertilization, seeding, or herbicide application. In these cases you must develop fertilizer or other input prescriptions based on soil sampling, crop scouting, yield mapping, and other bits of information. To do it well, one really must understand the agronomy.
“Part of the reason that precision guidance is being adopted so rapidly is that it is less complex to understand and to adopt than some of the variable rate technologies,” he continues. “It is simply a technology to more precisely steer the tractor and implement where it is intended.”
Precision guidance can be as simple as a lightbar system to merely assist the driver in making parallel swaths, or it can be an auto steer system that will allow the tractor to follow a “mapped” path, Batte explains. “This latter system may, in the future, also control implements to greatly reduce wasted inputs from overlap or lost yields from skipped application,” he adds.
On The Plus Side
Growers have much to gain by employing GPS technology. Batte says they can save time by doing various operations more rapidly. Plus, they will be more precise, they will limit passes across the field, and they will save on fertilizers and other materials, including fuel. On top of that, he says, growers can work longer hours because the fatigue factors will be considerably less.
Because more growers are realizing the benefits of GPS technology, they are looking for even more precise tools, such as RTK (see “The Latest In RTK”). The potential for continued increased adoption of this technology for vegetable growers is there, says Batte.
“With row crops, there are rows to guide you, but still I think the precision guidance would allow you to work more quickly,” he explains. “As one goes to higher valued crops, such as vegetables, we should see even higher rates of adoption in those areas.
“For RTK, the prices for the components have gone down from where they were even just a year or two ago,” he concludes. “We are seeing larger farmers adopting more rapidly. As fuel, fertilizer, and chemical prices increase, and as crop prices increase, I would expect to see a further increase in adoption.”
The Latest In RTK
Several companies have RTK (Real Time Kinematic) products available for vegetable growers to help them do their jobs quickly and accurately. Here’s a sample of some of the latest offerings.
AutoFarm
The FarmPRO GPS Steering and Application Control System from AutoFarm and Raven Industries is designed for professional growers and custom applicators. FarmPRO combines the Viper PRO state-of-the-art display and control system from Raven Industries with the sub-inch accurate RTK AutoSteer from AutoFarm. FarmPRO features automatic steering and application control functions, including WAAS (Wide-Area Augmentation System) to RTK steering accuracy options. It also features variable rate control of up to five products.
AutoFarm also has released AF-Viewer II software, which is compatible with all AutoFarm GPS steering systems including A5 RTK AutoSteer. Developed by FarmWorks Software exclusively for AutoFarm, AF-Viewer II software is Windows based and runs on Windows versions 2000 and higher. It will collect and store field management data and allow users to read and write from any of the AutoFarm terminals via datacards or USB key, depending on products.
Hemisphere GPS
The Outback BaseLineHD provides the same accuracy as dual-frequency RTK but at a reduced cost. Used in combination with Outback S2 or S3 and Outback eDrive, BaseLineHD provides 2-inch pass-to-pass accuracy in a hands-free GPS steering system. Outback BaseLineHD includes an integrated base station and a single rover unit. Multiple vehicles can be equipped with additional rover units all operating from a single base system.
John Deere
In the software department, Long Range RTK enhances AutoTrac (an automatic guidance solution) performance, as operators will receive sub-inch accuracy at a greater distance (6 to 12 miles) to receive even more value from the RTK system.
Leica Geosystems
Leica’s mojoRTK with Virtual Wrench includes all the benefits of RTK-accuracy in a small console that fits easily the radio slot, eliminating cab clutter. When paired with a cordless mobile base station, growers get a system that is easy to use and affordable — retailing at just $12,980.
Topcon Precision Agriculture
As the use of GPS RTK on the farm becomes increasingly prevalent for vegetable growers, Topcon Precision Agriculture’s X20 console provides increased efficiency and enhanced capabilities to both tractors and sprayers. The X20 uses RTK technology by using GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals for all available satellites — GPS and the Russian system GLONASS. GNSS allows for maximum satellite signal reception, ensuring sufficient signals to provide 24/7 service, even in inclement weather or terrain with forest cover or tall structures.
The X20 can be a rate controller for both liquid, granular, or injection control systems. In addition, it provides the enhanced functionality of automated section control with capability to control up to 30 individual or grouped boom sections.
The unit can be used for single and multiple product variable rate control, allowing multi-channel variable rate from a color touch screen. In addition, the system can be with the Pro-Steer module to enable auto steering of the tractor or sprayer in addition to other functions.
Trimble
The Trimble AgGPS Autopilot offers repeatable pass-to-pass accuracies of less than 1 inch. The Autopilot safely drives the tractor, reducing stress on the operator and providing greater payback at harvest.
A common use of the Autopilot is to bury irrigation drip tape and create crop beds directly over the tape. Other growers use Autopilot for more efficient strip-till operations.
Autopilot can lay down perfectly straight strips of fertilizer, then return in the spring and effortlessly plant precisely on the strips. Unlike some other automated steering systems, Trimble Autopilot systems work on slopes as well as on level ground. On rolling terrain, the navigation controller unit corrects for roll and pitch of the vehicle, even when cultivating.
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