February 15, 2010
PRECISION AG A DREAM AND A REALITY
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A recent poll conducted by Case IH revealed that Australian farmers who haven't already adopted precision agriculture say their dream tractor accessories are GPS and auto steer. However, for many Australian farmers precision ag is a reality not a dream, According to Steve Purcher, Dealer Principal of Case IH dealership, Purcher International, more than 95 per cent of farmers in his Western Australian district have adopted precision ag technology on new equipment purchases.
"We find that, as more people start using precision ag tools and start seeing benefits, word of mouth spreads," said Steve. "We've installed precision ag technology in approximately 60 older machines in the past couple of years as the whole idea of precision ag has become demystified."
New South Wales Case IH customer, Mark Bender, agrees. Mark and his parents, Keith and Lindy, have implemented precision ag technology and practices on their New South Wales wheat, barley and canola cropping enterprise at Lockhart. With Case IH equipment including a Steiger STX 450 tractor and Axial-Flow 2588 combine harvesters, the Benders also use the Case IH AFS Pro 600 display along with the AFS desktop software to manage their seeding, harvest and spatial data. They also use a Case IH AccuSteerTM system combined with an RTK (Real Time Kinematic) network to set up and maintain a controlled traffic environment with full stubble retention and inter-row sowing to retain more moisture and minimise unnecessary machine movements. They used the information collected by their Case IH 2588 combine's inbuilt yield mapping capability to create prescription maps that would allow them to take advantage of variable rate seeding technology.
"Once we pinpointed potential efficiency gains, we decided to realign and move some fences and change our travel direction, which would allow us to operate between parallel fences rather than between out-of-square tree lines," said Mark. "In 2009 we installed the RTK AccuGuide system along with the AFS Pro 600 display in our Case IH Steiger STX 450 tractor. I thought our previous 10 cm EZ-Steer unit was alright, but it has nothing on the accuracy of the RTK system!"
With the near two-centimetre accuracy of the RTK system, the Benders have drastically reduced overlap and gaps.
"The data is telling us our paddocks are between four and six per cent smaller than they were six years ago! This reduced overlap quickly adds up to reduced input costs. On top of that, the extra savings through variable rate application of fertilizer at seeding are worth chasing. The savings could mean the difference between that new machine or land purchase, or even being able to go on a well-deserved holiday."
A few simple tips
By following a few simple tips, farmers can reap massive benefits from their precision ag technology, according to Case IH Marketing Manager, Stuart Brown.
"Take advantage of the technology that comes standard with your equipment, like yield mapping. If you're not sure what comes with your equipment or how to use it, your dealer can help you," advised Stuart.
"Plan for your property's unique needs by using yield maps to see how management techniques can be improved. Don't be afraid to make changes based on the information from your precision ag technology - the savings could be significant. And start with the most advanced system you can afford to avoid the need to upgrade too soon. Remember, the initial set up costs will be repaid later in savings you make through reducing your input costs and labour or increasing your yields."
