Wireless technology is bringing enhanced efficiency and connectivity to agriculture, and the Cotton Belt is no exception. Growers can more easily connect with equipment in the field in ways that improve efficiency, streamline maintenance, and in some cases allow data to flow seamlessly from cab to office and back.
In this edition of Cotton Grower Plus, manufacturers share information on current product and service offerings that use the power of wireless communication to improve how you work.
AGCO
AGCO is now offering the AGCOMMAND system for managing machine logistics and machine health. AGCOMMAND utilizes the cellular communication platform to allow growers and, with specific permission from growers, the equipment dealer, to monitor maintenance-related specifications of a machine that relate both to machine maintenance and logistics.
The AGCOMMAND generic kit is available and usable on any vehicle with a 12-volt power supply. The kit is comprised of the AM 50 processor, an antenna, and a wiring harness. At its most basic, it can be set up record when a vehicle is turned on or off, whether or not it is moving, its location in a field when working, and whether it is moving or idle in the field.
Some models of tractors offer either built in capability or are “system ready” – that is, all that is needed is the AM 50 processor to complete the system, as all other wiring is in place.
Grower-users get a user name and password for the MyAGCOMMAND.com website, where data from the vehicles is received, processed and stored. “It is available from any Internet-capable computer, and no special software is needed,” says David Swain, AGCO technology marketing specialist. “The grower could be out of town and be able to check on the status of his equipment anywhere he can access the web.”
To make the information referenced to areas that matter most to the grower, AGCOMMAND allows growers to set up virtual “geofences” that mark fields, home offices, and other areas. From the machine, the AM 50 processor receives CAN data from the rig and sends it back to the web site for storage and analysis.
There are two levels of AGCOMMAND to choose from. The Standard Plus package records vehicle speed and engine hours from the CAN, and allows the user to set up three geofences per unit. The system logs a data point every minute, and sends a data package to the home computer every 15 minutes.
The Advanced package edition collects 25 CAN messages, logging data every 10 seconds and sends a data package home every 10 minutes. Up to 40 geofences can be established per unit.
On the site, the grower can view his units in an “at a glance” screen. Icons representing the machines are on map and color coded based on the machine’s status. The information is collected and sent wirelessly to the site, and that data history is available for deeper analysis. Users can define the timeline for viewing the machine, from a particular day or the entire season. Looking at shorter durations allows the farm owner to identify inefficiencies such as poor routing or excessive idling, and ask machine drivers more intelligent questions about the activities of a given day.
Growers who purchase new equipment with the AGCOMMAND capability and who buy a service agreement with the dealership automatically provide the dealer with limited access to machine information collected on the web site. The dealer can use this information in a variety of ways to improve service and efficiency for the grower.
“The dealer can set up service programs for the machines he is responsible for servicing, and provide notification of needed maintenance,” says Swain. When a piece of equipment is down in the field, the dealer can use his access to find the machine using the map on the web site. “When you double-click on machine, a window gives you the status — what was the last update, the last recorded GPS point, and an address where the machine is located.”
AGCOMMAND customers who don’t have a service contract with a dealer can still allow the dealer to view information about his units to receive maintenance recommendations and to help the dealer locate down equipment.
For the Standard Plus level, the list cost is $2,500 which includes hardware and a three-year data plan. “We are working on different programs for subsequent year data plans,” says Swain. At press time, pricing was still being worked on for the Advanced package.
Raven
Last year was a season of implementation for Raven Industries and its SlingShot wireless GPS and data transfer solution, notes Clint Sharp, precision ag specialist for Raven Industries. Working with local service providers like retailers, custom applicators and consultants, Raven placed SlingShot centralized base stations that allow grower subscribers to access real time kinematic (RTK) GPS signal and to exchange data wirelessly between office and field computers.
Over 50 subscribers have signed on in Sharp’s territory, which includes Tennesee, Arkansas, Alabama, Louisiana, Kentucky, and the Missouri bootheel.
“Custom applicators using it are finding it extremely valuable as far as the data transfer capabilities,” notes Sharp. “Being able to transfer files and not need to have somebody bring you a prescription map is providing a lot of value in improved productivity and efficiency.”
Growers affiliated with SlingShot users do indirectly benefit from better application efficiency, as well as the accuracy afforded by the RTK-level guidance. On a more direct level, growers may subscribe to the SlingShot system and utilize the RTK guidance on tractors. Growers in these areas have been pleased with the accessibility and consistency of the signal, says Sharp.
In Alabama, where a state-run CORS cellular GPS network already exists, SlingShot is improving the user experience for growers and service providers. “If you have a SlingShot base station modem , using a Raven console you are able to utilize the wireless data exchange portion of the system,” says Sharp. “Our modem talks directly to the CORS network and eliminates the need for passwords and configuring at the start up — we handle that through our server. It’s more turnkey pairing the SlingShot with CORS.”
Tennessee also has a CORS network , but the locals aren’t ready to put full trust in it yet. “It is not a department of transportation system, so they would rather use SlingShot,” says Sharp. “The growers say using CORS there is like eating breakfast at a gas station – you could do it, but you’d rather eat at a restaurant.”
The next phase for the SlingShot system is the release of a SlingShot Basic RTK package designed specifically for growers, which will be available this spring. It allows our Slingshot dealers to offer a Slingshot RTK base station to a grower who would like to invest in their own solution,” says Ryan Molitor, marketing supervisor for Raven.
The system is designed to help large growers with multiple pieces of equipment that can utilize Slingshot RTK, or who live in a CORS area where a dealer may be hesitant to invest in their own base station.
“ This new package, Slingshot Basic RTK, is still the same cellular-based RTK solution with no line of sight limitations utilizing the most robust wireless solution in precision agriculture,” says Molitor. “Growers using this will still be able to have the data transfer, remote support, and other Slingshot Online features.”
Omnistar
Subscription satellite GPS signal provider OmniSTAR is always working to improve the accuracy and integrity of its positioning offering, and the addition of GLONASS last year via its G2 offering has provided a significant boost to both.
In particular, the number of satellites available to a receiver has a significant impact on convergence – that is, the length of time for it to become fully operational – more satellites help with the solution. “All these high accuracy solutions need to see at least 5 satellites,” notes OmniSTAR’s John Pointon. “If you drop below five, the system will drop out and it can be slow to re-converge, which is frustrating for the operator.”
GLONASS availability greatly enhanced convergence in beta testing with Trimble’s new CFX-750 receiver and display, says Pointon. “Convergence could be achieved in three to four minutes, and there were fewer drop-outs.” Cotton growers who rely on satellite GPS should ensure that their next receiver purchase is GLONASS compatible to take advantage of all the available satellites.
John Deere
John Deere’s JDLink offering provides growers with wireless access to machinery performance and location information for virtually any vehicle used on the farm.
Using an aftermarket module or the built-in capability available on John Deere’s model year 2011 8R series tractors, cotton growers can receive information from vehicles via cellular signal that’s sent from the unit to the JDLink website. Growers can access the site using any computer with Internet access.
For maintenance purposes, the module collects information about the vehicle’s operation, including hours of use, and sends the information to the JDLink web site wirelessly at regular intervals. In areas where the cell signal is compromised, the unit stores the data until a signal is available and then transmits it to the JDLink site.
The system also provides logistics support for the cotton grower. From the JDLink site, growers can determine the location of equipment by setting up “geofences” around specific areas. When the unit passes in or out of a geofenced area or is idle, the grower can set up the system to receive a note from the system via email or text.
“It really helps employees understand where the machine is and what it’s doing, and that can be very important for seasonal help that is not familiar with the area,” says Aaron Bartholomay,
senior product development specialist for John Deere. “In particular, with the new 8R we have the capability of showing very specific machine information — whether the machine is at work or idle, how fast it was driven and operated, the engine load, engine temperatures and different machine settings.”
The aftermarket JDLink module can go on any make or model machine, from farm pickups to fuel or fertilizer tender trucks, says Bartholomay. The universal kit that goes on any machine runs $1000 per unit and provides logistics capabilities. To collect and transmit maintenance data on newer tractors capable of collecting data, such as the 2010 8R and machines forward from the 8030 series, the cost is $2500 for the JDLink Ultimate service.
The package requires a cellular plan, which costs $300 per year for the JDLink Select kit and $600 per year for the JDLink Ultimate on machines capable of collecting rig-specific data, such as model year 2010 8R tractors. The plan includes password access to the JDLink website. New 2011 8R series tractors feature an in- factory base of one year of JDLink subscription. For more information visit your local John Deere dealer or www.johndeere.com.
Trimble
Trimble has been putting together the pieces of its Connected Farm offering over the past few years, and product releases this winter served to complete the circle and fill some voids in the company’s offering inventory.
A key new component is the DCM-300 modem, which is capable of accessing Trimble VRS Now real-time kinematic GPS corrections while simultaneously allowing for wireless data transfer over Trimble’s Connected Farm system. Job orders, coverage maps and A-B lines may be transferred wirelessly from a computer to multiple vehicles in different locations for follow-up operations, or within the same field for accurate overlap protection.
Trimble is offering two options; one for use on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) cellular networks or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular networks. Trimble offers AT&T and Verizon plans, but customers can check with their local provider for alternative plans. The modem is available with a single plan subscription provided through Trimble.
“The DCM-300 is an expansion of Trimble’s goal to continue to develop solutions that simplify a variety of farming applications taking place, often simultaneously,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division.
Trimble also announced the release of Farm Works Dispatch, an asset tracking software that will serve as a new component of the Connected Farm solution. Dispatch uses the GPS access and wireless communications capability of the new DCM-300 modem to track vehicle movement and monitor functionality through a central computer.
The Dispatch service plan offers users a visual tool for organizing fleet movement to maximize efficiency. Using email alerts and on-screen maps, Dispatch allows the user to track the location of all field equipment. The system also makes it possible to receive alerts to potentially lost or stolen equipment. The system is compatible with Connected Farm Sync wireless data management software and VRS Now Ag’s cellular-based RTK GPS correction services.
Finally, Trimble has added capabilities to its Field-IQ system, which monitors seed delivery and fertilizer blockage and manages applications of up to six variable rate products. The product now supports row crop planters, air seeders, strip till equipment and spreader platforms.
The Field-IQ system is compatible with the guidance capabilities of the Trimble FmX display or CFX 750 touch screen display, which both run Trimble’s unique overlap detection technology. Trimble reports that farmers using the Field-IQ crop input control system for seed placement have experienced an average savings of 5% to 10% because of reduced waste and lower seed input.
Topcon Precision Agriculture
Topcon Precision Agriculture (TPA) kicked off the new year with an important new product release: the System 350 for global precision agriculture, featuring the new all-in-one X30 control console.
“With all new hardware and a revolutionary new interface, Topcon’s System 350 truly sets the industry standard for performance in virtually every conceivable area of farming operations,” said Albert Zahalka, TPA president.”
Key features of the new offering include a 12.1 inch multi-touch screen, a 1.6 GHz central processor, and an IP67 rating to withstand harsh environmental conditions.
A new Topcon interface provides extensive features, including up to three mini-view windows, user definable dashboard view, interactive keyboard, and detailed information displays. High accuracy autosteering — up to 2 centimeters — is achieveable when used with Topcon’s AGI-3 receiver/steering controller.
The system also offers 32-section auto-control, multiple guideline setting including straight, adaptive curve and center pivot, and detailed job summary reports for data tracking and multi-year analysis.
System 350 also features Icon-based management of multiple simultaneous precision farming tasks, including autosteering settings, variable rate application for single and multiple products, autosection control, data logging, mapping, and implement setup.
In the areas of guidance, rate control and information, the X30 provides an array of options, including variable rate control, a configurable alarm system, job reports, automatic field recognition, and multiple boundary creation, said Zahalka. “The X30 is the perfect – and total – solution for any size farming operation.”
The system’s ISO virtual terminal interface provides direct configuration capabilities for a majority of the industry’s standard plug-and-play controllers, including AGCO, Case International Harvester, John Deere, DICKEY-john, Great Plains, and TeeJet, among others.