Case IH launches GPS-enabled drone technology
The drones interact with specialised software for improved harvester operation and reduced crop damageCase IH has unveiled GPS-enabled drones that network with its specialised farming software to provide accurate and real-time intelligence to help make on-farm decisions.
The technology, called FieldXplorer, has been launched in conjunction with Case IH’s new Austoft 9000 series sugarcane harvesters in Thailand.
All Austoft 9000 sugarcane harvesters are built ready with the latest innovations in sugarcane production including Case IH auto guidance, known as AFS AccuGuide.
A factory-ordered option, AFS AccuGuide technology enables automatic steering of harvesters thanks to a high-performance AFS (Advanced Farming Systems) GPS receiver and steering controller.
For additional accuracy, FieldXplorer uses a GPS-enabled drone to capture images of the crop, which are converted into guidance lines for harvesting operations.
Different planting line configurations can also be analysed using FieldXplorer, providing an informed choice for the best planting pathways to be used.
FieldXplorer can also pinpoint planting failures and calculate row spacing quality.
All participating dealers provide installation and training support to farmers who invest in the technology.
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Case IH AFS Product Manager, Matthew McDonald, says this technology will soon be widely accepted as a key step to significantly improving sugarcane productivity in Thailand.
“When farmers use traditional ways to harvest and plant sugarcane, they can be limited to what they can see with their own eyes and control manually,” he said.
“With the help of this new platform they can now harvest and plant sugarcane with greater levels of accuracy and efficiency which will lead to higher return on investment, maximum yield production and minimum crop failure.”
“Thailand is one of the first countries in the world to access this technology, and the farms and mills that take it on will have a great advantage.”
No word yet on when the FieldXplorer technology will be made available in Australia.
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