Making sense of precision ag and ROI

Understanding the return on investment from product control and variable rate mapping is the key to the effective use of precision ag technology in farm machinery.

That was a key take home message from a precision ag technology field day hosted by SST Trimble at Jerilderie, in southern NSW, on August 31.

SST Trimble sales manager, Bradley Parker, says the demonstration day was the first held by the branch since it opened around two decades ago.

About 60 growers attended from Wagga, Walbundrie, Brocklesby, Coleambally and Yarrawonga in southern NSW and Bairnsdale, VIC.

"We have growers here at entry level GPS and precision ag up to bigger growers with up to seven or eight systems looking at new developments, including NextSwath Auto Turn and the Trimble Ag Software," Parker says.

Precision ag - not just about auto steer

He adds the uptake of precision ag technology within the cotton industry in the Murrumbidgee, Murray and Lachlan valleys had been increasing.

"Cotton growers need to use the GPS technology when they are forming beds, so the uptake on the auto steer side has been high," he says.

"And now, it is about the growers understanding the benefits and return on investment from product control, variable rate application and data collection.

"All the GPS units are gathering this data while they are operating and we can wirelessly send that data via the Trimble Ag software platform to a central spot in the office for processing.

"In the past, the data sat in people’s computers or on a USB stick in the cupboard – the idea behind the Trimble Ag Software is connecting via a modem back to the office."

Parker adds the future would focus on the holistic connection and management of all machinery on the farm, which is where Trimble’s Vehicle Sync system can assist. The system enables various machines to share guidance lines and coverage mapping, for example.

"The future is with an option for driverless tractors but there is always going to be operators around on other machinery, and we need all those machines to be able to talk to each other, and come back to that central point in the office," he says.

"Having the data coming to one central point and the client able to monitor what is happening in the field without actually having to phone up – that is the future."

The data collected is safely stored in the cloud under the Trimble Ag Software system.

"We are helping gather the data and put it in a safe spot but we still need clients to turn that data into something beneficial such as variable rate prescription or maps, or help use the historical data to better plan for seasons ahead," Parker says.

Making the leap into new precision agricultural technology for many growers will mean an educational process.

"It’s more than just telling them we need to start using it, and selling them a yield monitoring kit," Parker says.

"Once growers see the results, it will continue to take off although it seems scary to a lot of farmers at the moment."

Trimble Field-IQ

Parker says tractor cabs currently have too many monitors and displays, creating clutter and confusion. He says one Trimble Field-IQ display is all that’s needed to replace all other displays.

Trimble’s Field-IQ is a section and variable rate application control system preventing seed, chemical and fertiliser overlap; facilitating the rate of material applications; monitoring seed delivery or fertiliser blockage; and controlling the height of spray booms.

The Field-IQ system runs on Trimble’s TMX-2050, FmX and CFX-750 displays.

The operator can simultaneously control the application rate of up to six different materials when using the TMX-2050 display or FmX integrated display, including seed, granular seed, granular fertiliser, liquid and anhydrous ammonia in different combinations.

Field-IQ provides two material rate control capability when using the CFX-750 display, and single material rate control when using the TMX-2050 display for spraying.

Parker says the system can be adapted to self-propelled or tow-behind sprayers.

"You can either mount all the hardware in the cab, or if you want to tow the boom with multiple tractors, the module and cabling can be mounted on the boom and run to the tractor using a single cable, with two or three other tractors fitted with the switch boxes," he explains.

Field-IQ automatically controls spinner speed of spreader application systems to evenly distribute nutrients.

Parker says a master switch box enables target rates to be pre-set on the spreader.

"We can control just the belt and monitor the spinners with an RPM sensor, or we can control the belt and spinners," he says.

"This system is compatible with variable rate mapping and prescription maps can be uploaded to the TMX, FmX and CFX – the Field-IQ will vary that rate depending on the prescription loaded.

'"That can be done by USB stick or with Trimble Ag software, which sends a prescription map from the office to the screen ready for loading.

"The same master switch box applies to the air seeder system, catering for up to a four-bin machine plus one liquid tank, with rates controlled separately for each product.

"Using the rate control, the rate is dropped to zero into the headlands, shutting off the product, and it re-starts as the air seeder comes out of the turn.

"We can add blockage monitoring compatible with Field-IQ. Field-IQ wires into the existing bin level and fan pressure sensors.

"With the bin level, growers have the option of installing cameras inside the bins and connecting them through the FmX or TMX."