Changing Seasons
The year is 2011; you have successfully completed harvest and are ready for fall application.  You take your equipment to the field and begin to load your configuration and field on your Ag Leader display, but did you remember to change seasons before you started?  Once your crop is out of the field, it is considered to be the end of your growing season.  Before beginning fall application, be sure to change your season to a new “2012 Crop Year.”  Changing your season now keeps your fertilizer linked to the 2012 crop, to which it is being applied.  This also allows you to use your fertilizer application maps as reference maps next spring, summer and fall to compare fertilizer test strips and crop responses.  Once you’ve set up your new season, make sure you have created a backup and copied your data to a card. Once your harvest data has been entered into SMS, you should delete your old season from your display.

Getting Started
It’s almost time to head to the field, and just a little more preparation will save you time once you get there.  If you’re going to the field this fall then most likely you already know what product will be applied to your fields.  Take this time to enter those products or product mixes into your display, making sure to use the correct units (lbs v tons) and ratios when setting up the mixes.  If you are going to use prescriptions to variable rate your fertilizer, load a few of the files on the display to be sure the rates show up correctly and are written in the correct units.  For those of you applying Anhydrous, make sure to select the appropriate controlling product.  After you select NH3 you have the ability to control that product in either lbs of Nitrogen, or lbs of NH3; do not skip this step!

Preventative Troubleshooting
A few more items to take care of before you head to the field are to inspect your equipment and complete a system test.  A lot of equipment used for fall application has not been used for up to a year, and in some cases may have even gotten overrun by weeds.  Clean the equipment up, check cabling for any pinched or damaged wires and check for blown fuses.  If you have a flow meter, have it calibrated and serviced. If you have an injection pump that has had N-serve through it, have the seals replaced and service the pump before going to the field with it.  Upgrade your display and modules to the latest firmware, which is available on the Ag Leader website.  Now you can complete a system test.  Create a test field and load your configuration on the display, then enter a rate, manual ground speed and turn AutoSwath off to test the system.  Turn your master and boom switches on and you should be able to hear/see your valves turn.

If you can identify a problem now it will save you valuable time in the field.  Hopefully this will give you a few things to check and will help prevent some problems in the field.  Have a safe and productive fall season!

To view tutorial videos on setting up your display, please click here.

Command center.

“A customer got in touch with us and asked if we had a system that could vary herbicide according to the different speeds they would be traveling. They were particularly interested in applying the same amount of herbicide from 0km/h up to around 60km/h, with all the speeds in between. They also wanted a record of everything they had sprayed as proof of where they had sprayed and how much, as they had local government contracts to spray the train lines in certain areas with certain conditions. We told them we had a DirectCommand system that would be able to vary the rates according to their speed (at first we told them that the maximum speed they could achieve would be 40km/h, but they have successfully tested the system at higher speeds). They were also very pleased to find out they could use the AutoSwath feature to switch sections off where the tracks had already been sprayed, especially in the train yards where there are many overlapping tracks going in different directions.

Their biggest challenge was to apply 450L/ha with a train that is slow to reach full speed (50km/h), and to maintain the correct dosage without missing areas or over-applying. They use diesel locomotives that like to keep at a constant 40-50km/h, but they have to slow down when entering train yards and around towns in rural areas.To re-calibrate the whole time was becoming an issue, so they turned to us to provide them with the technology to automatically increase and decrease the amount of herbicide being applied.

Center and side section.

They have currently sprayed a total of about 600kms worth of train tracks in and around the Gauteng region at an average of 40km/h, applying between 320-440L/ha. The maximum they have applied, using a 100-100 nozzle on both sides and a 60-50 nozzle in the middle of the train, is a rate of 400L/ha at 60km/h.”

Just a couple of stats regarding the installation…

“We have a DICKEY-john Flow meter and fast valve, as well as DICKEY-john section valves. We are also using an INTEGRA display with a GPS 1500 receiver with e-Dif® technology. The power is from two truck batteries which run the entire electrical system for the train as well. There are three 50,000 litre water tanks being towed, and inside the train there are a series of pumps and actuators supplying the mixing tanks with water and the solution to be applied. The total amount of liquid for the solution tanks is around 8,000 litres.”

Mixing tanks.

Control valves and section control.

Thanks a lot, Mac, for sharing this rather unusual application for our DirectCommand system!

Spring is rapidly approaching, and hopefully your equipment preparations are well under way. As technology becomes more pervasive and machines themselves become more complex, the pre-season checklist for machine preparation potentially grows longer and longer.

Products like the INTEGRA display, DirectCommand and ParaDyme have great power to increase in-field productivity, but these products are incapable of overcoming the problems inducted by a poorly maintained sprayer. The following list should be a good starting point for getting your machine ready.

Think safety first. Do you have an adequate supply of gloves, goggles, particle masks and chemical jump suits? If not, buy more than you are likely to need.

Mechanical tasks. Your mechanical tasks should include:

1. Clean or replace tank and boom sprayers as needed.
2. Inspect hoses, clamps and fittings for wear or leaks. Repair/replace as needed.
3. Test nozzle flow rate and compare to new. Replace any tip that has 10% or more error from new nozzle flow rate. If two or more nozzles fail, replace the whole set.
4. Inspect boom suspension and general mechanical condition. Repair as needed. Automated boom height control can’t perform well if boom mechanicals are worn.

Electronic inspection. Your electronic inspection tasks should include:

1. Inspect cable for corroded connectors and physical damage. Pay extra attention to possible pinch points like drawbar and boom fold areas.
2. Calibrate ground speed sensor.
3. Test flow meter. Calibrate or repair as needed.
4. Test boom and flow control valves for proper operation.

The time to prepare your sprayer for spring is nearing; will you approach the task like the Hare or the Tortoise? Properly inspecting your sprayer now can save valuable time later in the season.

A fully operational planter and sprayer are being utilized as training aids for SeedCommand™ and DirectCommand™.  The planter features the current supported row units, dual hydraulic drives, vacuum, PMM & STMM modules, SureStop® clutches, and the INTEGRA™, EDGE™ and InSight™ displays. The sprayer features OptRx™ crop sensors, inline, bypass and PWM 12v components, along with direct injection. In addition, we have brought in a fully operational strip till cart and spinner spreader bed.

We are also using four tractors – one Case, one John Deere and two Challengers – fully equipped with ParaDyme® and OnTrac2™ steering units to provide hands-on training of our guidance and steering products.

Finally, one of the classrooms at Ag Leader Academy is equipped with 25 INTEGRA displays, 25 EDGE displays and 25 InSight displays for hands-on display training. In addition, this classroom contains a computer at every workstation and is used for SMS Software training as well.

As you can see, we have worked hard to ensure that our dealers receive a very involved and comprehensive training so they can share that knowledge and expertise with their customers. To see the list of customer training dates available please click here; we look forward to seeing you at training!

Ag Leader Customer Trainings: http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/training-sessions/hardware-training/

For optimum performance, OptRx should be used to apply nitrogen when the healthiest corn is between V5-V12 (about 2 foot to 7 foot tall).  When using OptRx sensors on wheat, topdress application can occur anytime between tillering and stem elongation.

An applicator that works well with OptRx crop sensors.

The ideal side dress applicator for using OptRx for corn application is a self-propelled high clearance applicator that can clear V12 corn.  These applicators lengthen the application window and also cover more acres per hour than a pull type applicator.

In addition, if you have a high clearance self-propelled machine with spray booms, you can affordably convert this to a side dress applicator by adding drop hoses to the booms between the corn rows.  Drop hoses dribble liquid nitrogen on top of the ground between the rows.  Tank mixing UAN stabilizers with liquid nitrogen reduces the risk of losing nitrogen to the air because it provides more time for nitrogen to be incorporated into the soil by rain.  Another way to reduce losses of nitrogen to the air is to use a Hagie or Miller high clearance machine fitted with a nitrogen toolbar that injects liquid nitrogen into the soil.

In wheat production, any top-dress applicator will work. The type of machine will depend on where you are located geographically.

I hope that these posts have helped answer some of the questions you might have about OptRx crop sensors. OptRx can benefit your operation in many ways, and applying the right amount of nitrogen to the right plant can help you maximize your profit potential.

More information:

OptRx™ Crop Sensors: Your Questions Answered (Part 1)

OptRx™ Crop Sensors: Your Questions Answered (Part 2)

http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx

How can OptRx help maximize my profit potential?

Organically Speaking
The amount of organic matter your fields contain plays a big role in how much nitrogen your fields naturally produce. For example, university research has shown that organic matter can produce about 30lbs of nitrogen per % of organic matter per year. Fields can range from 2% to 6% organic matter.  2% organic matter soils produce about 120 lbs/acre less nitrogen than 6% organic matter soils.  This means the ideal nitrogen application can vary by 120 lbs/ac based on organic matter alone.

Variable rate N application with the INTEGRA™ display and OptRx.

By incorporating OptRx into your plan, the crop sensors will sense the lower crop vigor and prescribe more nitrogen than plants in high organic matter areas that have more crop vigor.  In short, OptRx makes up for the reduced amount of nitrogen coming from low organic matter areas while eliminating over application of nitrogen on high organic matter areas.

Too Much Rain
Variability in available nitrogen can also be caused by excessive rainfall.  As much as 5% of plant available nitrogen in saturated soils can be lost to the air per day through a process called denitrification.  This means a soil with 150 lbs/ac of plant available nitrogen can lose 75 lbs/ac of N if it’s waterlogged for 10 days.  Plants growing in these saturated areas will have less crop vigor.  OptRx detects the lower crop vigor and applies more nitrogen.

Do the Math*
Did you know corn plants need to take up about 1 pound of nitrogen/ac from the soil for every 1 bu/ac they produce? The benefit of applying the right amount of nitrogen to nitrogen-deficient corn is so great you can’t afford not to do it.

Let’s assume nitrogen is $0.50/lb, and corn is selling for $4.00/bu, and half the applied nitrogen is taken up by the plant.  By applying the right amount of nitrogen in deficient areas, OptRx provides a 4 to 1 return on the cost of the additional nitrogen.  That’s an extra $200/ac for a $50 investment in nitrogen that OptRx applies on corn 50 lbs/ac deficient in nitrogen.  Plus, OptRx does not over apply nitrogen in good areas. This is why OptRx has outperformed uniform nitrogen rates by $20-$30 in side-by-side field scale trials.

*Wheat plants need to take up 2 pounds of nitrogen/ac from the soil for every 1 bu/ac they produce. Assume nitrogen cost $0.50/lb, wheat sells for $6.00/bu, and half of applied nitrogen is taken up by the plant.  By applying the right amount of nitrogen in deficient areas, OptRx provides a 3 to 1 return on the cost of extra nitrogen.  That’s an extra $150/ac for a $50 investment in nitrogen that OptRx applies on wheat 50 lbs/ac deficient in nitrogen.  This, plus that OptRx does not over apply nitrogen in good areas, is why OptRx has outperformed uniform nitrogen rates by $10-$15 in side-by-side field scale trials.

Next: Part 3 – Applicator Options for Using OptRx. Once growers know how OptRx can help improve their operation, the next questions is what equipment they will need to implement the sensors. The final part of this series will answer some common questions about applicator options with OptRx crop sensors.

More information:

OptRx™ Crop Sensors: Your Questions Answered (Part 1)

http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx

How can OptRx help achieve greater plant health?
One of the biggest challenges in agriculture is managing nitrogen. There are many tools to assist with nitrogen management once it’s on the soil, but even then you have to hope for cooperation from Mother Nature. That’s where OptRx crop sensors come in, using a system that applies nitrogen based on crop vigor. By evaluating crop vigor, and taking field variability and crop conditions into account, OptRx applies the right amount of nitrogen to each plant.

How OptRx works.

How does OptRx determine Nitrogen rate?
OptRx works by measuring the reflectance of light it shines on the corn canopy.  OptRx measures reflectance of Near Infrared (NIR) light to determine plant biomass (amount of crop vegetation).  Reflectance of visible band light is used to detect nitrogen in the plant.  OptRx combines reflectance of both light bands to calculate a vegetation index that represents the vigor of the crop.  For example, nitrogen deficient corn plants have lower vegetation index numbers than plants with sufficient nitrogen.

OptRx uses the vegetation index to determine how much nitrogen plants need.  OptRx must first identify the vegetation index number that represents a plant with sufficient nitrogen available.  This is called the vegetation index reference value.  Vegetation index reference value is determined by driving the applicator over the healthiest looking plants for a minimum of five minutes.

OptRx prescribes nitrogen by comparing the real time vegetation index number to the reference value.  The lower the real time vegetation index compared to the reference, the higher the prescribed nitrogen rate.  The principle is to apply the right amount of nitrogen in the right spot. OptRx works the same way in determining the appropriate rate of nitrogen application for both corn and wheat plants.

Next: Part 2 – How can OptRx help maximize profit potential? In the next post in this series, I will talk about how OptRx will help reduce the risk of over application and help make up for variations in organic matter within your fields. Check back next week for Part 2.

More information:

http://www.agleader.com/products/directcommand/optrx

Check Ag Leader’s website for the latest versions of firmware to update your displays and modules. Firmware versions can operate differently, and having the latest firmware ensures you have any new changes or features. This will also help technicians better understand how your system is operating should you need to call tech support.

Add new Farms, Fields, Operators, Equipment or Products to the display before heading to the field. You can either type this information directly into the display that you will be using, or you can create a Management Setup File (.msf) through your SMS software program. This is a great way to set up multiple displays that will be used within the same farm.  Having this information loaded into the display before you go to the field will save you valuable time.

Load field boundaries into your display before going into the field. This will also save you time and confusion. If you are using an INTEGRA, EDGE or InSight, it is strongly encouraged to have field boundaries installed. Field boundaries keep your display “focused” on the area in which you are working, and help avoid “flyer points” that will make your display zoom out so you can no longer see your coverage map.

Calculate CFR for granular spreader applications. Be sure to calculate your CFR values for spreader applicators. This value should be calculated for each new product that is applied. Once the CFR values have been calculated, they are saved under the product name and bin number. Below is an example of how to calculate CFR (FGO= Feed Gate Opening).

Set up Anhydrous application configurations. DirectCommand Liquid Configurations for anhydrous applications should be setup according to your applicator. Single and multiple valve setups require different values for some of the Controller Settings. Refer to your application checklist to ensure that settings are correct before heading to the field.

Create prescription files. Prescription files are also a good way to save time when headed to the field. By setting up prescription files before you go to the field, you can ensure that the desired application rate is achieved, no matter who is operating the machine. SMS software is a great way to create prescription files for both DirectCommand Liquid & Granular applications.

Your time is valuable as you work to complete your fall application. By following these tips, you can not only save time, but also save yourself a call to your dealer or Tech Support by preventing common errors. Good luck with your fall application!

Variable Rate Technology (VRT) is the technology used to vary the amount of inputs – seed, fertilizer, pesticides or other inputs – based on site-specific information, such as soil quality or plant health. VRT helps reduce overplanting or overapplication and apply inputs in the most efficient manner.

Variable rate planting with Ag Leader's SeedCommand system and INTEGRA display.

VRT requires a combination of several precision farming technologies to enable the variable rate application of inputs. The most apparent of these technologies is a system to control the variable rate, such as Ag Leader’s SeedCommand or DirectCommand systems. These products are what control the rate and location that inputs are applied. However, variably adjusting inputs requires several other precision ag technologies. GPS and differential correction are necessary to determine the location where the varying input rates should be applied. GIS can be used to develop variable rate prescription maps based on analyzed data. These maps can then be used by the control system to adjust application rates according to these prescriptions.

VRT, therefore, is a collective term for the precision farming tools that enable variable rate application. The focus of precision farming is to adjust inputs based on in-field variability, and VRT is another way that precision farming allows growers to do this by utilizing technology to manage application rates.

Additional Information:

Alabama Precision Ag Extension - http://www.aces.edu/anr/precisionag/VRT.php

Due to Costa Rica’s tropical climate, it is ideal for growing pineapple.   Most pineapple producers have a contract with a large processor like Del Monte, Dole or others.  Almost all pineapple grown in Costa Rica is slated for export to the US and Europe.  It is sent as fresh fruit or canned into the various styles you see in the store – rings, chunks, tidbits or crushed.  The quality of the fruit determines what it is used for.

Pineapple field application in Costa Rica.

On this trip I learned pineapple is an application intensive crop with lots of money spent on fertilizer and fungicide; fertilizer is applied every two weeks and fungicide is applied weekly.  Due to the high cost of application growers are looking for ways to save on input costs.  They are very interested in adding boom-section control to their application practices to reduce the amount of fertilizer and fungicide used.

Something I found interesting when talking to the growers was how important it is for them to have good application records.  Since the majority of their pineapple crop is for export, in order to meet US and European regulations, they must provide all records of application to the processor.  Record keeping is a time consuming aspect of pineapple production and is very vital to getting paid for the crop.  The pineapple growers were interested in the data collection precision farming equipment provides along with the reporting and processing capabilities of precision farming software.  They were excited to learn about the Smart Report™ feature from Ag Leader that makes application record keeping simple.

Picking pineapple in Costa Rica.

For those of you who may not be familiar, Smart Report is an application report that can be automatically created and provides location, product information (what was applied), applied totals, field areas, as-applied maps and boundaries.  The reports are created as a PDF file that can be saved, emailed or printed.  While the Smart Report was originally created for grain crops it can be used in any crop for any type of application.  If you are not using the Smart Report feature for your operation you should check into it as it makes record keeping simple.

I will definitely follow up with the pineapple growers I met to see how boom-section control helps them save on chemicals and also how Smart Report helps with record keeping to meet export requirements.  Next time you purchase a pineapple from the grocery store it will be interesting to note it may have come from Costa Rica and a farmer using Ag Leader equipment.

What items are required for the booms on my sprayer to open?  (NOTE:  This is most often needed when testing or flushing the system prior to field application.)

• Ground Speed – manually enter a ground speed or the vehicle can be moving
• Target Rate
• AutoSwath must be turned off
• All switches should be on; you can verify this on the Input Diagnostic Screen
• Implement Cable (Part Number 4000495-1) –  must be plugged into the Auxiliary Port of the Liquid Control Module and have 12 volts on pins A and B

Input Diagnostics Screen in the INTEGRA display.

What is the best way to flush my booms?

Create a new Grower, Farm, Field and Region.  Name them all “Flush”.  Next, make sure all of the requirements for the booms to turn on have been met (see above).  Each time the operator reloads the “Flush” Grower, Farm, Field and Region the sprayer should be ready to flush the booms.  Another benefit of creating a “Flush” Grower, Farm, Field and Region is keeping your spray records accurate by storing flush totals separate from the actual product sprayed in the field.

It would not be my normal post if I did not include a brief comment about the weather.  So I will leave you with this.  I hope the rain in the last month has not left your basement in the same condition as mine.  See pictures below.

GPS & Steering – If a ParaDyme fails calibration verification can I still use it for steering?

No, if  ParaDyme fails this step it ignores the calibration and you must redo the Auto Cal.  You must pass the verification step before the system can be engaged on a line.  For details about the calibration verification step in the Auto Cal process see the current ParaDyme manual for Version 1.6.17177.

SeedCommand – When I pulled into one of my fields to plant I noticed the display was counting acres, AutoSwath was working correctly but I was not able to see my map on the display.  Why didn’t my map show up and what can I do to prevent this from happening again?

Different scenarios can cause this to happen.  The most common scenario is when the operator loads a field on to the run screen while he is at home with the planter lowered to the ground.  The monitor then logs that point as being planted in a field and it is actually miles away.  As the operator drives to the field the onscreen map will zoom out to keep the point that was logged at home.  It also keeps the planter’s current position on the map screen.  By the time the operator arrives at the field the map is zoomed out so far the field is no longer visible on the display.  The short term fix is to press the clear bounds button which re-centers the map over your current position.  The long term solution is to create field boundaries for all of your fields.

DirectCommand – When I am spraying over 10 miles per hour I receive a message on my monitor that says, “Max speed exceeded for Automatic Swath Control with 1 Hz GPS”.  What does this message mean?

When that message appears it means that your GPS receiver is outputting strings of information to your monitor at a rate less than 5 times per second.  Check to make sure the receiver you are using is capable of outputting 5 Hz.   If it is capable of outputting 5 Hz change the receiver Hz to 5, the baud rate to 19200 or higher and the message will no longer appear.

Harvest – What is the difference between Automatic Variety Tracking and Automatic Region Changing?

For starters, both options are used to track the varieties you planted earlier in the year.  The Automatic Variety Tracking option only tracks the varieties; it notifies the operator when he/she enters  a different variety while harvesting.

To help categorize Automatic Region Changing, let’s first define a region.  A region is a way to separate data in a field…some guys separate it by truck loads, some guys define regions by varieties, others do it by bins.   When you use Automatic Region Changing you are automatically separating the data by varieties.  All other regions are logged manually.

Hope the answers to these questions will save you some time in the future.  Remember Ag Leader Hardware Training is going on around the country. Contact your Ag Leader Dealer for dates in your area; a schedule can also be found here.

At Ag Leader Academy we are receiving questions about topics other than rain. Some of the common questions involve guidance and steering, SeedCommand on planters, DirectCommand on applicators and yield monitoring on combines.

Guidance and Steering – How long does it take for ParaDyme to start up after the INTEGRA display or EDGE  display has been powered on?

ParaDyme will start up approximately one to two minutes after controlling display is powered on.

SeedCommand – What is the difference between a RowCommand 1-row section cable and RowCommand 2-row section cable?

I have a John Deere planter with RowCommand.  I’m controlling the planter sections using an Ag Leader display and SeedCommand.  What is the difference between a RowCommand 1-row section cable and RowCommand 2-row section cable?

When using the RowCommand 1-row section cable, you will have 2-row sections on the far left and far right of the harness.   Then it has individual-row shut offs for each row between the 2-row sections.  For example the planter below is a 24-row planter with 1-row sections.  Therefore it has a total of 22 sections divided into 2 2-row sections and 20 1-row sections.  In the diagram below the red is used to show the 2-row sections and the blue is used to show the 1-row sections.

When using a RowCommand 2-row section cable, you will have 2-row sections all the way across the planter.  For example the 24-row planter below has 12 2-row sections.

DirectCommand – What are auxiliary valves used for?

Auxiliary valves are used to control up to two additional on/off valves when all sections are off.  These types of valves have been used on sprayers manufactured overseas, multi-section NH3 applicators, some Hardi sprayers and other applicators.

Harvest – What do I do if my motor does not turn on my elevator mount unit?

Here are three things to try:

-Check the adjustment of the proximity sensor.   If the light on the proximity sensor comes on when you place your finger across it then it should be set correctly.

-Check the fuses in the power cable leading up to the elevator mount unit.

-Try hooking power directly from the battery to the motor on the elevator mount unit.  If the motor turns you may need to check the module or the relay that controls the motor.

If you have other questions, attend an Ag Leader training session near you.  A list can be found here.  Or Ag Leader Technical Support is always there to help you.

Well, whatever your rule of thumb might be, we all know fall is coming and preparations need to be made for the upcoming seasons. This summer Ag Leader dealers have been preparing by attending dealer training at Ag Leader Academy.  When visiting the Academy they get hands on experience with installing, calibrating and troubleshooting Ag Leader products on tractors, planters, application equipment and combines.  The result is our dealers take pride in continuing to provide excellent support and training for the end user.

To help prepare users for fall, Ag Leader dealers are passing their knowledge along by hosting training events to ensure their customers have a smooth harvest season.  The topics that will be covered at these trainings include yield monitoring, DirectCommand for fall application operations, as well as ParaDyme and OnTrac2 steering systems.  At these trainings attendees will learn what needs to be done before taking their combines, applicators and tractors to the field.

A complete list of trainings can be found here.  We look forward to seeing you at training!

As I drove by someone spraying pre-emergent chemical, I focused my attention on how much things have changed with sprayers and the related technology over that same period of time. Though a common sight today, a machine with a 100′ boom and 1200-gallon tank moving across the field at 20+ MPH would have been a newsworthy story not that long ago. Contrast that machine to the first self-propelled sprayer I remember on our family farm. It was a three-wheeled, air-cooled, front-wheel drive with a 30′ foot boom. Something my brother and I could easily outrun on our single speed bicycles.

Effectively operating these modern machines at high speed would be difficult at best if technologies like GPS, automatic swath control, automated steering, guidance and automatic boom height control were not an integral part of the sprayer. Even with these technologies at our disposal, none of them diminish the importance of proper controller settings and selection of the proper spray nozzle for the application.

Modern spray nozzle technology.

The process of selecting a correct nozzle was much easier when machine speeds were slow and relatively consistent and your nozzle choices were limited to brass flat fans …or brass flat fans. Today, when selecting spray nozzles you can still dig through manufacturers’ catalogs with calculator in hand but there are also resources on the internet that are generally much easier to use.  I quickly found the following links by searching for “agricultural spray nozzles”; a more intense search could definitely provide more results. Due to lengthy URLs, I’ve shortened the links to each of these spray nozzle manufacturer’s interactive spray nozzle selection tools.

Hardi

Hypro Global Spray Solutions

TeeJet Technologies

Wilger

Look hard enough and you may even find an app for your smartphone. Hope you find these tools useful. Have a safe and product spring season.

Image credit:  Images included in this post were obtained using the Image Library from TeeJet Technologies.

Minimum Flow - This setting is used to maintain a consistent spray pattern by not allowing flow to drop below the minimum gallons per minute required for sprayer nozzles.  In order to determine this setting you will need to consult the manufacturer’s tip chart and multiply the minimum flow for each nozzle by the number of nozzles on the boom. This setting will be changed under the Configuration Settings screen and will ensure you maintain a full spray pattern when applying at lower speeds.

PWM Standby – This is a user-defined setting when using a PWM valve for rate control. It determines the percent duty cycle the system uses when the booms are all off. This will help the system maintain pressure when all sections are off and make it easier for the system to obtain it’s target rate at the start of each pass.

Tank Mixes – Tank mixes can be used when you are applying a mix of liquid products through one solution line. A tank mix can include up to seven products and will provide more accurate documentation of the products applied. When you use tank mixes you are able to record the total amount of product dispensed along with the amount of each specific product in the mix.

Smart Report™ – The Smart Report is used to easily obtain hard records on what has been applied in the fields and what the conditions were at the time of application. They contain information such as EPA numbers, operator license number, total amounts of each product applied, wind speed and wind direction – just to name a few.

Boundaries – An outer boundary is used to map the field border and determine the outside of the field.  You can also use inner boundaries to mark parts of the field that you would like to be excluded from application (e.g. waterways, terraces, etc). Boundaries can be created during application or in your desktop software.

Clear Bounds – This button is pressed if you wish to center the map on the current GPS positions. Most commonly this is used when there is a flier point and the map is not being displayed during application, even though all data is being logged and the system is working as expected.  Flier points occur when there is a point on the map that is further than two miles away from the current GPS position. Clear Bounds can be found under the Field Information screen in the display.

Good luck as the growing season continues! Should you need any help with your precision equipment, don’t hesitate to give Ag Leader Tech Support a call.

When it comes time to pull your sprayer out of the shed and get ready for a new season, it is important to fill the tank with water and run a test of the system before going to the field. To do this test you will enter in a manual ground speed similar to your application speed so you are able to apply product without moving.  This setting will be entered under Setup – Configuration Setup – Speed Input, and will require creating a new region for the change to take effect.  Once you have a manual speed entered you will be able to select a field and begin application.

While performing the test, set Target Rate to all of the different rates you will be applying during operation.  This will verify the system will be able to perform as expected at all rates. At this time you will want to test all of your boom sections and verify they turn on/off and correspond with the sections on the screen.

Lastly, you will want to verify the Flow Meter Calibration number. There will be a tag on your flow meter with the calibration number that should be entered in the Controller Settings of your display.  Once you have verified your system is working as expected you are ready to fill with product and begin spraying.  Note:  If you have a Raven flow meter you will want to divide the Flow Meter Calibration number by ten.  Raven’s number is in pulses/ten gallons and Ag Leader uses pulses/gallon.

Below are some common terms and settings that may be adjusted when fine tuning your DirectCommand system.

Flow Meter Cal - Calibration value representing the number of pulses that equal one gallon of product flow through the controlling system.

Valve Response 1 - Determines the speed of the servo valve when product control error exceeds the Response Threshold setting.  Valve Response 1 is used when large rate changes are needed.

Valve Response 2 - Determines the speed of the servo valve when product control error is less than the Response Threshold setting.  Valve Response 2 is used when small rate changes are needed.

Response Threshold - Determines where the control channel switches between using Valve Response 1 and Valve Response 2 speed settings. The default setting is 3. Leaving all other valve control settings at the default value and making  small adjustments to this setting is usually all that is required to fine tune system performance.

Decreasing this value will speed up servo valve response.

Increasing this value will slow down servo valve response.

PWM Gain - This setting determines how aggressively the control valve responds when making rate adjustments with a pwm valve. The higher the value the more aggressive the system response is.

For more specific information on these settings, consult your display’s user manual.  Good luck as you finish up planting and head to the field in the sprayer!

Corn at V5 growth stage.

“What is the application window for side-dressing nitrogen (N)?” I hear this question a lot from corn growers thinking about using crop sensors for variable rate N application.  Imagine how much better we could answer that question if we knew the weather! Unfortunately we don’t have that luxury.

For those who may not be familiar, the application window for corn is quite simply growth stage V5-V12.  V5 growth stage is close to filling a 30″ row or about 1.5-2.0′ tall.  V12 is approximately 5.5-6.0′ tall.

Since I first started working with crop sensors in 2007, I’ve had many conversations with growers about the application window. When the grower says, “I can’t get over all my acres in that time frame”, that’s a clue to me their applicator is a tractor pulling a N toolbar.  My response is that toolbars typically can get through corn taller than V5, but some are still concerned about covering their acres before the corn gets too tall.

Applicator with high clearance toolbar.

So how can the application window be extended?  Answer:  High clearance applicator. That’s not to say there isn’t more than one way to skin a cat, but turning a high clearance sprayer into a N side-dress machine is an option, a very good option in fact. Installing drop hoses on the boom between each corn row turns a sprayer into a N side-dress machine.  Another option is high clearance sprayers made to accept a high clearance toolbar with arms that go between the rows to inject liquid N into the soil.

But what if you don’t have your own high clearance applicator? Your local custom applicator probably has a machine that will do the job.  In fact crop sensors (Ag Leader’s is called OptRx) are a good way for a custom applicator to set themselves apart from their competitors.  I can’t speak for other products, but field testing results showed OptRx routinely outdoes growers’ flat N rate by $15-30/acre. That’s a pretty nice new service for a custom applicator.

In conclusion, crop sensors have many applicator options; some have longer application windows than others.   Always consider the goal at hand – how can you get the most return on your investment?

If there is one thing I learned while growing up on a farm, it’s that a farmer’s job changes every day.  As an owner and/or operator, farmers are tasked with jobs ranging from electrician to mechanic to machinery operator and the list goes on and on; but how many of us would have thought to consider adding “field doctor” to this list?

Just like a doctor prescribes the amount and type of medicine to a patient, you have the ability to prescribe products and rates to the field.  The difference here is that the doctor doesn’t have variable rate technology on his side.  Unlike the doctor at the clinic who only gets to choose one dosage to give his patient, you have the ability to choose multiple rates to apply within the same field.  This can be accomplished with any product type: seed, liquid or dry fertilizer, or a chemical.  Precision farming desktop software gives you the ability to reference one or more maps to create variable-rate prescriptions.  Examples of maps that can be referenced are:

• Yield data (one or more years, or a layer with multiple years averaged together)
• Soil test results
• Soil type
• Hand-drawn management zones
• Irrigated vs. dryland zones
• Vegetative index data base on imagery or crop sensors

By creating variable-rate prescriptions and using a display that is capable of controlling the rate of application, you have the ability to apply more inputs in the ares of the field that are going to give you a higher rate of return and less in ares that do not.  Prescriptions can also be used to ensure no product is applied where there may be environmental concerns, such as spraying certain chemicals near a river bank.  If creating prescriptions is a new concept for you, you can also use your software to create check strips in small areas of the field.

Prescription map featuring "check strips"

After harvest is done, you can then query the information to find out if that is something you want try on a larger scale next year.

Check out the video below to learn how to become a “field doctor” using SMS Software.