In many cases, when you switch to a different hybrid or variety, you’re also switching seed size.  That may mean you need to adjust your seed meters so you don’t get skips and doubles.

SeedCommand’s Advanced Seed Monitoring feature helps you determine if you need to make adjustments to your meters.  Its virtual seed trench lets you see the placement of each seed in a row so you can easily determine if a problem exists in the seed meter or seed tube.  And, while monitoring population is great, if your planter monitor doesn’t allow you to see skips and doubles by row unit, you could have the right seed population – but the wrong seed spacing – which can also reduce yield.

Because today’s high-tech seed isn’t cheap, it’s just smart to increase your yield potential by ensuring seed spacing is consistent across your field, row-by-row even after you’ve switched to a different seed type.

Some important factors related to yield loss are:

• Improper seeds per acre.
• Improper seed spacing.
• Improper planting depth.
• Poor seed to soil contact.

Seed Placement
Take a look at the spacing of your stalks.  When there is a large gap on either side, the plant may produce larger ears to help compensate for missing plants.  On the other side of this, if they are not spaced correctly due to doubles or triples, the plants compete ineffectively for sunlight, water, and nutrients.  Crowding plants often results in small ears when harvested.  There have been several studies that prove proper spacing potential can improve yield from 4-12 bushels per acre.  Oftentimes, poor plant spacing is due to misadjusted or malfunctioning planter mechanisms.  Ag Leader offers Advanced Seed Monitoring, which allows growers to monitor how the planter is performing.  Monitoring planter performance may give you a clue that the planter needs maintenance such as bushings, parallel linkages, chains, lubricated parts and seed tubes.  Ag Leader’s Advanced Seed Monitoring screen allows growers to view doubles, skips, singulation, spacing, row population and seed quality.  This information provides the grower with piece of mind that yield potential is being maximized through utilization of real-time data. Locating problems during planting will help reduce frustrations at harvest time.

Population Count
Look back in your records and see what your target population was for the 2011 planter season. To get a stand count, Pioneer Agronomy Sciences* recommends:

• 

  Chart from Pioneer Agronomy Sciences "Corn Stand Evaluation."*

  Sample a length of row equal to 1/1000^th of an acre.

• Measure off the distance appropriate for your row width, count the number of plants and multiply by 1000 to obtain an estimate of plants acre.

How did that compare to what your target rate was?  If there are any discrepancies, take a look at your owner’s manual and examine your sprocket teeth drive and driven combinations.  Other things that come to mind are condition of your seed plates, gear ratio, zero flow offset, shaft speed cal, vacuum pressures, down force pressure, and seed meter calibration. Taking the time during harvest to evaluate your corn stands can help you determine what adjustments you may need to make to your planter during the winter.

*Pioneer Agronomy Sciences, Corn Stand Evaluation. Click here to see the original document.

In addition, you can download the latest copy of your display manual to familiarize yourself with the user interface and operation of your display.  If you have questions, contact your Ag Leader dealer or give technical support a call.

We have also been creating videos to walk you through some of the common features and processes on your EDGE or INTEGRA display. You can view the videos in our Media Center or on our YouTube channel.

Other valuable resources and downloads can be found on our Knowledgebase on the Ag Leader Customer Support site. Below are some quick links to a few common support items.

SeedCommand Pre-season Checklist

Clutch Control Module Quick Reference Sheet

Seed Tube Monitor Module Quick Reference sheet

Planter Population Module (Kinze planters) Quick Reference Sheet

Display Firmware Updates

Good luck to you all as you begin your spring fieldwork; we hope our tips and resources help things go as smoothly as possible!

Next, pull the tractor outside and make sure your GPS receiver is working. Press the GPS status icon on the mapping screen to check your GPS status.  While you are in the GPS status screen, check the GPS settings.  The minimum baud rate should be 19,200 and the minimum Hz should be 5.

Walk around the planter and check cables. Inspect them for any place they may have been pinched or stripped, and double-check all the cable connections to be sure they are all plugged-in properly. The implement switches should be checked as well; ensure the implement switches are being tripped correctly when the planter is raised and lowered.

You will also want to check the individual components on the planter itself.  If you are running population monitoring, be sure to check your gain value (seed tube monitor module only); this should be set to 1 for all crops. Remember, never change your gain value in corn. If the gain value needs to be changed for other crops, confirm you are planting the correct population by doing a dig test before adjusting the gain.  Make sure your seed tube sensors are working properly; watch your seed tube diagnostic screen and have someone slowly drop a handful of corn down each seed tube.  You should see the seeds per second value increase as corn is dropped through the seed tube.

If you are running clutch control on the planter, follow the clutch manufacturer’s recommendation for maintenance on the clutch and its components.  Ag Leader SureStop clutches do not require any maintenance.  Check the seed disk for wear if you are running SureVac row shutoffs.  Raise and lower the planter to test if the clutches are turning off with the planter tripping the implement switch.  Test the switches in the cab to ensure they are turning clutch sections off as well.

For hydraulic seed rate control on a planter, inspect the controller settings, gear ratio and meter calibration.  If you are not sure what these values should be, the quick reference sheet is good reference.  Quick reference card for a Rawson drive is located here. Use the seed meter prime button; it should turn the seed meters one revolution.  Seed meter prime is a great diagnostic function to ensure your drives are turning correctly.  It is also useful in the field to fill your seed disks.   If you are running a Rawson drive, press the jump-start switch and the drive should begin to turn.  Be sure to follow the hydraulic drive manufacturer’s recommendations for maintenance on the drive and components.

By checking these items, you can help ensure your spring planting will go smoothly. Just like checking the oil in your truck, taking a few minutes to check your precision ag equipment can save you valuable time later.

Part 3 of our Pre-Season checklist will offer a variety of sources to help you out as you begin your fieldwork; check back tomorrow to learn more!

The same lesson applies to the precision equipment you will be using this spring.  In my experience, farmers tend to be a little upset when they pull into the field for the first time and something is wrong with the precision equipment on the planter.  Especially if they can’t plant. Now is the time to “check the oil” and make sure everything is going to function before you start in the field this spring.

The display is a good place to start when getting ready for the season.  If you haven’t yet, read last year’s harvest data into SMS.  Once you copy the data to the card, it will free up some memory in your display. Removing old seasons (after you have backed up that data) is another good way to free up memory. In addition, review the other management items in the display and remove unused farms/fields and old products.

This is also a good time to add new information to the display. There are two ways to create new farms/fields; you can create them directly in the display or through the SMS desktop software. If using SMS, you will need to use a management setup file (.MSF); you can learn about importing an .MSF here. Once you have your display setup properly, create a backup. I would recommend making a backup at least once a week during planting.

You will also need to check the firmware version of your display. While there are several new features included in our latest firmware release, there are also many additional improvements and enhancements made to the firmware. (For example, Ag Leader has changed the onscreen mapping to exclude flyer points.) Updating your display to the latest version is the only way to take advantage of these improvements.  Be sure to make a backup before you update your display.  Find updates for your display here.

Now that your display is ready to go, we can talk about getting the precision ag equpment on your planter ready. We will cover this in Part 2 of our Pre-Season Checklist, so be sure to check back tomorrow!

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/

The INTEGRA firmware update will enable Virtual Terminal on the display.

The INTEGRA display will gain several new features with this update, including compatibility with the ISO 11783 Virtual Terminal standard, Advanced Seed Monitoring for corn planting, and support for the OnTrac2™ assisted steering system. Both the INTEGRA and EDGE displays will now support Ag Leader’s new GPS 2500 smart antenna/receiver.

Several enhancements have been made to both the INTEGRA and EDGE displays’ firmware as well. The update will provide a reduction in gaps on coverage maps when using AutoSwath with SeedCommand, and the on-screen map will now exclude undesired log points outside of the field operation that previously required a user to “Clear Bounds.” For more information about the latest updates to the INTEGRA and EDGE firmware, see the full release notes on the firmware download page.

Download Version 2.1 Firmware for the INTEGRA display

Download Version 4.1 Firmware for the EDGE display

In addition, the latest firmware update for the ParaDyme® automated steering system has also been released. Click here to download the ParaDyme firmware update.

Growers gather at the Ag Leader booth at the 2011 Iowa Power Farming Show.

Last week, I had the pleasure of working two days in Ag Leader’s booth at the Iowa Power Farming Show in Des Moines. Despite the frigid temperatures, nasty winds and 12-inches of snow, many of you came out to talk to us about Ag Leader’s complete line of precision agriculture equipment (and we appreciate that!). The one question that many of you had was “How much does (insert specific Ag Leader product here) cost?” However, one question I did not receive was, “How much will I see on my bottom line if I start using this equipment?”

Of course, that’s a tough question to answer, since so much depends on forces outside of your own control. But, the use of precision agriculture equipment certainly can protect your seed investment.

Just the other day I read an article in the February  issue of The Progressive Farmer. Author Kurt Lawton wrote a very good piece titled, “Planter Controls Save Money.” The article provides real examples of farmers just like you who are investing in precision ag equipment to save money. Below is an excerpt from that article:

If you haven’t adopted GPS-controlled automatic planter row and sprayer boom controls yet, you’re automatically spending more on seed and chemicals.

That observation comes from growers who own the technology along with autosteer. They add that the savings occur regardless of the terrain—from fairly flat and square fields to sloping and odd-shaped fields. Doug Applegate, in his third year using planter row shutoff with the Ag Leader system in southeast Iowa, estimates he easily saved $10 per acre his first season. “Seed has gone up so much in price since then, that we could easily be saving twice that much today.”

Applegate says half their 1,600 acres is on contours and half is straight rows. “Anyone with terraces or point rows, investing in row shutoff technology is a no-brainer. Coupled with autosteer and RTK, it makes planting no-till into cornstalks so much nicer,” he says.

I would invite you to read this article in its entirety in the February issue of The Progressive Farmer, or you can find similar information by the same author at PrecisionPays.com. I know you will want to look into all of your options so that you are making the most informed decision for your operation, and I want you to walk away from this blog thinking about cost in a different light than how much is immediately going to come out-of-pocket. Instead, think about the cost of not taking advantage of the opportunities precision equipment provides to increase your productivity for years to come.  Unfortunately, that’s what might cost you the most.

More information:

“Planter Row Control Can Save You Money” - http://precisionpays.com/2010/01/planter-row-control-can-save-you-money/

Learn more about Ag Leader’s complete precision farming line here.

Ag Leader Closer to You

Rick H. demonstrates Advanced Seed Monitoring to growers at the 2011 Quad Cities Farm Show.

If you’d like to learn more about Advanced Seed Monitoring, or any of our precision agriculture tools, our experienced staff will be on hand in January at the Ag Pro Expo in Fort Worth, Texas, the Precision Ag Conference and the No-Till on the Plains Winter Conference in Salina, Kansas and the Sioux Falls Farm Show in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Stop by our booth and we’ll demonstrate equipment and answer any questions you may have about how we can help you get the most out of your precision farming equipment investment.

Investing in new equipment is a lot like investing in a new career: you have to learn before you can expect to get it all right. So that’s why I’ll be spending some time at the Ag Leader booth (#306) at the Iowa Power Farming Show in Des Moines, Iowa, February 1 – February 3, and the National Farm Machinery Show (Booth #’s 416G-H & 914/914B) in Louisville, Kentucky, February 16 – February 19.

Other stops we’re making in February include the World Ag Expo in Tulare, California, the Western Farm Show in Kansas City, Missouri and the Mid-South Farm Show in Memphis, Tennessee.

I’m really excited to join the Ag Leader family and to be part of the team that’s bringing quality precision ag equipment to the market.

Additional Information:

Mike Olson was recently interviewed at AG CONNECT Expo talking about our new products – Listen here: http://precisionpays.com/2011/01/ag-leader-technology-on-display-at-ag-connect-expo/

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

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.

AutoSwath

When setting up your systems make sure you check the following things to ensure your section control will work as expected…and will likely eliminate a call to your dealer or Ag Leader Tech Support.

Coverage Options – There are three different coverage options you can choose from:  Minimize Skip, Minimize Overlap and User-Defined.  These options will determine when your sections will turn off as they enter an already-covered area.

• Minimize Skip will turn off the section when the entire section is an already covered area.
• Minimize Overlap will turn off the sections when they first enter a covered area.
• User-Defined allows you to set the percentage of your section that needs to be in a covered area before the sections turn off.

AutoSwath Look Aheads – The “Turn On” and “Turn Off” look aheads are used to determine how far ahead the system looks ahead to turn your sections on or off.  You can find the recommended settings for look aheads in the operator’s manual.  If the Turn Off is larger than the Turn On look ahead you will see issues with the system turning off and back on when entering a covered area.

GPS Offsets – GPS offsets are used to determine the distance from your GPS antenna to the application point on an implement.  When setting up your configurations make sure to enter all the GPS offsets for your equipment. You will need to enter GPS offsets for both the vehicle and implement used in your configuration.

GPS Settings- Most Ag Leader GPS receivers come from the factory setup at lower hertz and baud rates to accommodate basic precision ag monitors.  In order to run AutoSwath minimum requirements of 5 hertz GPS signal and a baud rate of 19200 must be met.  If you are using Ag Leader GPS units, you can change these setting through your Ag Leader display.  If you are using non-Ag Leader GPS, consult the owner’s manual of that unit to determine where to make these settings changes.

Boundaries – Used to determine what parts of the field you would like to apply.  First you will make an outer boundary of the field, generally the field border.  Once you have an outer boundary established, you can add internal boundaries to map out areas of the field you would like to excluded from operations, such as waterways and terraces.

To summarize, if you’re having an issue with AutoSwath, check the above list before calling your dealer or Tech Support.  It will likely save you some time and frustration.

Start by saving last year’s data to your memory device (memory card, USB drive, etc.) then delete it from your display.  Now you’re ready for the new season’s setup.  Check Ag Leader’s website for the latest versions of firmware to update your displays and modules.  Add new Farms, Fields, Operators, Equipment or Products to the display before heading to the field.   This will save you valuable time once you’re in the field.

After you get things ready in the display, you will want to check over the precision ag components on your implement.  Walk around your implement and check for any damage to your cabling and examine your connections. Next, go ahead and turn on the display and test the system before you go to the field.  Try planting some seed or spraying some water in the yard before the season starts  - this will ensure everything works as expected.

For a comprehensive list of the things to check or set up before the busy season, download our Pre-Season Checklist.

Bottom line: Lower seed cost during planting season and improved yield potential at harvest time.