Pictured: As the head of the precision agriculture division at Advance Agriculture in Gore, New Zealand, Paul Sinclair has spent the better part of the last decade helping Southland farmers step into modern technology.
At the southern edge of New Zealand, where rolling green hills stretch into open plains, Blair Drysdale works the cool soils of Southland to grow a diverse range of crops. His family’s farm near Gore has traditionally raised cereal, sheep, and beef, but in recent years Blair has pivoted to specialty seed crops — seed peas, Asian brassicas, silver beet, and even tulips — seeking new ways to stay ahead as margins narrow.
Running such a diverse enterprise demands precision. And for Blair, that precision began the day his old lightbar guidance system gave out.
“I went from using foam markers to a lightbar,” Blair says. “When the lightbar died, I called Paul. He said, ‘You need this. I’ll bring it out tonight.’”
Paul Sinclair wasn’t just any dealer. He’d been a mate for more than two decades. They met playing rugby around 2000, and over the years Paul got to know Blair’s farm and work habits well. As the head of the precision agriculture division at Advance Agriculture in Gore, Paul has spent the better part of the last decade helping Southland farmers step into modern technology.
“There was an Ag Leader Compass display sitting on the bench one day,” Paul recalls. “The boss said, ‘If you can sell it, have a go.’ I picked it up, did a bit of training, and away it went.”
Steering is the First Step
From those early days tinkering with technology, Paul has built a business helping farmers like Blair adopt technology like Ag Leader’s OnTrac3 autosteer, which is what he installed that night in 2017. OnTrac3 simplified guidance and reduced fatigue right away — no hydraulic hookups required. Since then, Blair has upgraded to SteadySteer, Ag Leader’s latest assisted steering system for his CaseIH Puma 185.
SteadySteer is an economical way to add assisted steering without the need for hydraulic connections. The system, run through Ag Leader’s InCommand display, provides an all-in-one solution for steering, planting, application, and harvest operations. SteadySteer offers accuracy from WAAS to RTK and is easy to install and move between vehicles using optional switch kits, delivering the power and precision Blair needs to stay on track all season long.
Blair says the difference with assisted steering was immediate and dramatic. “Before, with a lightbar, after a 12-hour day spraying I was mentally wrecked,” he says. “Now, with full steering, I can work longer hours and not be drained. It lets me focus on what’s happening behind me — the sprayer, the spreader, the drill — and make sure it’s all running properly. You’re not staring at the front wheel trying to stay straight anymore.”
That shift in focus has had measurable results. “The accuracy of seed, chemical, and fertilizer placement has improved dramatically,” he says. “No more overlaps, no more guesswork.”
For Paul, stories like Blair’s are what keep him passionate about the work. “Autosteer gives farmers the quickest return on investment,” he says. “You save time, fuel, and inputs, but more than that, it makes life easier. It takes the pressure off, and in today’s world, when it’s hard to find skilled labor, that’s worth a lot.”
Blair couldn’t agree more. His experience with the technology has gone far beyond simply using it. The impact was so significant that he began working with Ag Leader to test new features for SteadySteer. As part of that collaboration, he demoed TurnPath, a tool that enables hands-free, repeatable end-of-row turns, and provided valuable feedback during development.
Next up, Blair will trial RightPath, Ag Leader’s recently launched passive implement steering solution, using the new InCommand Go 16 display, the next generation of the InCommand line. RightPath keeps equipment precisely aligned with the guidance line, ensuring even greater accuracy and efficiency in the field.
As Blair continued refining his guidance system, accuracy became just as important as ease of use, leading to the next big step in his operation.
Smarter Corrections, Sharper Returns
A few years later, Paul helped Blair upgrade to an NTRIP correction system, providing centimeter-level accuracy for autosteer without the cost of traditional RTK subscriptions. “We’ve got a good local network called LINZ,” Paul explains. “Once you’ve invested in the receiver, the correction is basically free. It’s an economical way to get high accuracy.”
For Blair, those small gains add up quickly. On his 400-hectare operation, every saved pass counts. “In the first year I used autosteer with the drill, I saved around 1,200 liters of diesel,” he says. “You stop overlapping half a meter every run, and it adds up fast. That’s fuel, wear and tear, and time saved.”
But it’s not just the numbers. It’s the relationship that makes the technology work. “If I’ve got a problem, I ring Sinky,” Blair says. “He’ll talk me through it over the phone. I’ve even rebuilt a whole implement setup that way. Now, with AgFiniti Remote Support, he can see my display and make changes from the dealership. That’s huge.”
Paul agrees. “The technology’s great, but it’s the support that sells it. Farmers won’t invest in something they can’t get help with. Good service and good relationships – that’s what keep people coming back.”
Technology Drives Efficiencies
As costs climb and margins tighten, those efficiencies have become essential. “Our biggest challenge right now is margin,” Blair says. “Diesel and fertilizer prices have doubled, but grain prices haven’t moved. GPS and autosteer help us find efficiencies we wouldn’t get otherwise.”
The two men agree that the technology’s future in New Zealand is bright. “Autosteer is like electric windows in cars,” Paul says. “It started as an option, but soon you won’t be able to buy a tractor without it. It’ll just be standard.”
For Blair, the next step is adding autosteer to his combine, the last major piece of machinery on the farm that still requires manual steering. Beyond that, he’s content to let his system do the work and focus on the bigger picture.
“Technology’s made my life a whole lot easier,” he says. “Less stress, more accuracy, and more time to focus on what really matters.” •
About Ag Leader. A recognized pioneer in the industry, Ag Leader was founded in 1992 and offers a complete line of proven precision farming technology that is easy to use and integrates seamlessly with a farmer’s existing machinery. The company is family owned and operated and solely focused on precision farming technology. Headquartered in Ames, Iowa, Ag Leader is a global company that continues to innovate and automate tasks that optimize field activities across every season.