PRECISION AGRICULTURE DIGITAL DIGEST SUMMER 2024 ISSUE 2, VOL 5 INTRODUCING FIELDOPS FROM NEW HOLLAND 12 SABANTO BRINGS AUTONOMY TO JOHN DEERE 5075E 14 AGCO LAUNCHES PTX 20
Everyday farmers face the challenges of daily farming. Your needs change from day to day as you try to get your job done. Find all the information you need at your fingertips on Farms.com. @FarmsNews (United States) @FarmsPrairies (Western Canada) @OntAg (Ontario) NEWS USED FARM EQUIPMENT VIDEOS FIELD GUIDES MARKETS CLASSIFIEDS FOLLOW US ON
PRECISION AGRICULTURE DIGITAL DIGEST Farms.com’s Media and Publishing division is responsible for publishing Precision Ag Magazine. Copyright 2024 Farms.com Canada Inc. All rights reserved. Reproduction of any article, photograph or artwork without written permission of the publisher is strictly forbidden. Acceptance of advertising does not constitute endorsement of the advertiser, it products or services, nor does Farms.com make any claims or guarantees as to the accuracy or validity of advertiser claims. The publisher shall have no liability for the unintentional omission of any scheduled advertising. PHOTOS: a-r-t-i-s-t/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images, hudiemm/iStock/Getty Images Plus COVER PHOTOS: Neustockimages/iStock/Getty Images Plus, hudiemm/iStock/Getty Images Plus, stefann11/iStock/Getty Images Plus, simon2579/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images, Анастасия Комарова – stock.adobe.com 04 06 08 10 12 14 16 18 20 22 MANAGING EDITOR Ryan Ridley Ryan.Ridley@Farms.com CONTRIBUTORS Andrew Joseph Diego Flammini DESIGN Greg Marlow ADVERTISING SALES Andrew Bawden Andrew.Bawden@Farms.com 877.438.5729 x 5030 Jeff McKee Jeff.McKee@Farms.com 888.248.4893 x 917 MARKETING & OPERATIONS Denise Faguy Denise.Faguy@Farms.com 888.248.4893 x 293 FARMS.COM OFFICE 90 Woodlawn Road West Guelph, ON N1H 1B2 SUBSCRIBE HERE to receive email notifications when future issues of the quarterly Farms.com Precision Agriculture Digital Digest are published. PRECISION SPRAYER UPGRADES FROM JOHN DEERE PRECISION AG USAGE BY STATE SOIL MATES PAG TECH CLIPS INTRODUCING FIELDOPS FROM NEW HOLLAND SABANTO BRINGS AUTONOMY TO JOHN DEERE 5075E MAKING CONNECTIONS BITS & BYTES AGCO LAUNCHES PTX BUILDING TOWARDS PRECISION AGRICULTURE We acknowledge the financial support of the Government of Canada.
Farmers with John Deere R Series sprayers looking to upgrade the machine have multiple options to choose from. But before getting into those details, Kyle Barry, a precision upgrades marketing manager for John Deere, described the company’s philosophy with respect to precision upgrades. “It’s about meeting the customer where they are, and how do we provide solutions to more customers than just the new equipment buyer,” he told the Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest. “We know that a majority of our customers don’t buy new equipment, so with these upgrades, coupled with precision ag, we open opportunities for more customers to utilize the latest technology offerings from John Deere.” One of the available upgrades is called ExactApply. This nozzle technology is designed to give farmers premium efficacy when it comes to crop protection applications as it provides six nozzle options on one nozzle body. “It gives customers the ability to have 30 Hz pulse width modulation, making sure the droplet size and efficacy of the application remains as good as it can,” Barry said. “It also opens up speed ranges for the customer. When you think about a sprayer and it starts to turn with a 60-foot wingspan, the outer wing section of the boom is traveling at a much greater speed than what the machine is traveling. So, we need the application of the product to increase.” Another available upgrade is See & Spray Premium. “It does exactly what it says,” Barry said. “It sees the weeds and sprays the weeds as you’re traveling across the fields up to 12mph (19km/h). It provides customers with greater than 50 percent herbicide savings. It also reduces water usage and fill up times.” The installation kit comes with 36 cameras, all the hardware, visual processing units and installation points for the cameras and brackets. Farmers will need to work with their dealers for software upgrades to support the system, Barry added. See & Spray Premium is designed for model year 2018 and newer R Series sprayers with 120-foot steel booms. ExactApply and BoomTrac Pro 2, John Deere’s boom leveling system, are prerequisites for employing this technology. PHOTO: deere.com 04 PRECISION SPRAYER UPGRADES FROM JOHN DEERE Multiple upgrades are available for model year 2018 R Series sprayers and newer DIEGO FLAMMINI FARMS.COM
For model year 2025, farmers will need a G5 integrated display. Producers can purchase a retrofit kit for that as well. John Deere is also offering two versions of its Individual Nozzle Control (INC) systems. One is INC Pro, which is available back to the 4730 and 4830 sprayers with 100-foot or greater booms. “It’s more of a mid-spec option with 15 Hz pulsing but still gives you that individual nozzle control,” he said. “We’re still putting the chemical where it needs to go, avoiding under application and making sure we’re using the product in the tank to the best of our ability.” INC HD is for high-flow applications. “If you’re doing high rates of nitrogen, INC HD is the solution,” he said. “That’s the biggest difference between the two.” And another John Deere sprayer upgrade is Pressure Recirculation/Product Reclaim. This boom plumbing feature, available from the factory on new machines but retrofittable back to model year 2018, helps farmers reduce product waste. “It allows you to prime your boom system but also reclaim the product from the boom plumbing back into the tank,” he said. This technology can save producers up to 30 gallons of product, Barry added. More information on John Deere’s precision sprayer upgrades can be found online or at a local John Deere dealer. Watch this video as Kyle Barry discusses John Deere’s precision ag upgrades for sprayers. | pag WATCH THE VIDEO 05 “IT PROVIDES CUSTOMERS WITH GREATER THAN 50 PERCENT HERBICIDE SAVINGS. IT ALSO REDUCES WATER USAGE AND FILL UP TIMES.”
Farmers across the United States are some of the most advanced in the world when it comes to adopting precision agriculture and agriculture technology. The Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest was curious though, which states in particular are leading the charge in precision ag adoption. Luckily, the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO) provided a summary of the USDA 2023 Technology Use Data outlining just that. Its results were based on responses from approximately 14,000 individuals with a 95 percent confidence level in its results. Can you guess which state they found used the most precision agriculture practices? You may be surprised... Let’s work our way up. Results indicated that 8% of farmers are currently using precision ag practices on their farms in West Virginia. From there, we have farmers in Virginia and Kentucky (11%), Florida (12%), Georgia and Texas (13%), New Mexico and South Carolina (14%), as well as Oklahoma and Wisconsin (18%). Moving up we have: • Pennsylvania, Oregon, and Mississippi (20%) • Alabama (22%) • Missouri, Nevada, and Arizona (23%) • New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Vermont, Maine, Connecticut, and Rhode Island (24%) • Washington (25%) • New York (26%) • Idaho, Colorado, Arkansas, North Carolina, and New Jersey (27%) • Montana (28%) Into the thirties we go! • Utah, Louisiana, Tennessee, Ohio, Maryland, and Delaware (31%) • Minnesota and Indiana (32%) • Wyoming (33%) • Michigan (36%) California and Kansas farmers were at 40% and 49% respectively. Now we are into the states in the U.S. in which over half of its farmers are using precision agriculture practices. Illinois starts off with 51% followed closely by South Dakota at 53%. Next is Iowa at 54% and Nebraska (55%). Only one remains... have you been paying attention? If you guessed North Dakota at the start, you nailed it. 57% of farmers in North Dakota are practicing precision agriculture. Overall, United States is home to some of the best farmers in the world. It will be interesting to see how these numbers change over the next few years. | pag PHOTO: killykoon – stock.adobe.com 06 PRECISION AG USAGE BY STATE Can you guess who’s leading the charge? RYAN RIDLEY MANAGING EDITOR
Auto sprayer boom height control has always been a nice-to-have feature. Especially in rolling fields, auto height control helps maintain an optimal spray pattern with less drift, and at the same time reduces the chance of the boom striking the ground or getting tangled with the crop. With increasing boom widths, far more expensive nozzle bodies, higher ground speeds and today’s features like section control and vision-based nozzle control, correct and automatically controlled target height is more important than ever. Enter Greentronics. Since 2006, Greentronics manufactures an excellent quality automatic sprayer boom height controller called RiteHeight™. RiteHeight™ is designed to work with the original hydraulic solenoid valves on the sprayer. No extra hydraulics are needed. RiteHeight™ works with both open and closed hydraulic systems. During self-calibration, RiteHeight™ learns how to optimize boom control on the sprayer. This means that RiteHeight™ will work on any used or new, trailed or self-propelled sprayer on the market. The only requirement is that the sprayer must have solenoid operated valves. This is a huge plus and also means you can move the system from one sprayer to another when you decide to trade. Another advantage to RiteHeight™ is that it is easy to connect, install, and configure. There are no hydraulics to change. Only the RiteHeight™ ECU needs to be installed and then connected 1) to power; 2) to the valve bank; and 3) to a display in the cab. All harnesses are included in each kit. Many customers decide to self-install. A little history. Greentronics started during the 90s and continues as a multigenerational family business, based in the rural towns of Clifford and Elmira in South Western Ontario. The founding family has strong roots in agriculture. We have been blessed with good progress and we are grateful to our many resellers and customers for continuing to help our business grow. BEST VALUE AUTO SPRAYER BOOM HEIGHT CONTROL. Better spray job, less drift, less chance of damage, easier on the operator. 73 Promotional Supplement Technology & Innovation February 2021 TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION HOW DOES IT WORK? The Greentronics RiteHeight® system uses from two to five ultrasonic sensors to measure the distance from the sprayer boom to the target. With simple electrical connections to the solenoid valves, it raises and lowers booms as needed. WHAT COMES IN A KIT? There are just four main items: (1) Console with display and keypad, (2) Junction Box, (3) Sensors and (4) Cables. Users find it very straightforward to install. In fact, more than 75 per cent of end-users install their own systems. WILL IT WORK ON MY SPRAYER? RiteHeight® works on any type of new or used trailed or self-propelled sprayer with electric-over-hydraulic solenoid valves. It works with all common hydraulic designs and requires no additional hydraulics. HOW DO I USE IT? Once installed, use the TEST menu to check connections. Then, run the auto SELF-CALIBRATION step. This allows the computer to learn your sprayer’s behaviour. At spray time, set target height and choose the operating mode: Bare Ground, Partial Canopy or Full Canopy. The system is easy to override and constantly monitors for operator input. Headland Mode allows for quick and safe turns. ANY OPTIONS? You can choose how many sensors you want. We offer 2-, 3-, 4- and 5-sensor systems. Green-tronics offers optional ISOBUS compatibility to operate RiteHeight® directly from the Universal Terminal screen on many tractor and sprayer displays. CAN I UPGRADE MY OLDER SYSTEM? Yes, you can. Customer input has driven many improvements over the years and operators with older systems are advised to contact Greentronics about upgrade options. MOST AFFORDABLE SPRAYER BOOM HEIGHT CONTROL BETTER SPRAY JOB, LESS DRIFT, LESS CHANCE OF EQUIPMENT DAMAGE, MUCH EASIER ON THE OPERATOR. Bill & Andy Menkveld
Armed with an agronomic app to take the guesswork away in the fields, Intelinair, Inc., and GROWMARK, Inc. have partnered up. Within the agricultural community, GROWMARK is well-known and respected as a cooperative serving close to 400,000 customers across North America, providing agronomy, energy, facility engineering and construction, and logistics products and services, as well as grain marketing and risk management services. The business is headquartered in Bloomington, Illinois, and has been a leader in agricultural and energy product supply for nearly 100 years. It owns the FS brand, first establishing it in 1955, and is used by individual cooperative companies across the US and Ontario, Canada, who are GROWMARK members, representing a standard of excellence for agricultural and energy-related products. Always looking to improve the way it serves its customers, GROWMARK recently partnered with Intelinair, a company that provides whole-field insights all season long to farmers and ag retailers through its easy-to-use interactive platform, AGMRI. It is via its AGMRI Insights and AGMRI Analyze that Intelinair uses its data analytics to track every acre and every factor for data-driven in-season and post-season decision-making and identify sustainability opportunities. What does “every factor” mean? Intelinair examines such data as: emergence and population impacts; nutrient utilization; hybrid and variety performance; and even weather impact. Brendan Bachman, Director of FS Agronomy for GROWMARK, told Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest that “our partnership with Intelinair has allowed MyFS Agronomy to provide additional functionality for farmers while creating synergies with MyFS Solution Center for an enhanced digital experience, and we felt Intelinair’s crop intelligence platform was the best tool to help us continue to lead in the digital agronomy space. Some of the features of the Intelinair crop intelligence platform are: • Enables customers to quantify agronomic opportunities impacting business decisions through data analytics; • Provides data-driven agronomic insights to implement solutions for diagnosing problems in the field; • Utilizes field data to assist with making growing decisions; • Allows users to closely monitor news, weather, and markets; • Equips FS crop advisors to have impactful discussions with their farmer customers based on a wide range of agronomic data. Bachman explained that it is always on the lookout for ways to improve its ability to help its customer base, especially by harnessing technology and data and placing them in the hands of its crop specialists and their farm business customers. With this technology, GROWMARK knows that the users will be able to make insightful and impactful decisions for every field on their farms. Although every farm is still at the hands of Mother Nature, Bachman said that its technologies will provide solutions to maximize the potential of individual fields. 08 SOIL MATES
The partnership between GROWMARK and Intelinair may be newly set, but the two have worked successfully together since 2018, as GROWMARK vetted the remote sensing and analytics space. “It was through these actions,” recalled Bachman, “that the digital strategy and development agreements for MyFS Agronomy were formalized in late 2022.” As for why Intelinair, Bachman said that its partner brings the best-in-class in-season analytics, user interface, and pace of development to help the two main companies gain a competitive advantage in the ever-evolving digital marketplace. “This, combined with our MyFS Agronomy vision and integration partners, will allow for further agile development as market opportunities shift,” noted Bachman. The partnership serves GROWMARK’s FS Agronomy customers across its geographic footprint and noted that the 2024 adoption and implementation were focused on the US Midwest and the Canadian province of Ontario, with further expansion expected in the 2025 crop season. We asked Bachman just what MyFS means and were told that “My” represents the focus on the individual farmer and that “FS” links the application for the farmgate “and signifies the value of local FS-trusted business professionals working directly with the farmers to drive enhanced outcomes with digital agronomy.” Bachman continued: “There are many features with MyFS Agronomy with a focus on connecting data, enhancing communications, and providing deep analytics to bring insight beyond intuition.” These base components utilize machine learning (ML), artificial intelligence (AI), and large language models (LLM) to deploy outcomes. Bachman stressed that “this tool is not meant to replace the human recommendation, but to enhance it through datadriven insights and information not previously available in the decision-making process.” He said that the platform will show full-season analytics, such as in-season monitoring, as well as agronomic insights for the current crop year, including emergence, weeds, crop health (disease, nutrient deficiency, and underperforming areas), yield forecast, and variable dry down. Post-season insights will also be available. Bachman explained that multiple types of data used by the platform come from different sources. “Leveraging a host of integrations from machine data, organizational hierarchies, and third-party partners allows farmers to bring data to one place in an intuitive application,” Bachman mentioned. “Depending upon the individual farmer and FS retailer connections, additional value is generated through analytics and visualization,” he summed up. “These analytics and data sets are visible across key stakeholders in the farmer operation to drive two-way transparency and deeper understanding of agronomy opportunities to enhance yield and ROI. | pag 09 Partnership provides farmers with real-time, accurate digital agronomy ANDREW JOSEPH FARMS.COM “LEVERAGING A HOST OF INTEGRATIONS FROM MACHINE DATA, ORGANIZATIONAL HIERARCHIES, AND THIRD-PARTY PARTNERS ALLOWS FARMERS TO BRING DATA TO ONE PLACE IN AN INTUITIVE APPLICATION.” PHOTO: scharfsinn86 – stock.adobe.com
10 05 One Meter, Two Row Units Bourgault has released its new XP DUO Meter which can deliver seed to one or two row units... This innovative product allows you to maximize your productivity and reduce costs as you can seed or plant with a single unit. 03 Reduce Herbicide Usage by 90% Trimble’s WeedSeeker 2 uses advanced optics to identify and spot spray weeds in real-time. A sensor sends a signal to its linked spray nozzle, which will spot spray the weed and the weed only, resulting in up to 90% reduction in chemical applied. 01 SymphonyNozzle by Precision Planting The SymphonyNozzle system will help you achieve a consistent rate and pressure on every acre. This retrofit system is easy to install and simple to service, allowing you to upgrade any existing sprayer you might have. 04 Simplifying Farm Equipment Connectivity Case IH chats about simplifying equipment connectivity and getting some of that older equipment connected on the farm. Join as Case IH discusses various tractor and combine models that can be easily equipped with its technology. TECH CLIPS WATCH 02 Precision Sprayer Upgrades with JD John Deere discusses its precision ag upgrades for its sprayers including its Product Reclaim, Individual Nozzle Control Pro (INK Pro), Individual Nozzle Control HD (INK HD), ExactApply as well as its See & Spray Premium. WATCH WATCH WATCH WATCH
11 07 Bringing Technology to Your Harvest John Deere discusses the three different options for upgrading your combine with precision ag technology. Watch to learn how you can take your harvest to a new level. 06 Maximize Productivity in the Headland Ag Leader’s new automated turning feature, TurnPath, allows you to maximize productivity in the field by providing a seamless turn at each headland. TurnPath can be programmed to follow identical passes through the field, skip passes, alternate passes, and other pattern sequences. 08 AgRevolution’s Precision Agriculture Solutions Daniel Stansbury, AgRevolution’s general service manager, chats about its precision ag solutions and retrofit technologies from Precision Planting, Raven Industries, Ag Leader, and more. WATCH WATCH WATCH 10 How Could Technology Shape the Future of Ag? How could AI, connectivity, and automation shape the future of agriculture? John Deere shares its vision for the future and how technology will play a vital role in sustainably producing food. WATCH PHOTOS: DS70/E+ via Getty Images, stefann11/iStock/Getty Images Plus, hudiemm/iStock/Getty Images Plus 09 You Already Own Your Future Planter Precision Planting says that your future planter is in your machine shed. Explore how the company’s new retrofit CornerStone Planting System and bring cutting edge technology to your existing planter. WATCH WHAT’S NEW IN THE WORLD OF PRECISION AGRICULTURE? WATCH & LEARN TO FIND OUT
“The core advantage of data is that is tells you something about the world you didn’t know before.” This quote from Hilary Mason, a data scientist and founder of Fast Forward Labs, an applied machine learning group, implies the importance of data when needing answers to questions. To help farmers manage their data and find answers to questions about their operations, New Holland and CNH have introduced FieldOps. This farm management web and mobile platform brings real-time monitoring, remote display viewing and other features into one package for users. “Prior to FieldOps, CNH had several different solutions,” Grant Truesdale, a product marketing manager with CNH, told the Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest. “There was MyPLM on the New Holland side with MyPLM Connect Farm (and) MyPLM Connect Fleet. It was confusing for our customers on where to go to find certain information.” Users will need New Holland’s IntelliView 12 or Case IH’s AFS Pro 1200 display to maximize their experience with FieldOps. Farmers may also be able to use Raven displays for this application in the future. 12 INTRODUCING FieldOps FROM NEW HOLLAND This platform enhances how farming operations manage data DIEGO FLAMMINI FARMS.COM
And there is no hardware for farmers to install. These software updates can occur automatically when they become available. One of the platform’s features is the ability to visualize machines in real time. Operators can customize the platform to show data at a macro or micro level, said Paul Welbig, a precision product marketing director with New Holland. “It’s basically being able to see fuel tank levels, engine state, (and) vehicle speed,” he said. “You can also see vehicle task completion. In the example of a sprayer, if the system knows the volume of product in the tank, the total number of acres and the vehicle’s speed, it can produce a countdown of when it expects the sprayer is going to need to be refilled.” Other equipment makes and models can be supported in FieldOps too, he added. Another FieldOps attribute is agronomic data visualization. Farmers can receive a comprehensive analysis of a field’s conditions by toggling between layers of a specific job or activity. “This is about what you’re doing with the equipment in the field,” Welbig said. “The data that comes through planting, spraying or harvesting is what we mean by showing the agronomic data.” The third component of FieldOps is remote display viewing. A farmer, through the mobile or desktop application, can visualize the display to help operators make realtime adjustments. A time may come when farmers can make changes remotely, but there are safety parameters and other protocols that need to be followed, Truesdale said. To help ensure a reliable connection when using FieldOps, New Holland and CNH are collaborating with Intelsat, a leader in satellite communications. “Intelsat is providing connectivity to those customers in rural areas where cellular connection is poor,” Truesdale said. “Being able to bring them connectivity solutions, we’re using terminal hardware that’s mounted on top of the cab, and that’s communicating with Intelsat satellites.” CNH and New Holland recommend a dealer provide the terminal installation, Truesdale said. The Intelsat features are a limited launch in Brazil for 2024 but CNH and New Holland are looking at an expansion in 2025. Anyone looking for more information on FieldOps can visit CNH or New Holland’s websites, speak with a local dealer or visit their booths at local farm shows. | pag 13 PHOTO: New Africa – stock.adobe.com “IT’S BASICALLY BEING ABLE TO SEE FUEL TANK LEVELS, ENGINE STATE, (AND) VEHICLE SPEED. YOU CAN ALSO SEE VEHICLE TASK COMPLETION.”
We all know there is a shortage of skilled labor in the agriculture sector... It is becoming increasingly difficult for you to find operators, so many are turning to technology to fill the gap. That is where Sabanto steps in with its Steward™ platform. Steward™ is a retrofit technology that enables your tractor to run autonomously. “Steward is the most advanced autonomous platform in the agriculture industry, providing a solution to the labor problem,” Craig Rupp, CEO and founder of Sabanto told Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest. “The days of increasing the size of the equipment to compensate for the lack of labor are behind us. Steward’s running day in and day out, replacing H2A equipment operators today.” Using advanced cameras, GNSS systems, sensors, and robotics, Steward™ completes field work without the need for an operator. The platform is currently compatible with John Deere 5100M, John Deere 5100E, Fendt 700 Vario and Kubota M5 tractors — but there is a new kid on the block. “We added the Deere 5075E to our portfolio because our customers are demanding an even lower HP, ROPS, i.e. a lower cost solution. We are opportunistic in the models we support. Our customers drive us to support certain models,” added Rupp. The company also says that more platforms will be added throughout 2024. Sabanto’s Steward™ takes care of rolling, mowing, rototilling, aerating, seeding and more. The two main components of the system are its main control unit and its vision and navigation components. The main control unit takes control of the tractor’s power and steering systems. Sabanto’s website says that the main control unit consists of an operating system, Vehicle Path Finding Module (vPFM), and Vehicle OS (vOS), which transforms your field operations, created in mobile and desktop applications, into actionable instructions for the Steward to execute. Its vision and navigation system includes antennas, a GNSS unit, sensors to detect obstacles, as well as video cameras that connects to the main control unit. This technology sends and receives video and navigational data allowing you to monitor operations in real-time. 14 PHOTO: sabantoag.com SABANTO BRINGS AUTONOMY TO JOHN DEERE 5075E No operator? No problem with Steward™ platform RYAN RIDLEY MANAGING EDITOR
You can access this information and set up tasks in Sabanto’s Vehicle Mission Control (vMC) app. Within the app you map out the task at hand—where the tractor should go, what to avoid, and how fast it should operate. Step 1: Create a Job This is where you will define what is workable land and what is not workable land. You will select the tractor to complete the task as well as the implement required. Step 2: Create a Mission After the Job has been created, you will break the job into smaller ‘Missions.’ Turn-by-turn paths are created in this step. You can also run simultaneous missions within a job using multiple tractors. Step 3: Run a Mission From here you can monitor the mission in realtime. The app will also alert you when something unexpected happens, like the identification of an unexpected object. What is the turnaround time for equipping a tractor with Steward™? Well, it depends. “This is dependent upon the make and model number. Quite often, adding another model number to our portfolio requires zero engineering. For example, we support the John Deere 5090E because it is mechanically and electrically identical to the 5100E,” explains Rupp. “The John Deere 5075E is quite similar to the John Deere 5100E and required very little engineering. The Fendt 700 was a substantial engineering effort.” Rupp adds that the company is working diligently with farmers to scale their operations to accelerate the adoption of autonomy. “Creating a ground-breaking technology is one thing. Integrating it into a farming operation at scale is another,” says Rupp. | pag 15 www.agcareers.com 877.438.5729 AgCareers.com agcareers@agcareers.com
Despite being present in markets all over the planet, CNH Industrial has plans to take things outta this world thanks to its partnership with Intelsat. CNH is known for its agricultural and construction technologies, specifically through its well-respected Case IH and New Holland brands. As of 2019, the company had over 63,000 people in 67 manufacturing plants and 56 research and development centers, operating across 180 countries. And CNH wants more. As part of its strategy to bring more offboard tools to its customers, the company recognizes that the availability of connectivity to highspeed broadband services has been a limiting factor in its ability to grow its business. Although telecommunications companies are making progress in providing better high-speed internet service to customers, rural businesses are not seeing the benefits. To counter that, CNH’s Bring Your Own Connectivity (BYOC) feature allows for customer crop producers to tether to an internet connectivity device—such as a satellite, cellular, or Wi-Fi—on a farm vehicle to create and maintain a high-quality internet connection from anywhere. Enter Intelsat. For over 60 years, Intelsat has been a global satellite communications (SATCOM) leader and pioneer. With decades of learning behind them, they have been using rugged technologies that have been tested to withstand the rigors of the military, airlines, and more. And, according to Chris Dempsey, the Director of Product Management and Product Marketing for CNH, the technology is now ready to withstand the extremes of the farming environment, including high levels of shock and vibration. “CNH is leveraging Intelsat’s existing satellite network,” noted Dempsey. “Users will have the flexibility to add an Intelsat terminal to their existing machines to connect to their network.” CNH customers will be able to purchase and service Intelsat terminals from their local dealerships. Any updates to the ag technology are made by CNH but are transmitted by Intelsat’s SATCOM system seamlessly through the atmosphere. Although the satellite system will start by serving customers in Brazil in the latter half of 2024, CNH said that it will expand to other countries and regions at later dates. Already in space, Intelsat’s satellite system uses both geosynchronous and low-Earth orbiting paths to provide those with an Intelsat terminal on their farm vehicle with a stronger broadband connection. 16 MAKING CONNECTIONS CNH ensures ag customers get high-speed broadband ANDREW JOSEPH FARMS.COM
Having a consistently strong internet signal is key to allowing farm businesses to expand into the use of precision agriculture technologies or, if they already have some, to use them better. “The focus of this partnership,” explained Dempsey, “is to make innovation more accessible to all farmers, everywhere. “This starts with bringing more connectivity to CNH customers in under-serviced areas.” Can You Hear Me Now? Dempsey told Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest that the ConectarAGRO Rural Connectivity Indicator is a tool that helps identify the regions that need investments in connectivity the most. It was developed by ConectarAGRO, a nonprofit civil association that is dedicated to expanding internet access in remote areas of Brazil. The indicator found that only 37 percent of the country’s rural properties have 4G coverage throughout the agricultural-use area, and only 19 percent use high-speed internet access. “Our partnership with Intelsat aims to increase these percentages by resolving complex connectivity challenges for these farmers,” stated Dempsey. He noted that ConectarAGRO also has partnerships with CNH, AGCO, Amazon Web Services, Nokia, Solinftec, TIM, and Vivo. “Our collaboration with Intelsat will make connectivity more accessible for farmers worldwide—and yes, we will be launching in North America in the future,” stated Dempsey. “Connectivity is the foundation of almost all automated precision technologies. “Consistent connectivity makes machine and agronomic data sharing more reliable, improves corrections for automatic guidance and steering technologies, enables remote monitoring and management, improves field mapping accuracy, and so much more.” Not only that, but Dempsey said that the system will increase efficiencies as the transmitted data will improve operational processes. Also, with the increased visibility, farm operators can manage their farms from anywhere. And, as one would expect, because farmers are now provided with consistent internet connectivity, they can access their precision ag technologies and therefore make more efficient data-driven decisionmaking. | pag 17 “CONNECTIVITY IS THE FOUNDATION OF ALMOST ALL AUTOMATED PRECISION TECHNOLOGIES.” PHOTO: cnh.com
01 Another AI Spraying Option in the U.S. Greeneye Technology, a leader in AI precision spraying, opens its first dealership with Nebraska’s Boeck Seeds. The partnership aims to support U.S. expansion, providing advanced weed control and cost savings by an average of 88%. MORE 18 BITS & BYTES 02 Rantizo Adds XAG P100 Pro Drone Rantizo expands its portfolio with the XAG P100 Pro drone, enhancing options for spray drone operators. This efficient, high-capacity drone with battery hot swapping offers optimal performance, helping operators deliver exceptional service and grow their businesses. MORE 05 Blue Lite, Plug-And-Play Grain Monitoring OPI introduces Blue Lite, a user-friendly handheld grain monitoring device that simplifies grain management. Accessible via phone or cloud for enhanced convenience, the device provides reliable data collection on temperature, moisture, and CO2. MORE 04 Lindsay Enhances FieldNET Advisor Lindsay Corporation enhances FieldNET Advisor™ with real-time data upgrades, wholefarm management, and simplified subscriptions. These improvements help growers reduce input costs, conserve resources, and maximize yields through precise irrigation, making farming more efficient and sustainable. MORE 03 SwarmFarm Robotics Delivers First U.S. SwarmBot Australian-based SwarmFarm Robotics delivers its first autonomous SwarmBot to Beck’s Hybrids in the U.S., expanding its platform with new applications. The company aims to grow its SwarmConnect network, focusing on non-chemical weeding and weather-adaptive crop protection. MORE
19 08 NEC X Invests in Verdi for Farm Automation NEC X invests in Verdi Expeditions, advancing farm automation and personalized plant healthcare. The collaboration enhances NEC’s CropScope initiative, improving irrigation practices in Portugal. This strategic partnership drives innovation, sustainability, and global agricultural productivity. MORE 07 A Degree in Precision Agriculture? SDSU offers its first Precision Agriculture bachelor’s degree. The program integrates research and industry feedback, preparing students for evolving agricultural challenges with cutting-edge tools and techniques. MORE 06 AGCO Delivers at Celebration of Modern Ag AGCO recently showcased innovative equipment from its Fendt, Massey Ferguson, and Precision Planting brands at AEM’s Celebration of Modern Ag on the National Mall, May 6-8, 2024. Explore what sustainable solutions were highlighted. MORE 09 Boosted Breeding: Ohalo’s GameChanging Agricultural Innovation Ohalo™ introduces Boosted Breeding™, a groundbreaking plant breeding technology that enhances crop yields and increases genetic diversity. According to Ohalo™, the system enables each parent plant to pass its entire genome to its offspring, rather than a random half of the genes of each parent. MORE PHOTO: FluxFactory/E+ via Getty Images 10 AGCO Invests in Innova Ag Innovation Fund AGCO’s investment in Innova Ag Innovation Fund VI supports advanced, sustainable farming solutions. Through AGCO Ventures, this collaboration leverages Innova’s expertise in early-stage agtech startups to drive innovation and automation in agriculture. MORE
Precision technology that multiplies the impact it creates for farmers through seamless, intelligent, and farmer-centric technologies. That’s the idea behind AGCO’s newest venture, PTx. “We believe there’s an opportunity for us to really drive the innovations and make sure we’re on the leading edge of innovations, and not just do that for technology that can be installed at a factory or that could be an order code on a tractor or combine,” Seth Crawford, senior vice president and general manager of precision ag and digital with AGCO, told the Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest. “We want to make the technology available for the existing equipment out there. Because the reality is not every farmer wants to buy new equipment to get new technology.” PTx is made up of multiple components. There’s PTx Trimble, which includes Trimble Ag, JCA Technologies, Muller Elektronik and Bilberry. And each of those companies brings a specific benefit to the larger picture. “Trimble brings their portfolio of guidance and data management solutions, as well as water management and active implement guidance,” Crawford said. “From a spraying standpoint, WeedSeeker is also part of that portfolio.” Bilberry’s contributions are centered around targeted spraying and artificial intelligence capabilities. Its system scans, detects and sprays weeds in real time. This can help farmers reduce herbicide use by more than 80 percent, Bilberry’s website says. The Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest dove into the Bilberry system in the Spring 2024 issue. JCA Technologies specializes in the design of electronic systems and software development to support autonomy. The company is helping AGCO reach its goal of a fully autonomous crop cycle by 2030, Crawford said. And Muller Elektronik develops and produces electronic solutions for the ag sector. “They’re a leader in the ISO standard developments to allow interoperability between implements and machines,” Crawford said. “They bring engineering, OEM and design capabilities.” The other piece of PTx is Precision Planting, which develops products to improve planting, liquid application and harvest operations. 20 AGCO LAUNCHES PTx This new venture brings together multiple players to support farmers with precision ag capabilities DIEGO FLAMMINI FARMS.COM PHOTOS: scharfsinn86 – stock.adobe.com, zhaojiankang/iStock/Getty Images Plus
21 AGCO acquired Precision Planting in 2017 and announced the PTx venture in 2024. Crawford is confident that farmers can believe in what AGCO is bringing to the market. “I think people were skeptical a few years ago, thinking this is another OEM buying a technology company and they’re not going to make it available for my brand of equipment or continue a dedicated channel to bring advanced technology to precision agriculture,” he said. “I hope we’re proving people wrong by now. Farmers don’t have to completely flip their fleet to get the latest technology. They can incrementally invest and realize the benefits.” A 2023 USDA report on technology use found that 27 percent of farmers use some sort of precision technology. That percentage was up from 25 percent in 2021. Flip to page 6 for a breakdown of precision agriculture usage by state. The more comprehensive, user friendly and reliable precision ag becomes, the more farmers may be willing to adopt it, Crawford said. “My passion is to make precision ag easy to use and reliable so farmers can realize the full capability, and that’s where I think the future is super bright,” he said. “There’s more capability being developed today in related technologies, such as artificial intelligence, that helps us see how farmers are using it, and then be able to offer solutions on how they can maximize those capabilities while they’re in the season.” | pag CHOOSE BETWEEN CROP NEWSLETTERS IN YOUR REGION, A FARM MACHINERY NEWSLETTER, OR THIS DIGITAL DIGEST. “FARMERS DON’T HAVE TO COMPLETELY FLIP THEIR FLEET TO GET THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY. THEY CAN INCREMENTALLY INVEST AND REALIZE THE BENEFITS.”
22 BUILDING TOWARDS PRECISION AGRICULTURE ANDREW JOSEPH FARMS.COM It’s almost poetic that shovels in the ground on May 6, 2024, marked the beginning of construction efforts to build the National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture at the Nebraska Innovation Campus at the University of Nebraska. Thanks to a partnership between the US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Research Service (ARS), the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL), and the Nebraska Innovation Campus, the research center will seek to push for opportunities in agricultural innovation well into the 21st century. Originally from Augusta, Georgia, Chavonda JacobsYoung is the USDA Chief Scientist and Undersecretary for Research, Education and Economics. She noted that there’s been a long history of scientific collaboration between the ARS and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. “Updated facilities ensure our best and brightest scientists work in the environment and with the tools they need to successfully meet the challenges agriculture faces,” according to Jacobs-Young in an article recently published by the UNL. Because science never stops moving forward, Farms.com Precision Ag Digital Digest monitors how our production systems and ag landscapes are changing thanks to digital technologies. For example, precision ag technologies all need to have the latest tools and information. Farmers across the US and Canada need to have high-speed internet service available to keep their vehicles running at optimum crop development performance. Having up-to-date—up to the second tools and data— helps the farmer and the farm equipment and tools make the best-informed decision for their own unique farm situations. Although precision ag also includes technological equipment and machines, the new National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture will instead examine key research areas to provide answers to certain challenges and promote, it is hoped, the ultimate sustainable, resilient, and highly efficient agriculture practices for farmers to follow and use to gain better crop yields and maximize profit margins. Of course, Mother Nature will still have to cooperate. But even with that big “what if,” the researchers have big hopes for this new center.
23 A new center for resilient and regenerative precision ag is being built at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln “This project is a testament to the long history of innovation, ingenuity, and adaptability of agricultural producers across the United States and right here in Nebraska. It celebrates an incredibly productive 120-year partnership between USDA-ARS and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and it exemplifies the passion and dedication of agricultural, state, and federal leaders,” said Mike Boehm, the Vice Chancellor for UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources. “I believe the work that will take place in this facility will usher in a new era of American agriculture, and I’m thrilled that what happens next in agriculture will happen first in Nebraska.” The National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture is designed to be a $160 million USDA laboratory and is expected to double the USDA’s science and support staff presence at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. The first phase of completed work will feature 15,000 square feet of greenhouses and 10,000 square feet of headhouse space and will physically connect with the Greenhouse Innovation Center at the Nebraska Innovation Campus. This new greenhouse space will allow ARS to perform research on wheat, barley, sorghum, forage and bioenergy grasses, and other crops. Research on how these plants respond to emerging pests and pathogens under a full range of environmental conditions will empower scientists to make cutting-edge discoveries to develop climate-resilient crops for the US agriculture industry. Once fully completed, the agriculture research complex will function as a central hub for multidisciplinary experts, scientists, and engineers who will collaborate with industry and producers to improve water and food security, increase the resilience of agricultural landscapes, and enhance agricultural profitability. “The complex problems we face today in the ag industry require unprecedented levels of collaboration to overcome. This facility will help us achieve that goal, aligning resources and magnifying impressive impacts on agriculture nationwide,” exclaimed Chancellor Rodney D. Bennett. “This national center will become the model for excellence in ag-focused innovation.” It is expected that the National Center for Resilient and Regenerative Precision Agriculture will further strengthen the long-lasting collaboration over the past century between ARS and UNL. These partnerships have advanced research on sustainable bioenergy crops and production systems in an age where agriculture is expected to supply 40 percent of US liquid fuels (via biofuels) within the next three decades, in addition to providing food and fiber to the nation’s growing population. As noted, the new center will perform research on wheat, barley, sorghum, forage and bioenergy grasses, and other crops. However, it is worth noting that the UNL is already currently home to the Wheat, Sorghum and Forage Research Unit and the Agroecosystem Management Research Unit. Scientists at these two units are already making significant contributions to crop and livestock production systems by improving productivity, stability of production, sustainability, and profitability. But it is hoped that with the new research center’s upgraded facilities, their work will be able to proceed even faster with innovative solutions. | pag “THIS NATIONAL CENTER WILL BECOME THE MODEL FOR EXCELLENCE IN AG-FOCUSED INNOVATION.” PHOTO: unl.edu
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTQyMDk=