06 When traveling the unknown, and you come upon a fork in the road, you always want to choose the right path. Headquartered in Ames, Iowa, Ag Leader Technology Inc. was founded in 1992 and now offers a complete line of proven precision ag technology that it said is easy to use with seamless integration into the existing farmer machinery. Family-owned and -operated, the company solely focuses on precision farming technology, continually looking to innovate and automate tasks that optimize field activities across every season. Its most recent precision ag technology is RightPath, a passive implement steering solution that keeps implements centered on the guidance line. So, we asked Logan Handsaker, Product Sales Specialist with Ag Leader, to tell us why a farmer needs RightPath. He explained, “The problem, generally, is that because the implement is only controlled by a tractor’s forward motion, it drifts from side to side. In many cases, an implement can drift off the intended guidance line up to 10 inches or more, even on flat ground. The size and speed of the tractor, the length and width of the implement, as well as varying terrain and soil conditions, influence drift. As a result, numerous issues can occur.” Some of the issues without RightPath, said Handsaker, are: • Planter drift on sidehills and curves can lead to crowded rows reducing yield or large gaps that promote weed growth. • When strip-tilling, yield suffers when the seed isn’t placed into the strips and near nutrients. • Row crop farmers can’t easily reuse their planting guidance lines to autosteer through the rows in the next field activity due to the risk of their autosteer system running over crops since the planted rows don’t consistently follow the guidance line. • Irregular and inconsistent guess rows can make it challenging to spray, side dress, and harvest without damaging crops and experiencing yield loss. “But, for farmers that use RightPath to keep implements centered on the guidance line, it not only ensures precise input placement but also increases operational efficiency throughout the growing season by minimizing crop damage, yield loss, and operator stress,” he said. ON A STRAIGHT PATH The RightPath Steering Solution Ensures the Implement Is Where You Want It to Be ANDREW JOSEPH FARMS.COM PHOTOS: agleader.com, abramovphoto – stock.adobe.com
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