GPS Precision Farming Accuracy

[LHF2019]

I use GPS. No subscription. 100% more accurate than not using it. Use it for spraying fertilizing some planting and for running cultimulchers on no till ground because you can’t see where you been.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I also use a Raven GPS system and it allows me to put out fertilizer or spray herbicides and pesticides and be +or- an inch or so, I think they are a very useful tool to minimize wasting expensive chemicals and fertilizers.

 

[dodge man]

Wheel slippage has nothing to do with the gps itself. It might be tied into to the system overall. In other words the computer might get info from gps and the tractor itself.

 

[number two]

And what happens when all this hi-tech stuff breaks down?

 

[zzvyb6]

And what happens when all this hi-tech stuff breaks down?

City folks are going to starve.

 

[LHF2019]

I use GPS. No subscription. 100% more accurate than not using it. Use it for spraying fertilizing some planting and for running cultimulchers on no till ground because you can’t see where you been. View attachment 871751

I will add that it does not compensate for side hills and even going over woodchuck holes makes it think your off. Go under trees and it loses signal then your lines are off. If using for planting I have to plan for that. Leaving the field to refill and come back 30 minutes later the lines have moved and need recalibrated. Those are some of the issues that buying the high tech systems take care of. What I can do now is relax while spreading or spraying. No more looking for wheel tracks questimating if I'm close. Spreader is a 40' spread width and sprayer is 30'. Sit back finger on steering wheel and just drive. Turn at the end and know you are right where you need to be. Also extends my day by working after dark.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I will add that it does not compensate for side hills and even going over woodchuck holes makes it think your off. Go under trees and it loses signal then your lines are off. If using for planting I have to plan for that. Leaving the field to refill and come back 30 minutes later the lines have moved and need recalibrated. Those are some of the issues that buying the high tech systems take care of. What I can do know is relax while spreading or spraying. No more looking for wheel tracks questimating if I'm close. Spreader is a 40' spread width and sprayer is 30'. Sit back finger on steering wheel and just drive. Turn at the end and know you are right where you need to be. Also extends my day by working after dark.
View attachment 871817

Yep, I call it painting lines, and while it has many more features, painting lines is mostly what I use mine for.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

And what happens when all this hi-tech stuff breaks down?

I go back to doing it the old ways, just because you embrace some new technologies doesn't mean you forget how it was done before.

 

[oldnslo]

Wheel slippage has nothing to do with the gps itself. It might be tied into to the system overall. In other words the computer might get info from gps and the tractor itself.

I believe the concern was sidehill slippage and not wheel spin. The GPS does try to compensate for side hill slide or slippage.

On wheel spin - loosing speed I believe there is also compensation for rate control but not sure if this is GPS or some other speed sensor like radar.

I believe GPS is also used for variable rate control today for seeding, fertilizer application, spraying.

Lots of hi- tech when it works its great, when it doesn’t the work still needs to get done so you go from being a passenger to an actual driver again.

 

[Wood_Butcher_Dav]

I'll chime in on this thread as I work in the AG industry, as the company i work for builds many different sensors for Precision Planters.

Precision planting speed now is usually done by ground speed radar sensor. They also use a hall effect sensor looking at a wheel disk on the planter.

Planting also starts off in the office. There are several different PC software systems that tie all the information together. Each field is mapped using a GPS system.

The field 'prescription' is loaded into the tractors computer that communicates with the planter controller. Once the precision planter is in the field working it can then shut off or change rates to individual rows as it moves through the field. There is also a planter monitor that has seed population, target rates, %skips, %doubles for each row.

Some tractors are also equipped with 'Auto Steer' and auto turn on end row.

Dave