GPS technology puts implement in exactly the right spot

Adelia Ladson, The Moultrie Observer

MOULTRIE — It seems the Global Positioning System (GPS) technology has taken farming into the Space Age, and this year Trimble has introduced more improvements to its automated steering system.

“Trimble today introduced its new AgGPS Implement Steering system for keeping implements pulled by tractors using the Trimble RTK Autopilot automated steering systems on the same repeatable path, even on extremely sloped fields,” said Levi Kettle, Trimble representative.

In Georgia, it seems that the peanut crop would reap the most benefits from this system by the nature of the crop’s growth. Since peanuts are dug up, conventional methods may tend to miss part of the crop by the deviation from row to row a driver or implement makes when harvesting. This system, which is mounted on the implement itself, has the ability to lower the margin of error or side drafting to within half an inch.

Cutting down on this side drafting should show a benefit to the farmer who uses the system, Trimble officials said. In short, a farmer can dig exactly where he planted each seed because the system tracks the field initially, when its planted, and then records the information for the harvest. The tractor is communicating with the implement every row, and with 30 satellites rotating in space to connect with there should be constant service, said Gary Mohr, field application engineer for Trimble.

“RTK is really reliable,” said Mohr.

According to Brian Kelly, Trimble dealer, there are 170 of these systems in use in South Georgia. He said that his customers have had a 200- to 250-pound increase in their peanut crops.

“Peanuts and produce have a very good payback,” said Mohr.

Aside from the possible increase in return, Kettle said that the farmer can also cover more acreage with less fuel and less time. Factors like wet spots in the field and the sun going down before a field is done are no longer a problem, he said.

“This eliminates a lot of what Mother Nature throws at them,” said Kettle.

Mohr said that a farmer with about 300 acres of peanuts could make his investment pay back because there is no damage done to the rows and the system would pay for itself in a short period of time. Projections for the year’s return could be made more accurately he said.

“After the first year, you’ll know exactly how many rows each field has got. It’s also very user-friendly,” said Mohr.

The steering system can, most of the time, be interchanged from implement to implement, said Kettle.