Friday, December 23, 2011

Packing Up and Moving Out!!!

My blog has moved!!!  This will be my last post here, and this entire blog has moved to http://htsag.wordpress.com/

Come on over and check out the new blog with  a new look!

Friday, December 16, 2011

The Value of Data

Precision Ag hardware has made tremendous strides in helping to increase efficiency, reduce costs and operator fatigue, and these things are all very valuable to any sustianable farm operation, but how are you using the data that is captured by all of this hardware? 

The data being captured could easily be argued as the most valuable part of the whole equation, offering the ability to be informed and make decisions with a large impact, such as seed selection, decisions about tile, in field comparisons of different products - the list goes on almost endlessly.

Imagine improving your yields by as little as just 1% each year, and do it year after year -

If you currently average 180 bushel per acre corn, at $5.50 per bushel, that is $990 in gross income.  A one percent increase in your yields, 1.8 bushels per acre, would add $9.90 per acre to your bottom line.

The next year, you could add an additional 1%, increasing average yields to 183.6 bushels per acre, with another 1.8 bushels more than the last year for you to sell.  Your gross income would be $1009.80, adding $19.80 per acre to your farm.

The bottom line?  If you aren't spending time analyzing your data, this is a place to be looking!  If you don't have the time or ability to do it yourself, hire someone that can.  HTS offers several packages to analyze your data, ALL of them for less than your return of a 1% yield increase.

I will continue to post specific examples with real numbers from data we have analyzed.  If you have questions or would like to see data on a specific topic, let me know!

If you have a story to share of how valuable your data is, we would love to share it for you!

Monday, December 12, 2011

Ag Leader announces Planter Down Force Monitor and Control

Here is the official press release from Ag Leader, I will add my thoughts at the end -


Ag Leader Announces Planter Down Force Monitor and Control 

AMES, IOWA, December 9, 2011 - Ag Leader Technology is excited to announce the INTEGRA™ display will soon feature planter down force monitor and control capability, allowing the display to monitor and adjust down force based on field and soil conditions.  Planting seed at the optimum row unit down force is an important factor in good crop germination, and ultimately, yield.  The system will be available for the 2013 spring planting season, with field test systems in operation during the spring 2012 planting season. 

The heart of the system is a hydraulic down force actuator, engineered by Dawn Equipment. The actuator is the fastest on the market, allowing the INTEGRA display to make quick row unit down force adjustments.  Ag Leader will be selling and supporting a branded version of the actuator.

“Soil conditions encountered by the planter change fast,” says Ag Leader Product Manager Roger Zielke.  “Other down force pressure systems that rely on air compressors and air bags can’t respond like this hydraulic system. The planter can be a long way past a different soil condition before air bags fully respond. The hydraulic system reacts as soon as the planter enters a different soil condition, providing consistent seed depth without seed trench compaction.  Plus, hydraulic systems hold up better in dusty, rigorous field conditions compared to air-compressor systems.”

About Ag Leader
Ag Leader Technology, Inc. is a pioneer and recognized technology innovator of precision agriculture hardware and software. Located in Ames, Iowa, USA, the company manufactures and markets industry leading precision farming technology designed to help growers make smart, profitable business decisions. Founded in 1992, the company has achieved consistent growth and expansion by providing value-based products that help growers and agricultural professionals achieve and maintain a successful, profitable operation.

For more information visit: www.agleader.com

About Dawn Equipment
Dawn Equipment Company is a Sycamore, Illinois-based manufacturer of ground engaging row crop tools.  Since 1993, the company has built top-quality products out of American made components.  Working always from first concept, the company develops innovative precision agriculture systems that adapt to constantly evolving farming practices.
For more information visit: www.dawnequipment.com 

(End of press release)

Finally, we have a system available that shows potential to do exactly what we have wanted without having to wait for air bags to respond.  This opens the door to so many opportunities, all around us as farmers doing a better job in the field, and in turn raising a better crop!  My thoughts are, tractors already have hydraulics, and maintaining an air compressor in a high dust environment becomes quite a task.