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.

Harvest is almost here again!

It may seem like quite a while from now, but the summer is flying by, and for me, it goes really fast from here until harvest.  First of all, we will have our annual, Pre Harvest Training sessions next week - One in Harlan, and one in Ames.  These are free to attend, but we do want you to register.  You can register by clicking HERE. 

Let's not forget about the Iowa State Fair, which is always a good time!

After that, there is the farm shows - Farm Progress Show and Husker Harvest Days.  HTS will have a booth at both, so if you plan to attend stop by and see us! 

My guess is that combines will be rolling by the time we finish Husker Harvest Days this year...... 

If you have any service work that needs done before harvest, give us a call.  If you would just like to have a tech come look over your system before you go to the field this fall, we can handle that also! 

Still don't have a yield monitor?  You may have some of the parts already!  With any Ag Leader display, you can easily move it to the combine.  There is still plenty of time to get this done for 2010.  HTS has several combine systems in stock and ready for install.

Any questions - contact me.  We have lots of resources available to make your fall harvest successful!

New Software Platform Announced from Ag Leader

Ag Leader announced today that their SMS Mobile software will now run on a PC.  Many have asked me if they could get SMS Mobile with a bigger screen, and this is how that is now possible.  This new software release, called SMS Mobile PC, will run on laptops, tablets, and netbooks running Windows XP, Vista, or Windows 7.

This will allow for higher screen resolution, larger buttons, faster processing, and more memory than the PDA version could.  All of the same modes - Boundary, Soil Sampling, Crop Scouting, Coverage Logging, and General Logging will be available in SMS Mobile PC.

Shipment of this new product release is expected to begin in the fall of 2010.