Tracking labor performance and product quality now comes at the touch of a button… or the flash of a scan rather. The all-in-one Labor Performance and Product Quality Management Systems, one of the newest products from John Deere Agri Services, boasts unmatched data collection for hand-harvested crops. The hand-held device measures crew output and productivity, harvest performance, and crop quality, quantity, location, attributes and more through the use of barcodes on worker IDs, RFID tags and GPS field location. All information and data is then instantly uploaded to a specialized website accessed through unique user and password information. John Deere says the bottom line is, the device allows farmers to, well, increase their bottom lines by giving them more control and manageability over production and workers alike.
I spoke with Richard Johnson (pictured left), the National Account Manager of Production and John Deere Agri Services about the Labor Performance and Product Quality Management Systems. You can listen to my interview with Richard here:
Richard Johnson Interview Interview (7 min. mp3)
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Swath Control Pro is getting more popular with growers every season. Kirk Swihart says that’s because the technology reduces overlap and helps farmers improve their input costs. Kirk is the Technical Assistant Supervisor with John Deere. He reminds growers that all 4000 series sprayers are compatible with the Swath Control Pro. He says growers do need John Deere’s StarFire application or another third party receiver to use the technology. He adds that Swath Control Pro offers farmers an improved coverage map, and, coupled with John Deere’s AutoTrac, growers can use it to cover more acres in one day than ever before.
Here is the second part of an interview that Chuck did recently with Kirk: Kirk Swihart Interview (4 min. MP3)
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Peter Kyveryga says it’s no secret that manure applications can be difficult to handle. It also should be no secret that the Iowa Soybean Association offers manure management resources to farmers through its On-Farm Network. Peter says the On-Farm Network encourages farmers to conduct their own manure management techniques through trials and field tests, but he adds that there is plenty of information and data available through the On-Farm Network. ISA’s manure management program looks at the performance of manure, considers the nutrient value of different manures and looks at manure variability. The On-Farm Network has also developed protocols for using precision farm equipment to record and locate areas of trials and field tests.
Chuck interviewed Peter about ISA’s Manure Management. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here: Peter Kyveryga Interview (6 min. MP3)
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Bottom line: John Deere wants consumers to truly master new products and technologies the company offers. That’s why John Deere’s Ag Managment Solutions has developed its Dealer-Consultant Strategy. The strategy is simple: have an AMS expert available to dealerships nationwide. In some cases its an expert or two. Mark Theuerkauf says the Dealer-Consultant strategy is a unique channel of expertise and is an invaluable too for dealers and customers of AMS products. He says such a support system is necessary for a technology that is still considered relatively new. Mark says there are currently 270 AMS consultants throughout the country.
Chuck interviewed Mark about AMS’s Dealer-Consultant Strategy. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here: Mark Theuerkauf Interview (5 min. MP3)
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The new John Deere Rx Converter makes John Deere hardware more compatible with various software applications. Darin Krantz with John Deere Ag Management Solutions says compatibility is an integral part of modern machinery and that’s why Deere is offering the Rx Converter for free. Darin says as Deere’s GSII packages become more popular, more software vendors are wanting to become compatible with the technology.
Chuck interviewed Darin about the Rx Converter and where users can go to find it. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here: Darin Krantz Interview (4 min. MP3)
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The big advantage of the Iowa Soybean Association’s On-Farm Network is the first-hand look at what ISA has to offer. At least, that’s what ISA’s On-Farm Senior Research Associate Peter Kyveryga thinks. He says the On-Farm Network influences people where it counts most: out in the field. Peter says on farm trials show results and that’s a big factor for most people involved in the ag industry.
Peter has been researching data on variable rate applications of nitrogen, trying to determine what is beneficial for farmers. While his office is still looking for answers, Peter does suggest that farmers should execute small scale trials to determine results before fully jumping into any kind of application.
Chuck interviewed Peter about the statistical analysis work he does with the On-Farm Network. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here: Peter Kyveryga Interview (8 min. MP3)
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John Deere’s Ag Management Solutions really wants to provide solutions… not just for its customers, but also for its dealers and consultants. That’s why AMS developed its Masters Program. Mark Theuerkauf is with Deere AMS and he says the Masters Program is a program that’s specifically tailored for dealers who want to focus on new AMS products being released to consumers. Theuerkauf says the two and a half day program allows dealers and consultants to experience new products during live demonstrations out in the field. The program is held in Corpus Christi, TX and has grown to more than 400 attendees.
Chuck interviewed Mark about the AMS Masters program. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here: Mark Theuerkauf Interview (5 min. MP3)
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What’s in store for the 2008 planting season? Well, Tracy Blackmer with the Iowa Soybean Association On-Farm Network has some ideas. He says the price of corn and beans are increasing, so farmers will be looking how to best position those crops. He adds that fungicides are always a hot topic with farmers, and so are nitrogen and Round-Up Ready applications.
Chuck interviewed Tracy about what farmers are planning for the 2008 planting season. You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Tracy here: Tracy Blackmer Interview (5 min. MP3)
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The pressure is on in the farming industry. At least, that’s what the English think. The Engineer Online reports that Prof John Beddington, the English government’s new chief scientific adviser, has claimed that an “impending food crisis is the biggest challenge facing humanity.” And, as it turns out, The Engineer Online says experts agree that precision farming is a major player in combating this “impending crisis.” That’s not all. They’ve highlighted John Deere’s new ITEC Pro system as THE example of the technology needed to face the food crisis.
One of the most promising developments is the emerging area of precision farming, where GPS-guided agricultural machines, armed with a detailed knowledge of a field’s varying characteristics, place seeds, fertilisers and nutrients where they are needed most…
Although the idea is not new, agribusiness consultant Neil Cameron believes precision farming is finally coming of age. ‘People have been playing around with it for years, but in the last 18 months we’ve hit a place where the equipment’s got cheaper, and the accuracy has got better and better.’
While this has much to do with the ever-improving resolution of satellite systems, one of the main reasons the approach now holds such promise is the advanced performance of today’s agricultural machines.
Today’s tractors, mainly GPS-guided and able to steer themselves, and combines have relegated the driver to the role of passenger. And there is more to come.
Earlier this year, agricultural machinery giant John Deere took the technology a step further with the launch of iTEC pro, a system that automates not only the steering, but also all of a tractor’s operations. ‘Pretty much from the moment you enter the field and set to work the operator is just a passenger,’ said Mark James, the company’s product manager for agricultural management solutions…
However, the prospect of armies of driverless robots toiling in the fields while the farmer sits at a desk at home is remote, said James. Not only would fears of 300hp combine harvesters hurtling out of control halt such plans, but there is always likely to be a need for on-site human expertise. The real benefit of automation, he said, is that it enables more efficient use of the driver’s expertise by freeing him from having to drive in a straight line for hours.
James added that while humans might not be completely removed from the loop, we may soon see operators driving one machine while a succession of driverless vehicles follow on behind. ‘On a multi-pass operation like planting potatoes — when there’s three or four operations — one man could potentially do this on his own but with a succession of different machines. Then you’ve got the experience in the operation, rather than expecting an automated system to make all the decisions.’
Click here to view the full article.
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ITEC Pro stands for Intelligent Total Equipment Control. And, it does exactly what it sounds like it does. Darin Krantz is the product development manager in the marketing department at John Deere Ag Management Solutions. He says the ITEC Pro automates the entire driving function for qualified Deere tractors, giving less-skilled operators the precision they need to make more efficient and accurate turns.
Chuck spoke with Darin about this John Deere exclusive, which represents the latest technology from Deere’s AutoTrac application. You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Darin here: Darin Krantz Interview (4 min. MP3)
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