Farming tech...
- Thread starter Dave P.
- Start date
Interesting technology. I can see several issues they'll have to address, but I'm sure they're working on those. Well, actually, I hope they're working on those. :wink:
The fishing industry has used this type of thing for decades. The only thing I see slowing it down is cost. And, the ability to retrofit existing equipment.
JFB
Hunter
watch out for FRANK
https://youtu.be/Xm77JG6d99M?t=164
https://youtu.be/Xm77JG6d99M?t=164
There's a lot more places this 'technology' won't work vs places it will work. I watched from a county road as technicians from Kinze struggled with one of the earliest attempts to put an autonomous tractor in the field. At that time, all they were trying to do was have the tractor drive to a spot in the field so the combine could unload into the grain cart and then the tractor was 'supposed' to return to the field edge to await a truck. They started about mid-morning and had sort of made it work by dark.
We plan to adopt 'auto-steer' on one of the planter tractors for 2022. We tried to run the sprayer on 'auto-steer' in 2021 but it wasn't able to handle the 'un-square' field layouts w/o operator input and Son gave up after about 3 hours. It is handy to have the arrows telling you when you're off of the line but to simply let the machine control itself is just not happening in most places.
We plan to adopt 'auto-steer' on one of the planter tractors for 2022. We tried to run the sprayer on 'auto-steer' in 2021 but it wasn't able to handle the 'un-square' field layouts w/o operator input and Son gave up after about 3 hours. It is handy to have the arrows telling you when you're off of the line but to simply let the machine control itself is just not happening in most places.
I've seen plenty of websites showing the "auto steer" working, right down to the end-of-row turnaround and on/off control of a planter or sprayer during turnaround, but it's all on the huge, flat, rectangular fields and with an operator onboard to monitor all the functions and look out for unexpected stuff. It is fascinating to watch.
"it's all on the huge, flat, rectangular fields and with an operator onboard to monitor all the functions and look out for unexpected stuff."
Absolutely correct. Lots of farmers are using 'guidance systems'(auto steer) for several years and it makes operating a planter or sprayer much less stressful and more productive. Four or five years ago, I was talking with a farmer who had one of the first auto-steer units I'd seen. Operating on river bottom with 1/2 mile rows he was reading a book going through the field. I struggle with trying to see the markers in some of the no-till fields and it shows when the crop emerges.
We plan to install an auto-steer unit in the tractor I use to plant so our corn rows are as straight as possible this year. Running a 6 row corn head behind an 8 row planter demands a minimum of wiggles.
Absolutely correct. Lots of farmers are using 'guidance systems'(auto steer) for several years and it makes operating a planter or sprayer much less stressful and more productive. Four or five years ago, I was talking with a farmer who had one of the first auto-steer units I'd seen. Operating on river bottom with 1/2 mile rows he was reading a book going through the field. I struggle with trying to see the markers in some of the no-till fields and it shows when the crop emerges.
We plan to install an auto-steer unit in the tractor I use to plant so our corn rows are as straight as possible this year. Running a 6 row corn head behind an 8 row planter demands a minimum of wiggles.
There are two or three "professional farmer" websites that I watch, and these are the guys who essentially can farm fields the size of an entire section or more. These guys run twelve row corn heads and stuff like that. The technology suits them just fine.
woodsy
Buckeye
Can anyone imagine using that type of thing on the fields Gary Cooper tilled in "Sergeant York"?
The bigger the “farming operation” the more Technology will help out. When auto steer/gps tractors first came out, here in Arkansas the rice farmers learned quik how that technology would help them with pulling levee’s. It took a big time consuming job and made a joke out of it!
Also where you have rows that are1-2, and even 3miles long, technology really pays off. But I dont see any beneficial payout on small operations. Also most small farming operations are nothing more than a tax scam anyways
Also where you have rows that are1-2, and even 3miles long, technology really pays off. But I dont see any beneficial payout on small operations. Also most small farming operations are nothing more than a tax scam anyways
The start up costs are daunting as are the possibilities of things going terribly wrong. I can't imagine turning a $500,000 machine loose to run alone.
"Also where you have rows that are1-2, and even 3miles long, technology really pays off. But I don't see any beneficial payout on small operations. Also most small farming operations are nothing more than a tax scam anyways"
It's not so much the length of the rows as the consistency of the soil conditions. Having a large field with no wet spots, no washouts, just dirt is challenging in many areas. We farm 'highly variable soil types' within single fields as well as soggy waterways and spongy seeps. None of this is compatible with 'drop the lever and drive' type field work. I'm not sure what "most small operations" means but no 'small operation' could afford or justify the cost of the type of machinery described in the article.
We farm around 250-300 acres using 20-40 year old machinery. In December, Son bought a low hour 30 year old John Deere that cost as much as all the machinery I presently own. We're running 10+ year old electronic technology bought after it's been replaced by someone willing to spend big bucks for the newest and bestest currently available.
"Also where you have rows that are1-2, and even 3miles long, technology really pays off. But I don't see any beneficial payout on small operations. Also most small farming operations are nothing more than a tax scam anyways"
It's not so much the length of the rows as the consistency of the soil conditions. Having a large field with no wet spots, no washouts, just dirt is challenging in many areas. We farm 'highly variable soil types' within single fields as well as soggy waterways and spongy seeps. None of this is compatible with 'drop the lever and drive' type field work. I'm not sure what "most small operations" means but no 'small operation' could afford or justify the cost of the type of machinery described in the article.
We farm around 250-300 acres using 20-40 year old machinery. In December, Son bought a low hour 30 year old John Deere that cost as much as all the machinery I presently own. We're running 10+ year old electronic technology bought after it's been replaced by someone willing to spend big bucks for the newest and bestest currently available.
