Organic farms are on the rise, and utilizing precision farming products can help organic farmers be as productive as possible.
For the machinery-scale organic row crop farmer, many of the field operations are similar to the conventional row crop farmer. While the organic farmer may have fewer acres to cover (on average), he can still reap comparable benefits by investing in Ag Leader’s year-round solutions.
Guidance and steering
Ag Leader offers guidance and autosteer solutions that fit almost every farm machine and accuracy need.
Guidance solutions provide you with the most efficient path across your field. They can also help minimize skips and overlap while keeping rows straight. Whether you’re looking for a GPS receiver that offers entry-level or high-accuracy guidance, Ag Leader has a solution to meet the needs of every operation.
Our GPS 7000 is an affordable GPS receiver designed for general mapping and AutoSwath functions. It offers a scalable differential from GLIDE to WAAS/EGNOS to TerraStar C Pro.
The GPS 7500 receiver (pictured right) offers up to sub-inch accuracy with RTK, TerraStar-X, TerraStar-C Pro, TerraStar-L, SBAS, and GLIDE. This dual-frequency GNSS receiver is a fully scalable, compact, rugged smart antenna designed to meet the demands of today’s growers. GLONASS, 20 Hz output, LED monitoring, and Radar Speed Output are standards. Users have the option to upgrade to 400 MHz or 900 MHz RTK Radio.
Autosteer reduces operator fatigue and allows field operations to continue through the night or in dusty conditions. Growers can choose between Ag Leader’s SteadySteer® and SteerCommand® Z2. Designed to provide reliable pass-to-pass autosteer capability, both integrate seamlessly into the InCommand displays.
SteadySteer is the economical way to add assisted steering to tractors, combines, application machines, and more. No need to hook into hydraulics.
SteerCommand Z2 offers up to sub-inch (<2.5 cm) repeatable accuracy correction keeping your vehicle on the guidance line. The nine-axis terrain compensation provides line holding performance, including in rolling ground, waterways, ditches, and terraces. Advanced guidance pattern options and guidance line management across your operation.
READ MORE: Which steering system is right for you?
Planting
Ag Leader’s suite of planting products include everything from point row clutches to save on seed costs to accurate and detailed planter monitors to ensure proper spacing and to identify planter issues. Additional products include our hydraulic downforce to push through heavy cover crop residue for optimal germination and increased yield and electric planter meter drive system.
SureForce is Ag Leader’s hydraulic downforce solution that ensures seeds make the ideal contact with soil to get off to the best start. No longer just for no-till or continuous corn fields, SureForce provides agronomic gains for every farm.
With SureDrive, you don’t need a new planter or new meters. . . Just powerful meter control to whip your existing planter into shape. SureDrive offers an electric planter meter drive system allowing customers to eliminate chains, bearings, and shafts while gaining precise meter control. Since SureDrive and SureForce share the same electronics, it is easy to start with one and add the other later.
READ MORE: Ag Leader’s SeedCommand has a fit for you!
Fertilizer application and broadcast cover crops
Organic farming does not always necessitate the use of cover crops, but many certification rules outline cover crops as an effective weed control program.
Cover crop seeding methods and timing can vary by the crop rotation and time of year, but most sowing is still done by broadcast seeding with a spinner spreader, interseeded with a high clearance seeder, or aerial application.
Ag Leader’s DirectCommand application products help target application with the 4Rs in mind, offering variable-rate application and section control. This ensures seeding and manure products have the right application rate and right placement – without overlap.
Yield monitoring
When harvest rolls around, having a trustworthy benchmark of your farm’s output is invaluable. From knowing which practices proved worthwhile or which varieties produced more, to tax, financial and recording purposes, having a yield monitor pays off.
Ag Leader’s yield monitoring is the best and most time-proven in the industry. The technology can be installed on most combines and support numerous crop types including corn, soybeans, canola, grass seed, and other small grains.
Data management
Turn field data into smart management decisions using information gathered from planting through harvest with Ag Leader’s suite of software products. Manage guidance lines, write variable rate prescriptions, track financials, analyze data generated from field operations to improve yield, and more with SMS™ desktop software.
In addition, AgFiniti® offers 24-7 information for those on-the-go. It allows you to view in-depth field information including queries and analysis reports right from any web-enabled mobile device. •