Make sure you are squeezing every last drop of utility out of your data management system! Here’s a guide for new, and experienced SMS users to maximize the way you access and use your data. There’s something for everyone to learn as this list covers some underutilized features. Read on to find out what you’ve been missing!  

SMS Basic and SMS Advanced Software are easy-to-use decision-making tools to help you capture the most out of every acre. Helping you answer questions that can make your operation more profitable. 

#1 Query Tool  

Sometimes the ‘big picture’ view isn’t ideal when you need to find the ‘how’ or ‘why’ behind field performance. The Query and Tooltip functions allow users to lead targeted investigations within field maps. The Tooltip function is used to look at point by point logged data and see what happened in a specific area. Simply putting the cursor on the field map will show the statistics for that point. For larger areas, you can use the Query function and see averages for an area or a pass.  

Both of these functions increase data value when you layer maps on top of each other. For example, putting a yield map over a planter map you can see if there are relationships involving high yield, planting rate, date planted, or variety. SMS takes query tool one step further by allowing user to view three queries at a time, whereas AgFiniti is limited to one. This capability allows users to see more results to make smart management decisions.  

#2 Charts 

The key to using data well is understanding the meaning behind the numbers. Luckily, the SMS charts function can automatically organize your data for smooth comprehension. Charts make it much easier to visualize information and trends in your data. 

Users can also create tabular reports to record field activity for landlords, document yields for insurance reporting, and compare field performance. 

SMS Advanced takes reports to the next level. Get more insight into field performance with higher-level reports using yield to hybrid comparison data.  

#3 Batch Command Tool

Simple data correction is possible with Batch Command tool. The Batch Command tool allows you to quickly and easily correct the yield values based on scale tickets. You can enter a total for the entire farming operation, or you can enter in weights for each field – you pick how detailed you want to be. SMS allows users to spend more time making management decisions that improve your operation rather than doing record keeping. 

 

#4 Profit-Loss Map

Regardless of the economic fluctuations of a year, it’s important to pay attention to your ROI. In SMS you can enter income and expenses that can either be tied to logged data, a boundary, or other created data. SMS Basic allows you to see expense and income values for an operation – defining which fields are profitable or losing money. SMS Advanced allows you to take it a step further and see which areas of the field are profitable or losing money. A profit–loss map, allows you to make better decisions on how you might manage an area of the field. With just a glance you can see the problem areas and start investigating and plan your next steps. For example, maybe you decide an area should be converted to grass or pasture rather than trying to continue to grow a crop on it.

Another time saving function for record keeping is the Batch Print function. SMS Advanced users can take advantage of printing many fields at once without the need to make a map of each field first. These can be quickly saved as a PDF, or sent to traditional printer for paper copies. 

With just a glance, a profit-loss map can reveal problem areas in your field, and help you plan your next steps.

#5 Free Mappable Acres in AgFiniti 

SMS is compatible with AgFiniti! Take your data anywhere on any device. Don’t wait to be in the office to answer important questions like: how did that field yield, what hybrid was planted there, how long ago did I spray that field, where did I plant that trial? SMS users can access their data in AgFiniti by simply paying for SMS software maintenance. Want even more functionality? Consider adding an AgFiniti Essentials license.

SMS Software was developed so you can make well-informed decisions based on all your data. No matter the brand of display the data is from, SMS makes data management simple in every season. Check out the SMS product page for more! 

AMES, Iowa, November 2, 2020 – Ag Leader announced today enhancements to InCommand displays and its launch of guidance and steering products designed and built in-house to its year-round precision farming line–up.

InCommand displays offer year-round functionality and connect every device and operation across the farm. Recent enhancements to the display user interface include automating manual tasks that eat up precious time: One-time vehicle profile setup shared across all connected displays, calibrate and autodetect orientation and fine-tune parameters from the run screen.

 

Additionally, the new steering hardware components were designed for easy transfer between machines including a detachable motor drive unit. The system is also upgradable to meet growers evolving needs across various equipment and accuracy levels making going from an entry level guidance system up to an advanced autosteer system economical when the time is right. 

 

“Growers are bringing autosteer technology into every operation. It’s now a must-have versus a nice-to-have for many farms so the display and steering system need to work together seamlessly and be portable to easily plug-and-play between different machines across the farm,” he added. 

 

Growers can configure a right-fit technology solution at agleader.com or talk to a local independent dealer.  

About Ag Leader
Ag Leader Technology, Inc. is a 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 http://www.agleader.com.

Despite the crop damage from the August derecho winds across much of Iowa and Illinois, there is no question that one way or another the crops will move out of the field come harvest. This year harvest will bring added challenges to many farmers, which is driving many to look to technology to help shoulder the burden.  

Automated steering with repeatable accuracy is a necessity now more than ever to manage in these difficult conditions. 

Central Iowa farmer, Jim Seeman has been farming for 51 years. Like many farmers, the powerful straight-line winds left their mark on Seeman and his partners’ operation: damaging an auger, flipping over fuel tanks and a flattening a barn. Between their fields Seeman estimates around 725 acres of corn and 380 acres of beans were affected by the storm. “The fields vary by area, certain corn varieties in certain fields went down. Some varieties did better than others, some snapped off, but all of it is leaning for sure.” Seeman said. In past years, Seeman had harvested small portions of fields with down corn, simply by driving slower and adding a corn rail to the combine. But the challenges of 2020 call for a new harvest strategy. 

 

SteerCommand to the Rescue  

A field inspection after the storm alerted Seeman of new problems he would face come harvest. “I could see the corn was leaning and noticed you can’t see rows to drive straight. I knew SteerCommand would keep me on the row. I had thought about getting autosteer for my combine many times, but I didn’t really need it till now.” 

Smoother Vehicle Operation and Better Driver Focus 

As the sole vehicle operator for planting and harvesting of the operation, Seeman looks forward to the aid SteerCommand will provide this coming season and future ones.  

“It’ll be nice to turn the autosteer on and it’ll drive to the end rows. Then I can keep watch on a lot of other things. Another reason I wanted SteerCommand was to help with the physical and mental fatigue spending hours in the cab.”  

Automated steering technology keeps your vehicle on the guidance line and adjusts deliver repeatable pass-to-pass accuracy. For fields with tough terrain, SteerCommand maintains accuracy using nine-axis terrain compensation including rolling ground, waterways, ditches, and terraces.  

The benefits of SteerCommand can ease tensions this harvest, and make other seasons more enjoyable as well. For year-round technology including steering, planting, application, harvest and more, talk to your local Ag Leader dealer.  

 

As harvest begins all over the country, we, at Ag Leader, want to do our part to turn an often stressful season into a safe and successful one. Below are some tips to keep in mind as you’re working throughout the harvest season.

 

Visibility from the Field

A major reason harvest is a peak time for farm injuries is because farmers are putting in long hours. In order to help your entire team, operate safely and productively working dawn until dusk, InCommand and AgFiniti offer some helpful new features:

Trade Places

CartACE was designed to take the stress out of the grain cart operators’ job of unloading on the go – now anyone can fill this critical role. Switching operators can make a world of difference, but if that isn’t possible at the very least jump out of the cab and get some cool, fresh air!

Visibility Traveling to the Field

Always be aware of your surroundings and who may be in your work area. This year as more children are participating in remote learning, it is critical to do an equipment walkaround before starting up any machinery. Even before you drive to the field, turn on InCommand’s camera view for extra visibility of blindspots while on the road with large machinery.  We hope these tips help you have a safe and productive 2020 harvest season!

Generating a simple variable rate prescription to address field variability and fall fertility needs can be done in minutes using AgFiniti! For a limited time this fall, try AgFiniti Prescriptions for just $0.35/acre!

It’s also a great compliment to our SMS Software

Want to write your own prescriptions or do more complex analysis? SMS Software is a great compliment to AgFiniti. Learn more here.

It’s so easy to try it out yourself!

1. Create an AgFiniti account.

a. New to AgFiniti? Enable a free 30-day trial on the License and Services page.

b. SMS users who are current on their maintenance simply need to use their SMS login when logging into AgFiniti.

2. Upload data from your display or from SMS

3. Try out our Prescriptions and Multi-Year Analysis tools for FREE on one field (up to 120 acres). Once you’re logged in, click the trial button to start your free trial. 

4. Ready to try on more fields this fall? Generate Prescriptions and leverage Multi-Year Analysis tools for just $.35/ac. (limited time fall special pricing).

SureForce is a hydraulic downforce and uplift system that automatically adjusts the right amount of force on each row to achieve optimum and uniform seed depth in the field. While the optimum depth for corn is generally universal no matter where you are located, your ground and farming practices can make a big difference in what you need to do to achieve that depth – especially tillage practices.  

So we set out to answer – How does SureForce perform compared to springs in a no till environment and a conventional tillage environment. While there are many factors at play- we found some trends in a recent trial conducted in Ohio.  

Tech Trial Highlights

Location: Ohio 

Planter: 16- row Kinze 3600 

Tech: Rows one through eight were equipped with the factory downforce springs. Rows nine through sixteen were equipped with SureForce. 

Tillage: The grower performed trials in both no-till and conventional tilled fields. 

Planting Date Range  

Trial 1: No-till field 

The soil conditions in this no-till field were hard and compact, requiring higher amounts of force to place seed at the proper depth. For this field the factory springs were set at their highest downforce setting, which provide about 300 lbs. of force to the row unit. In Figure 1, shown below, SureForce (blue) operated mostly around the 200-300 lb. range. This means that the white areas of the map that had conventional downforce springs set to their heaviest was right where they should be.  

However, SureForce still operated a significant portion of the time in the 100-200 lb. range, and even dipped into the 300-400 lb. range. While SureForce is able to react to changing ground conditions throughout this 11–acre field, the factory springs are often applying too much downforce, causing compaction. At other times the factory springs are applying too little downforce, causing shallow planted seeds. 

 

Preventing Uneven Emergence

Spring of 2020 provided exceptionally dry weather, which allowed planters to hit the fields in a timely fashion. While dry planting conditions are generally preferred over wet conditions, there are some pitfalls to be aware of. The most widespread issue this spring was planting too shallow. 

Incorrectly planting seeds too close to the soil surface exposes them to varying moisture levels compared to seeds planted deeper in the soil. This creates more issues when some seeds access more or less moisture than the others, eventually leading to uneven emergence. 

In Figure 2, the seeds were planted with the factory springs, applying about 300 lbs. of downforce, whereas the SureForce system was applying 350 lbs. on the adjacent rows. Uneven emergence was found on the half the planter equipped with springs.  

Here, uneven emergence is caused by a difference in moisture levels indicated around the seed. With less than a ½” depth variation, this is a painful example of how just a slight difference in seed placement can reduce yields and profits. 

Figure 2 

Next, let’s take a look at other areas of the field that didn’t require as much force to achieve depth. In those areas, the factory spring system was still applying 300 lbs. downforce, while the SureForce system had automatically reduced the downforce to 100 lbs.  

What happens in these areas where the springs are applying 200 lbs. too much of downforce? This next picture (Fig.3) illustrates what happens. 

Figure 3 

Roots that can’t penetrate the wall of a compacted seed trench are forced to grow along the trench, which is the path of least resistance. When roots can’t grow downward, they can’t access moisture and nutrients resulting in reduced yield and profit. 

Trial 2: Conventionally Tilled Field 

Next, this planter moves to a conventionally tilled field (Fig. 4) to continue planting. The factory springs are left at a heavy setting. Since the SureForce system automatically adjusts itself to current ground conditions, we see a stark difference in applied downforce. Within this field, SureForce values range from 200 lbs. of uplift on the row-unit to 400 lbs. of downforce. That is a 600 lb. range across this field. 

Figure 4 

We went to an area of the field where SureForce was providing uplift, thus reducing compaction. On the other hand, in the adjacent rows the factory spring settings are fixed and are not capable of adjusting automatically, which caused some compaction damage.  

 

SureForce Proves Advantageous to Plant Development  

Visual plant health differences were observed at V3-V4 growth stages on June 10, 2020. Below in Figure 5, the rows to the right were equipped with SureForce. The rows to the left were equipped with factory downforce springs. 

Figure 5  

To better understand the “root” cause of these health differences seen above ground, we took a look below ground.

Figure 7

In Figures 6 and 7 above, it is obvious the rows equipped with SureForce provided the best root development. In every case, SureForce provided: 

1. Deepest radical and seminal roots 
2. Widest branching of nodal roots 
3. Great root hair development 

 

On June 10th, it was clear the rows planted with SureForce were off to a much better start. From seed to soil contact these rows were positioned to provide increased yield and profit. 

A return trip on August 11th, 2020 continues to show not only greater root development as seen in Figure 8, but also larger ears are observed with less tip-back as seen in Figure 9. 

Figure 9

Stay tuned for yield comparison coming this winter!  

Check out stories from past trials for no-till and conventional till fields.

Give your local Ag Leader dealer a ring and find out about what’s working best in your area and what might be right for your farm.  Ask about our limited-time summer promo on these planting products.  Offers end on August 31, 2020. 

Getting the seed in the ground perfectly is your best chance for having a bumper crop year, making planter technology one of the smartest investments you can make right now. But with several options, which one is right for you and your farm? Here’s a candid look at the pros and cons of each.

For each option, we’ll get into more detail on a few of the biggest advantages and disadvantages.

So there you have it, a candid discussion of planter technology pros and cons to help you best decide what’s best for your farm and investment. Want to continue the conversation? Give your local Ag Leader dealer a ring and find out about what’s working best in your area and what might be right for your farm.  Ask about our limited-time summer promo on these planting products.  Offers end on August 31, 2020. 

We’re been busy here at Ag Leader bringing you updates and new features to our products for the season ahead. We have new InCommand display firmware to share.

InCommand Version 5.5

CartAce Simplifies Unloading On-the-go

Ag Leader is excited to offer the full production release of CartACE in the version 5.5 firmware update.

• CartACE automatically generates a guidance line between combines and grain carts so operators can focus on filling the grain cart with no sweat!
• An optional Grain Tank Reset Sensor counts up based on the flow sensor to give an indication of how much grain is in the grain tank.
• When used with DisplayCast, the counter is shared with the grain cart display(s) as well as AgFiniti Mobile devices.

Guidance Enhancements

Version 5.5 also brings new features to guidance operation and performance.

• Path smoothing options for SmartPath and FollowPath lines
• Added ability to cycle backwards through pattern groups
• Remark A function now in one button press

ISOBUS Enhancements

InCommand ISOBUS additional enhancements include improvements to product control mapping and operation.

• Task Controller mapping support for machines that apply multiple products across the same boom or sections.
• Task Controller support for ECUs that can be controlled with different unit types (e.g. seeds/ac or seeds lbs/ac).
• Load ‘N Go now populates connection type and offset info from the implement for easier setup and more accurate settings.
• ISOBUS mapping improvements for ECUs where the device work state is shut off before the section delays expire before sections.

Download InCommand version 5.5 today!