Precision Ag U P DAT E Summer 2013
NOW IS THE TIME With those busy harvest days right around the corner, now is a great time to take care of any major or minor problems that you may be having. Whether it's a hardware and calibration need or just some extra training to get more out of your system, your Ag Technologies service team can take care of it for you and ensure that you will be up and running in time for harvest.
A GIANT LEAP Drum roll please...Ag Technologies is proud to announce AgUplink; affordable high speed internet that will allow growers throughout rural Georgia to wirelessly manage and monitor farm equipment, irrigation and other resources on the farm. Because it works from Ag Technologies’ RTK towers, AgUpLink is faster and more accessible than most other internet services available. We have the solutions that you’ve been waiting for! Not just an internet connection where you need it most, but Ag Technologies is offering a new line of products and services that will make your operation run seamlessly. AgConnect A simple connection to the internet for your shop and home. Includes a single log-in, personalized web page to manage the agriculture websites you use every day. View them all at once without having to log-in to each one every time you want to connect.
PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT
AgLogix Connect your operation to your computer, smart phone or tablet, allowing you to manage your shop, home, irrigation, weather station, equipment and more, no matter what brands you may use.
Are you taking advantage of the extended warranties available through Trimble® Protected? It’s a program of extended warranty, software maintenance and technical support plans that provides you with the extra protection you need for your products.
AgView An interactive, single log-in to manage all of your ag applications and resources, helping your farm run smoother than ever. Camera options located throughout your operation let you view and control all of your assets from one location.
Trimble® offers a standard factory warranty with all of its products. However, in today's competitive business environment, a Trimble® Protected plan is precisely what you need to stay productive, increase your efficiency and minimize downtime. For more information or to find out which options may be right for you, contact your Ag Technologies Precision Ag Consultant.
Not just for growers. If your home or business is within range of our towers, you can also get AgUpLink internet service! Tell us where we are needed most! We are beginning this revolutionary service in Dooly and Crisp counties and will be expanding to serve the agricultural communities of Georgia and beyond. Go to www.aguplink.com and request service in your area!
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FIELD-IQ The seeds are in the ground, and we are now in the growth phase and looking forward to harvest. Are you taking advantage of the Field-IQ system to mange your sprayer applications? With the Field-IQ, you can prevent fertilizer overlap, control the rate of material applications and monitor fertilizer blockage. Using Field-IQ automatic section control eliminates double applications and wasted inputs by automatically shutting off rows or sections. The Field-IQ system features inch-level control for up to 48 sections, providing savings that can exceed 5%. The Field-IQ system runs on both the CFX-70 display and FmX integrated display. If you do not already have the Field-IQ system, it is the ideal upgrade for your Trimble guidance display, and it can be upgraded to variable rate for even greater savings. For more information on utilizing your Field-IQ for sprayer applications or for upgrading your current system to include Field-IQ, contact your Ag Technologies Precision Ag Consultant.
AT YOUR SERVICE The Ag Technologies service department knows that when you need help, you need it fast. A service package can be your best back-up when you face a challenge with your equipment. One benefit of having a service packages is access to up-to-date firmware that gives you enhanced features. This year Trimble® introduced a new technology for agriculture to sustain RTK positions during correction outage periods. Trimble® xFill™ technology utilizes Trimble® RTX technology, delivered via satellite, to "fill in" for RTK corrections in the event of temporary radio or Internet connection outages, which are the primary sources of dropped corrections. As a result, farmers can experience more in-field run time with fewer interruptions. This option is available to anyone with an RTK subscription running the latest firmware on the FMX. An Ag Technologies service package covers any cost of updating the system and turning it on. The result? A great new feature at no extra cost to you! An additional offering that does require extra hardware/subscription is the Trimble® Remote Assistant for the FMX. This new feature allows support technicians to provide immediate interactive support and remotely diagnose problems in real time from the office by viewing the FmX display screen without being physically present in the cab. Diagnosis related to GPS corrections, automated steering, application control, yield monitoring, or any other precision agriculture applications displayed on the FmX screen can be made using the service. “We are pleased to offer these new options to our customers,” said Travis Kelley, Ag Technologies Director of Service and Support. “Like everything else we do, it’s all about saving time, improving productivity and increasing efficiency to keep farmers up and running.”
REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES Region 1 Region 2 Region 3 Region 4 Region 5
Central Georgia Ernest Cook | 855.601.4477 | ecook@agtechllc.com Southwest GA / Southeast AL Robbie Tabb | 855.602.4477 | rtabb@agtechllc.com South GA / North FL Adam Anderson | 855.603.4477 | aanderson@agtechllc.com East GA Elliott Marsh | 855.604.4477 | emarsh@agtechllc.com Central / South FL Andrew Bryan | 855.605.4477 | abryan@agtechllc.com
COMBINE KIT INCREASES EFFICIENCY Put your Trimble technology to work this harvest season with a transfer kit for your combine. With the transfer kit and a yield monitoring system, you can have Trimble assisted or automated steering systems for hands-free sub-inch guidance on your combine using existing GPS equipment, furthering the return on your investment, as well as giving you the best yield mapping solution available. Cameras can enhance your view of blind spots such as the area behind the combine, clean grain tank, and unloading auger. With the fully-integrated harvest solution from Ag Technologies you can enhance your harvest productivity by precisely gathering, mapping, monitoring and evaluating the yield of your crops. Use the latest in technology to determine what's best for your farm and yield a better future.
YIELD MONITORING Did you know that you can use your existing FmX display to map very important yield data in your corn crop? By gathering crop yield and moisture data as you harvest, you can make your equipment work even harder for you. Use this vital information to make the best input decisions for next year's crop.
HARVESTING YOUR DATA With the ability to gather a huge volume of data about seeds, soil, and yields and to easily pipe this information to and from computers in the tractor cabs, precision technology is taking agriculture to a new level. The big question, though, is what do you do with all that raw data? By importing into FarmWorks Software you can manipulate the numbers to provide you with valuable information for all aspects of your farm operation. As you gear up for the harvest season, here are a few of the things that FarmWorks Software can do for you. • Layer variety maps with yield maps to establish yield performance. • Average multiple years of yield maps to discover consistently high and low yielding areas of a field. • Post calibrate yield data to fix mistakes in yield monitor calibration. • Find out which parts of the field are more profitable by combining precision ag maps with costs assigned to inputs. When used with the accounting software, these costs are pulled directly from your checkbook. Profit maps illustrate which areas of a field are most profitable and can be used to assess the profitability of precision farming and other practices. • Create an unlimited number of mapping layers with easy-to-use drawing tools. • Set up clients, farms, fields, and crop/year enterprises for quick access to field records. • Enter crop plans for product ordering, budgeting, equipment usage, and employee allocation. • Utilize the scale ticket feature to calculate dry yield. • Maintain detailed equipment records and burn rate of fuel. • Print reports for seed varieties, restricted use chemicals, fertilizer usage, equipment maintenance, and more. • Submit data electronically for crop insurance. Not quite sure how to use your FarmWorks Software to its full potential? We can help with that. Just contact your Precision Ag Consultant.. to make arrangements for any assistance you may need. Special thanks to Mr. Johnny Sanders, a loyal Ag Tech customer, for allowing us to photograph his farm. Header photograph on page 1 and tractor photograph on page 2.
TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Robbie Tabb
Precision Ag Consultant for SW Georgia, SE Alabama and the Florida Panhandle EXPERIENCE With Ag Tech, 6 years, in the precision ag business for 15 BEST THING ABOUT THE JOB Absolutely the best thing is helping farmers. I grew up on a farm and it’s my passion. It is rewarding for me to introduce technology to farmers and give them the support they need to make their days and lives easier. FAMILY My wife, Angel, and I have been married five years. I am stepdad to two girls, Amber, who just graduated from Georgia Southern, and Morgan, who is attending Darton in Albany. My son, Andrew, is 10 and entering the 5th grade in Lee County. SUMMER PLANS Working on the house my wife and I are building just outside Leary, Georgia.
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It is our mission at Ag Technologies to provide progressive-minded customers a complete solution of precision agriculture with superior products and a professional staff to help inspire, educate and provide first class service and support.
877.585.4GPS UPCOMING EVENTS
Your Ag Technologies team will be attending the following events not only to help spread the word about our company, but also to bring the latest advances in precision agriculture home to you. June 22-23 Georgia Municipal Association Convention and Expo Savannah International Trade & Convention Center, Savannah, Georgia July 18-20 2013 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Edgewater Beach & Golf Resort Panama City Beach, Florida August 12-14 FSGA 31st Annual Agritech Educational Seminars and Trade Show John R. Trinkle Bldg., Plant City Campus Hillsborough Community College Plant City, FL August 15-17 Florida League of Cities 87th Annual Conference World Center Marriott Orlando, Florida
SoutheastPrecisionAg.com CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT
MIKE NEWBERRY, Hillside Farms Early County, Georgia As a fourth-generation farmer on a family farm, Mike Newberry knows that a lot has changed since his great-grandfather started farming in Arlington, Georgia. Today, Newberry grows corn, cotton, peanuts, and wheat, and raises beef cattle on 1,000 acres in Early County. He also uses technology his great-grandfather would never have dreamed of, including guidance systems on four tractors and a yield monitor/guidance system on a combine. “This technology makes every trip across the field more efficient,” said Newberry. “Probably the most important thing is that the operator is better able to monitor what he is doing because he is not so focused on driving. He is also not nearly as tired at the end of the day.” While the face of farming has changed a lot over the years, Newberry sees that the biggest challenge that farmers face today is an age-old one-the weather. “So much of what we do depends on the weather. Irrigation has helped some, but we are still very dependent on what the weather hands us. Another good thing about the guidance systems is that it lets us run more hours in a day so sometimes we are able to make up some time if the weather has set us back a little.” Recent research has shown that the implementation of precision agriculture methods provides a significant cost saving to farmers as well. Newberry appreciates that aspect but maintains that the greatest advantages of precision agriculture are intangible. “No dollar amount can be put on the price of driver fatigue. Even if the cost savings numbers were half of what they are, the payback is still there.”