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Australia | Autosteer was pioneered by row-croppers (cotton in particular) in Australia then California. The main justification for those early adopters was the elimination of guess-row errors which not only enabled 24/7 planting and farming across the guess rows with wider equipment, but actually put more rows in the field. Estimates in California were, at the time, an extra 8 rows in a 1/4 section of cotton compared with markers. Why were there more rows? Because irregular guess rows are the same as overlap. Some growers also got an instant 12% efficiency increase in their bedding operation by simply not dragging a dead shovel in the last furrow which was not possible with markers. That's 12% less fuel on an 8 row bar using RTK (would not try that without RTK).
How valuable all these savings are to an individual grower varies widely. It depends on your gross profit per acre really. Tomato's will pay back faster than corn for obvious reasons. It also depends on your practices. Just as broad-acre practices have different payback criteria to row-crop.
As a few have said here, most people don't buy auto-steer and keep doing things the same way. They soon realize the technology enables you to change your practices in ways that weren't possible beforehand. Whether its farming 8 row beds with a 24 row cultivator, or confidently planting day and night to get the crop in before rain, or maintaining perfect tramlines, or keeping a closer eye behind, you will find something that adds to the payback for your farm. | |
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Product Savings? Please explain.
