And We're Off

What a difference a year makes.  Last year at this time we were still dealing with snow, rain and cold temps.  We were weeks away from even thinking about fieldwork.  This year, thanks to some cooperation from mother nature, we are headed into Easter weekend with 80% of our Nitrogen fertilizer (mostly in the form of anhydrous ammonia) already applied.

This year we were able to run two application rigs pulling two tanks each.  Both rigs run autosteer which greatly improves efficiency because it eliminates overlap and allows the operator to run a longer day well past sunset and with less fatigue.

I tried shooting some video of the autosteer in action, but I was afraid that if I posted it I might make somebody seasick.  It's pretty bouncy.  I'm hoping I can shoot some smoother video during planting and will try posting that at a later date.  For those not familiar with autosteer -- it is basically robotic steering that runs off the same GPS system that the military (and your car's navigation system) uses.  The system we use drives the tractor with about a 3 inch or better accuracy level.  It has saved about 5% of the overlap we used to have when driven by a human.  That's 5% savings on fuel, fertilizer, seed, time etc.  Over a few thousand acres it's a pretty big deal.  Of course we still ride in the tractor to keep everything under control.

One final note, during this Easter weekend we will be taking the day Sunday to spend with our God and our families.  We hope you are able to do the same.

Blessings.