Farming between the lines

As today’s farm equipment technology rapidly advances, sometimes precision isn’t precise enough.

That’s why MFA is now using real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning to map field boundaries in selected areas, providing unparalleled accuracy in precision applications. Combining signals from multiple satellites and cell towers with real-time data-processing technology, RTK represents data down to the inch, whereas standard GPS is typically accurate within 2 to 4 meters.

Using those RTK boundary maps for precision practices such as spraying and fertilizing helps reduce the potential for off-target applications while creating efficiency for custom applicators and other farm equipment operators.

“With RTK data, we’re able to better manage irregularly shaped fields to be more profitable for our customers,” said Blake Peterson, MFA precision agronomy and retail fleet data manager. “We know exactly down to the ounce how much product is going to be needed for that field, and we’re not having to adjust for overlap or overspray or anything like that.”

For MFA, the first significant benefit of having highly accurate boundary maps is taking full advantage of precision control systems in spray applications. With RTK maps loaded into the machine’s navigation system, the sprayer can pass over bounded areas without applying product.

“We’ve been buying machines from John Deere and Case IH for a few years now that have individual nozzle control, and we wanted to start utilizing that technology a little more, especially in some of our oddly shaped fields and across waterways and terraces,” Peterson said. “Before, applicators would have to go in and outline everything that they didn’t want to spray before getting started, so it was a huge time consumption. Now, with the RTK boundary, the sprayer recognizes the areas we don’t want to spray and shuts off those nozzles automatically.”

This results in improved input-use efficiency, increased productivity, reduced operator fatigue and cost savings, Peterson added.

“We’re getting about 30% more efficiency out of our machines, just by being able to get into a field and start running back and forth,” he said. “We pre-populate the monitors with that boundary information—grower, farm, field, all of that—and the applicator just pulls into the field, the machine recognizes where they are, automatically loads the map, and they just start spraying.”

Steven Tucker, bulk plant supervisor and custom applicator at MFA Agri Services in Sedalia, was one of the first MFA employees to use this technology. He has both mapped and sprayed fields with RTK and describes the experience as “phenomenal.”

“When I run a sprayer without an RTK map, I have to crawl around the edge of the field, 4 or 5 miles an hour, to make sure I’m staying in those boundaries,” Tucker said. “Now, with RTK, I can run those borders at normal spray speed, 9 or 10 miles an hour. If you’re saving 5 or 10 minutes per field, that really adds up at the end of the day.”

The technology is especially useful when training new custom applicators, Tucker added.

“Believe it or not, overspray on the edge of the fields is where a lot of our spray complaints come from. It’s not killing the neighbor’s peonies or the tree across the road,” he said. “The hardest part for a new applicator is finding that range to the edge of the field. When we’re using RTK borders, it completely alleviates that issue. We know exactly where the edge of the field is, and if we get 1 inch over, it shuts off the nozzle.”

That accuracy comes from the highly precise data that RTK technology provides. Unlike traditional GPS systems, which rely on signals from satellites alone, RTK systems use additional data from nearby base stations to provide real-
world, real-time positioning.

The technology has evolved tremendously since it was commercially introduced in the 1990s, Peterson explained. Today, instead of having to place a base station on the farm or be located near one, RTK systems can use cell towers to triangulate positioning. This not only improves accuracy in the moment but also makes the RTK boundary maps relevant for long-term use.

“Repeatability is a huge benefit,” Peterson said. “When a field is mapped with traditional GPS that relies on satellites in space, the signal can drift from one year to the next. What the RTK allows us to do with base stations and known reference points on the earth is to come back year after year and still hit the exact same point in our guidance lines.”

For RTK mapping, the MFA agronomy team uses John Deere Gator utility transportation vehicles outfitted with John Deere Starfire receivers. Currently, MFA has deployed three of these units and is planning to add more to expand the service.

Using these RTK-equipped Gators, the operators first collect exterior borders by driving along the perimeter of a field and then move to interior boundaries, outlining waterways, terraces and anything not included in farmable land. Once the exterior and interior boundary maps have been created, they’re loaded into the John Deere Operations Center, an online field data management system, and then sent to FieldAlytics, MFA’s precision agronomy operations and dispatching platform.

From there, the RTK-mapped boundaries can be loaded into farm machinery, used for field recommendations and stored for future reference. The process is simple, quick and “flawless,” Tucker said.

“It brings the map right into the John Deere Operations Center from the RTK Gator and, from that point, we can do anything we want with it,” he explained. “Once that file is in FieldAlytics, we can identify it as a high-precision boundary so when that job is generated, we know there’s an RTK border on that particular field. We can use it for spraying, fertilizing, soil testing, Nutri-Track recommendations—you name it.”

While the biggest reason for collecting RTK boundaries is for MFA’s internal use, Peterson said, customers who use compatible equipment can access their maps to use in their own precision practices, such as variable-rate planting.

“A lot of farmers have John Deere RTK on their planters or combines, so we’re able to provide that boundary to them so they can use it for shutoffs or guidance,” he said. “It’s a win-win for MFA and our customers.”

Tucker said the growers he works with have expressed excitement about the use of this technology on their farms.

“They love it,” he said. “They like that we know exactly where the field border is, down to the inch. They like knowing their exact acres. They like the way the field looks after we’ve sprayed it without any overlap on the edges. It’s a little bit of pride for us and them.”

Going forward, highly accurate boundaries will be critical to using autonomy in farming, Peterson said. In fact, MFA will soon be testing another new precision system, John Deere’s AutoTrac Turn Automation, which steers an application machine around at the end of the row and heads back in the opposite direction without operator input.

“Autonomy is coming, and we’re trying to get ready for it,” Peterson said. “We’re not looking to replace people, but we want to be on the front edge of this technology. One of MFA’s core values is innovation, and we want to embrace it.”

After crops are removed from the field, this fall is a great time to create RTK boundaries, Peterson said. Field edges are still well defined, and weather permitting, easy to navigate. To find out if the RTK mapping service is available in your area, contact your local MFA service provider.   

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