The use of telemetry for wireless two-way instant transfer of data between farm kit and computer tech is on the rise. CPM visits a Cambs farming operation where John Deere and its local dealer are helping to get the most from the technology.
We’re keen to tap into the data accumulated in recent years and gain more from such technology.
By Martin Rickatson
Between thumb and forefinger, Ed King holds up and examines a computer memory stick. One of the smallest day-to-day implements of modern farm management, it’s an easily recognisable tool of the trade for those who practise precision farming, with its ability to store and transfer records, field maps and a huge amount of information.
Yet for all its capabilities, it’s delicate, easy to lose, can become corrupted and still has to be moved physically between farm office computer and tractor, sprayer or combine when up or downloading data. While the latter doesn’t sound like a big undertaking, you could be left in a field an hour from the farm, with a corrupted or incorrect stick, or without one at all because it’s been mistakenly left behind. This means wasted time and fuel returning to base or having someone deliver it to the machine.
Sentry’s Cambs farming business is moving to make the memory stick largely redundant, however, using telemetry to move, process and present data. It’s valued by arable manager Ed King for its ability to wirelessly and immediately transfer data from machine to computer and vice-versa. This is not just for record creation but also to allow remote monitoring of ongoing activities and machine health both by himself and – with his permission – by the dealer. Under the guidance of regional director John Hall, Ed’s driving an initiative to help realise the value of this technology across the Sentry business.
With the help of John Deere and its local dealer, Ben Burgess, the aim is to create a ‘reference farm’ at Sentry’s Chatteris base to show the full capabilities of Deere’s suite of Agricultural Management Solutions (AMS) precision farming systems and technologies, under which its telematics technology falls. From there, the plan is to help roll out use of the technology across the wider Sentry business.
“We’ve been increasing our use of precision farming technology across Sentry arable units year-on-year,” explains John.
“That began with yield mapping, and progressed to auto-steering using John Deere’s AutoTrac technology – Deere is Sentry’s preferred tractor supplier. More recently we’ve begun variably applying seed and nutrients.
“The development of telematics and the greater levels of data management and analysis it brings means we’re keen to tap into the data accumulated in recent years and gain more from such technology. With Ed working alongside Ben Burgess and John Deere to create a model reference farm here for AMS and its FarmSight tools, including JDLink telematics for use in job, field and fleet management, we have the opportunity to find out what’s possible, set some standards and apply them across all our farms.”
Comprising 300ha farmed around Chatteris for multiple landowners, plus a further 300ha nearby at Downham Market, Sentry’s Cambs operation grows combinable crops, with crop establishment services carried out on another 250ha, and the business also providing individual contract operations. With soils spanning clay loam through to sand over gravel, yield mapping has been used for some years to identify areas of significant variation. Over the past year, this has been supported by fully-updated SOYLsense soil analysis and mapping plus variable-rate drilling.
“Two years ago we began talking with Deere and Ben Burgess about the costs and benefits of bringing more aspects of precision farming into our everyday practices,” says John.
“The offer was made to help us set up a ‘reference farm’ to identify the equipment we required, and increase our knowledge of and confidence in the capabilities and value of telematics, so we could aid the adoption of the technology on other Sentry units.
“As a recent recruit to the team, joining us four years ago as a trainee, Ed brings a new skill set, and being young and especially proficient in this area of technology, he’s taken on the mantle of precision farming specialist within Sentry. As he develops his knowledge of its uses and benefits here, he’ll use that experience to help other managers.”
With the farm’s purchase two years ago of a John Deere 750A direct drill to minimise soil movement for blackgrass control, one of the first moves in the step up in its precision farming activity was an upgrade from 15cm auto-steering signal guidance to full 2.5cm RTK for the farm’s drilling tractor, in order to also switch to controlled traffic.
“We plough and use an Amazone Cirrus cultivator drill for winter barley and peas on our lighter soils, but are gradually working towards full direct drilling on our heavier land,” explains Ed.
“In the same year as the switch to RTK guidance, via a mobile RTK solution signal supplied from our dealer Ben Burgess’s RTK network, fields were mapped and, pre-drilling, tramlines established on the farm PC, this information then being accessible remotely by the drilling tractor. Wireless data transfer means this mapping, traffic paths and tramlines can be shared across all of our tractors via the MyJohnDeere telematics portal.”
A central, secure web portal accessible via a PC, tablet or smartphone that connects users to data from their machines, MyJohnDeere.com is used for up/downloading field, fleet and machine info, monitoring machines and analysing data. Deere’s FarmSight portfolio encompasses the maker’s machines, AMS precision farming technology and dealer-driven remote services. At JDLink’s launch, Deere committed to all-makes connectivity to any machine with a power source, system openness, seamless integration of products and systems and transfer of data, and comprehensive data privacy and security.
The company also promised to work with firms such as implement manufacturers, input suppliers and software providers. It’s taken an ‘open system’ approach and inviting virtually any firm to become a John Deere partner by implementing a data communication interface to the Operations Center in MyJohnDeere.com. It also created a physical data storage location in Europe, in which it promises full data security and privacy.
Paul Moss is FarmSight specialist with Ben Burgess, and guided Ed through the initial learning/training process once the business had subscribed to JDLink and remote data transfer and analysis could commence. “A single login leads to the various John Deere apps on MyJohnDeere.com, such as the JDLink telematics app and the Operations Centre app, which provides an overview of machine location and work progress,” he explains.
“The Data and Account Management system within MyJohnDeere.com ensures secure data handling and protection, and accounts are set up so that only the customer controls data access.
“There are two JDLink subscription levels. Free, entry-level JDLink Access + RDA provides remote machine monitoring and location-based data. Using the machine’s CANbus system, analysis of engine load helps identify the time spent doing different tasks and on idling, to target improvements in working efficiency.”
The RDA element (remote display access) enables the owner/manager and/or dealer to remotely access the display to provide operator assistance, monitor and possibly address issues with the tractor without attending site, saving downtime and service costs, says Paul.
“The second version, JDLink Connect, which Sentry Cambs is using, is a subscription-based service that provides all the JDLink Access benefits plus wireless data transfer for sending/receiving agronomic data such as prescription and as-applied maps.”
Co-ordinating the farm’s new RTK-accurate A-B lines with SOYL-derived nutrient mapping, both uploaded to MyJohnDeere.com on the office PC and then accessible through the John Deere GreenStar terminal in the tractor cab, has meant that this year for the first time the farm variably-applied nutrients.
“Throughout the year, satellite imagery uploaded to MyJohnDeere helped gauge each field’s additional nitrogen needs, allowing us to variably-apply accordingly,” says Ed.
“Similarly, for pretty much any field task that relies on data, field maps and/or guidance, the required information is available via MyJohnDeere at the touch of a screen button on the terminal in the tractor cab as well as on the farm PC and my phone. The only information I can’t see on the latter are the maps.
“With the spread of land we work across, it’s good to not rely on a memory stick, with the associated risks of damage or the wrong information, and it’s reassuring that data transfer is guaranteed 100% reliable and instantly up-to-date. In addition to our own work, that’s particularly important for the contract tasks we undertake when it comes to logging jobs and billing. With RTK mapping and instant data recording, we know exactly how much work has been done.”
Part of the Operations Centre of the user’s personalised MyJohnDeere.com web portal, the MyJobsConnect job management tool can be accessed either from the office computer or tablet/smartphone app, with transmitted information including job type, customer and field names, product application (eg seed or fertiliser rates) and the equipment used. It also makes possible viewing of machine locations and work progress.
“Being able to track location is especially useful when carting – I know exactly where trailers are and how soon one is likely to return. It’s also handy for seeing how much of an operation has been completed, knowing when fuel is required and spotting an issue with a tractor or implement, perhaps before the driver has had time to contact me.”
Conversely, he’s also received occasional notifications from his dealer of tractor issues that required attention.
“Dealer monitoring, for which we’ve given permission to Ben Burgess, has proved its worth a couple of times when they’ve notified us of machine operating issues, which we’ve then been able to investigate.”
Of the further support available from his dealer, Ed says he has had little need of it yet, but reckons the initial face-to-face training with someone who knows the system well was useful in helping learn to get the best from it.
“We’ve probably not yet used anywhere near all of what the system can do – things like finding and ordering parts is one area, although we do use it to check parts numbers when ordering on the phone,” continues Ed.
“The next step would be linking what our sprayer is doing wirelessly to Gatekeeper, which we use for crop recording, and then link to our stock recording and auditing through MyJohnDeere. Currently I’m manually entering agronomist recommendations into Gatekeeper.”
There is a compatibility issue, however. “Although the GreenStar 4600 terminal used in our sprayer tractor is the latest version, it cannot talk to Gatekeeper, while the older GS2630 used in our other main tractor can. Ultimately this should be addressed so we can make this a completely paperless and wireless process, from recommendations to job recording.”
He notes that Deere’s compatibility claim is borne out by the fact the farm’s trailed 36m sprayer is of a different make.
“We run a Horsch, operated via ISOBUS through the Deere GS4600 terminal, and have had no compatibility issues, either with operating the sprayer or recording and transferring operating data. Wireless data transfer really comes into its own when spraying, for things like sending field/tramline maps and recommendations. Once it’s mapped and its tramlines are placed and recorded the first time, any new contract land is instantly logged into our system.”
Compatibility will be further tested when the farm takes on a 350hp tracked tractor of a different make on a short-term hire this summer, primarily for soil loosening with a 12-leg/6m Grange toolbar.
“We’ll require a modular telematics gateway (MTG) box to marry the tractor to the John Deere StarFire receiver and GreenStar terminal that we’ll put on the tractor in order to transfer data wirelessly, but while we won’t be able to monitor the tractor itself, once this is installed the field data transfer to MyJohnDeere.com should work as well as with a Deere tractor,” says Ed.
“As a contract farming company this data management is just as important to us as if we owned the land – it makes us more efficient. Our farming is based on short-term agreements, but we farm for the long term, targeting the best returns by using the right equipment. The management of data accumulated, though, remains ultimately with the farm owner, to whom it would pass were we to leave a farm.
“Telematics isn’t so much about hardware – we already had the necessary satellite receivers, in-cab terminals, office PC and smartphone. It’s about a little extra investment in software to help get much more out of the technology. It means I’m able to do more management from the tractor seat – there are only two of us full-time.”
John says long-term relationships between Sentry, Ben Burgess and John Deere have been instrumental in helping put in place a system he believes has the potential to bring about significant savings in management and maintenance costs.
“This pilot project to allow us to assess the benefits of telematics required a three-way commitment between us, making dealer and manufacturer trust essential, but we’ve seen tangible results that have convinced us of its value.”
Farm facts
Sentry Cambridgeshire, Chatteris, Cambs
- Area farmed: 600ha plus a further 250ha of contract crop establishment
- Soil type: Clay loam through to sand over gravel
- Cropping: Winter wheat, winter OSR, winter barley, spring barley, spring peas, plus land let for parsnips and potatoes
- Staff: Ed King and one full time arable operator
- Tractors: John Deere 7290R, 6215R, 6210R, plus harvest/autumn hire of 320hp crawler
- Combine: 9m Claas Lexion 580+
- Sprayer: 36m Horsch Leeb GS trailed
- Drills: 6m John Deere 750A, 6m Amazone Cirrus
- Key cultivation equipment: Kuhn 6f plough, 6m Väderstad Carrier, 6m Grange low disturbance toolbar, 3m Sumo Trio
