Producers are increasingly turning to technology, data and precision solutions to optimize every aspect of their operation — and soil management is the final frontier. Taking the same variable rate approach many growers use for seed and fertilizer rates, AFS Soil Command™ tillage prescription technology allows operators to address a wide range of soil management challenges. This technology helps improve operator performance, makes every inch of the field an optimal environment for plants, and minimizes erosion and preserves moisture where needed.
Whether you practice conventional or conservation tillage, read on to learn how this easy-to-use technology can bring yield-enhancing results to your operation with exceptional return on your investment.
Match tillage treatments to varying field conditions with site-specific zone management.
With tillage prescription technology, creating an agronomic seedbed across varying conditions is easier than ever before. Whether your soil management practices include conventional tillage, minimum-till or no-till, now you can achieve desired crop residue management, soil tilth, temperature, seedbed conditions and seed placement accuracy across your entire field. With tillage prescriptions, you’re not just farming for one condition — you’re farming for all conditions.
For example, when using a True-Tandem™ 335VT vertical tillage tool in fields with highly erodible zones, AFS Soil Command enables the operator to run at deeper depths to manage heavy residue cover and as shallow as 0 in areas that you need to preserve. You can also address compaction by running deeper to fracture the compaction layer with a tough primary tillage tool, such as the Ecolo-Tiger® 875 disk ripper — and working soil less aggressively in other areas for soil preservation.
Gain peace of mind — no matter the operator.
Ensuring that both the seedbed surface and the seedbed floor are even, smooth and agronomically prepared is a critical part of planting productivity. At the same time, seasoned producers are not always around to show novice operators how to make the adjustments that maximize agronomic efficiency. Fortunately, AFS Soil Command tillage prescription technology allows operators of all skill levels to accurately prepare your fields for optimized planting conditions.
Developed by a farm manager or agronomist with the Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) Connect™ prescription creation tool, predetermined prescription maps indicate variable conditions as they occur to prompt automatic machine adjustments. From there — whether you’re running a Case IH field cultivator, disk ripper, vertical tillage tool or disk harrow equipped with AFS Soil Command — agronomic control technology takes over with coordinated adjustments to ensure the entire machine is set for peak performance. The entire tillage tool, not just depth, is precisely set and monitored, optimizing settings for depth control, fore/aft leveling, stabilizer wheel position and Crumbler® downforce.
Enhance yields and achieve return on investment in less than a year.*
Case IH research has demonstrated that when producers upgrade Case IH tillage tools with AFS Soil Command seedbed sensing technology, the system has the potential to pay for itself in one year — thanks to yield-enhancing, agronomically correct adjustments.* Our agronomists attribute this to how important a smooth seedbed is to achieving consistent, accurate seed placement and uniform emergence.
Plus, when The Ohio State University tested prescription tillage technology on a highly variable field with compaction problems using an Ecolo-Tiger 875 disk ripper, there was a 10 bushel-per-acre (bpa) increase in yields that same year, as well as a 10 to 15 bpa increase in corn yields the following year.
Boost fuel efficiency and minimize equipment wear and tear.
The Ohio State University research has shown producers save 5% to 10% per acre on fuel as a result of automatic agronomic adjustments and minimized equipment wear and tear, as the machine is adjusted in conditions that require little to no tillage treatment. Plus, with prescription technology, you can vary and up your field speeds as conditions allow, so you get your soil management and field prep done faster.
Upgrade a wide range of Case IH tillage tools to match your needs.
The full suite of AFS Soil Command solutions includes seedbed sensing, agronomic control and mapping technologies — and, now, tillage prescription technology. Reap all the agronomic benefits by adding AFS Soil Command to your Tiger-Mate™ 255 field cultivator, single-fold True-Tandem disk harrows and vertical tillage tools, and the Ecolo-Tiger 875 disk ripper.
Learn more about Case IH and AFS Soil Command™ tillage prescription technology or talk with your local Case IH dealer.
*Case IH research conducted in 2020 found that for every 2% increase in ride quality with a Tiger-Mate 255 field cultivator, yield increased by 6 bu./ac. Payback within less than one year assumes a 2 bu./ac. increase with seedbed sensing technology over 1,000 acres of corn planted into field-cultivated soybean stubble. Results depend upon corn prices; Case IH does not guarantee a specific level of profitability.
