Case IH and Agri Technovation a perfect match in precision agriculture

Case IH and Agri Technovation work together to provide an all-inclusive service to producers.

This collaboration empowers producers to farm even more accurately because Case IH's AFS system enables farmers to plant, spray and harvest with remarkable precision, and Agri Technovation assists with comprehensive data analyses from planting to after harvesting.

As profit margins become smaller, there is little room for error or making wrong decisions. To optimise these margins, careful management at every level of the farming operation is crucial. The collaboration between Case IH and Agri Technovation places both companies' expertise and technology at the disposal of local producers so farm management decisions can be based on real knowledge.

Case IH and Agri Technovation have scheduled a series of technology days hosted across the country, where information sessions are presented on the importance of precision technology and accurate data analysis for improved productivity and sustainability. Making the right decision for the most appropriate action, at the right time and the right place, requires more than just data or equipment. Information collected continuously, with the help of the two companies' expert staff, can be expertly processed and practically applied so the full potential of the soil, the seed or the crop, as well as the precision equipment used, can come into their own.

"The core strategy for Case IH in local agriculture is sustainability. This collaboration is a huge step in that direction," said Case IH Managing Director Stephen Nel, at a recent media event. He went on to explain that integrating data is one of the most important aspects of farming. "Measuring is important, but knowing what to do with your data is even more important."

To further increase the potential of the extremely efficient Case IH AFS system, the company is now using Agri Technovation's agronomic support service to help farmers make informed decisions. "This combination of technology and practical knowledge will enable producers to analyse and apply data collected over years to ensure environmentally friendly and sustainable farming methods. Good technology already exists on the farm, and the information is available, but Agri Technovation sums up everything in one package. This collaboration literally combines knowledge and wisdom for the benefit of the farmer," said Arno du Plessis, Case IH Head of Tactical Marketing. "It gives the farmer the freedom to farm from anywhere."

The ultimate aim is to assist producers with the application of precision technology on their farms, and with the analysis and integration of the data provide optimal farming practice outcomes.

According to Du Plessis, this offers the opportunity to optimise all facets of farming, including:

• Sustainable utilisation of resources,
• Sustainable application of inputs,
• Real efficiency and profitability

Schalk Oosthuizen, Product Specialist at Case IH, believes data is a critical aspect of the whole process. "Data and statistics mean nothing if the information collected is not completely correct. Just as data can help you make smart decisions, so too misinformation can lead to poor decisions and failures."

He also pointed out that while information must be correct, its processing and its application is just as important. "The processing of historical data can determine where problems are located so they can be corrected. Record keeping is therefore equally significant – for today and for the future. Precision farming is more than just applying precision implements. It is the repeated and constant collection, analysis and application of information."

According to Oosthuizen, Case IH's AFS Connect™ system brings the following to the table in this combined package:

• Fleet management and monitoring – producers can see where the tractors are and how fast they move.
• Remote support to the grower and his fleet.
• Remote transmission of information.
• Data is visualised.
• Five years of open data is provided.
• Sharing information – the producer can decide what is shared with whom.
• Software can easily be updated.
• Other platforms can be incorporated.

Heinz Oellermann, Head of the Grain Division at Agri Technovation, is convinced that the success of profitable farming lies in the synergy between agriculture, science and technology. "We can't just look at one component. If one looks at the cultivar being planted, one should also look at where the cultivar fits in. Therefore, it is important to properly analyse your soil so that you know what type of soil you have, how deep the soil is, and what the total composition of a field looks like. Thus, one can determine which cultivar should be planted where. It becomes more than just variable fertilizer application, but actual variable cultivar application. If you farm like this, you can manage the kernel weight, the kernel number and the heads per hectare to arrive at the optimal yield."

"Our involvement is to help manage the aspects over which a farmer has control and make adjustments where necessary. Gone are the days when a farmer could only be satisfied with the condition of his land. Farmers need to look at the inherent potential of land and manage it in such a way that they can harness that potential," Oellermann said.

He also stressed that recommendations are not perpetually applicable and should be adjusted annually depending on the new data collected.

Nico Myburgh, Case IH Head of Precision Technology, emphasised that the customer, in their case the farmer, should always come first. "We obsess over our customers – their needs determine our activities."

He explained that precision farming today is performed according to the following principles:

• Soil to soil – type of soil and depth placements.
• Kernel by kernel – the speed and pressure of the planter is adjusted to place each kernel correctly.
• Drop by drop – each drop should be placed in the soil in such a way that moisture and sprays are applied evenly without unnecessary damage to plants.
• Spray for spray – with more efficient implements the farmer can ensure that he sprays at the optimal time.
• Grain for grain – because the bushel weight of the grain can already be determined at harvest, it can also help to deliver grain to the buyer more efficiently.

Photo caption

Case IH representatives from left: Schalk Oosthuizen, Product Manager; Stephan Nel, Managing Director; Nico Myburgh, Head of Precision Technology; Arno du Plessis, Head of Tactical Marketing; and Heinz Oellermann, Head of the Grain Division at Agri Technovation.

For more information contact Chimene de Villiers, Case IH Head of Marketing and Communication, at chimene.devilliers@cnhind.com

Case IH en Agri Technovation perfekte pasmaats in presisielandbou

Case IH en Agri Technovation werk saam om ’n allesomvattende diens aan produsente te lewer.

Hierdie samewerking bemagtig produsente om meer optimaal te boer omdat Case IH se AFS-stelsel boere in staat stel om baie meer presies te plant, te spuit en te stroop en Agri Technovation help met data-ontledings van voor plant tot na stroop.

Winsmarges raak al hoe kleiner en laat bykans geen ruimte vir foute of verkeerde besluite nie. Om hierdie marges te optimaliseer is noukeurige bestuur op alle vlakke van die boerdery van kardinale belang. Die samewerking tussen Case IH en Agri Technovation stel beide maatskappye se kundigheid en tegnologie tot die beskikking van plaaslike produsente sodat boerderybestuursbesluite op werklike kennis geskoei kan word.

Case IH en Agri Technovation bied 'n reeks tegnologiedae aan wat regoor die land plaasvind, waar praatjies oor die belangrikheid van presisietegnologie en akkurate data-analise aangebied word om ondersteuning te bied aan produsente om meer volhoubaar en presies te boer. Om die regte besluit te neem sodat die korrekte en mees toepaslike aksie op die regte tyd en regte plek uitgevoer kan word, verg meer as net data of toerusting. Inligting wat deurlopend ingesamel word, kan met die hulp van die twee maatskappye se kundige personeel sinvol verwerk en uiteindelik prakties toegepas word sodat die potensiaal van die grond, die saad of gewas, asook die presisietoerusting wat gebruik word, tot hulle volle reg kan kom.

“Die kernstrategie vir Case IH in die plaaslike landbou is volhoubaarheid. Hierdie samewerking is ‘n groot stap in daardie rigting,” het Stephen Nel, Besturende Direkteur van Case IH tydens 'n mediageleentheid gesê.

Hy het verder gesê dat die integrasie van data een van die belangrikste aspekte van boerdery is. “Om te meet is belangrik, maar om te weet wat om te doen met jou data, is nog belangriker.”

Om die moontlikhede van die reeds doeltreffende Case IH AFS-stelsel nog verder te vergroot, gebruik die maatskappy nou Agri Technovation se agronomiese ondersteuningsdienste om boere te help om ingeligte besluite te neem. “Hierdie gekombineerde tegnologie en praktiese kennis, sal produsente in staat stel om data wat oor jare ingesamel is, te ontleed en toe te pas met die oog op omgewingsvriendelike en volhoubare boerderymetodes. Daar is reeds goeie tegnologie op die plaas, en die inligting is beskikbaar, maar Agri Technovation vat alles saam in een pakkie. CaseIH en Agri Technovation se samewerking beteken dat daar wedersyds hande gevat word tot voordeel van die boer,” sê Arno du Plessis, Hoof van Taktiese Bemarking Case IH. “Dit gee die boer die Vryheid om van enige plek af te boer.”

Die uiteindelike doel is om produsente te help met die toepassing van presisie-tegnologie op hulle plase, en met die ontleding en integrasie van die data met die oog op optimale boerderypraktyke.

Volgens Du Plessis, bied hierdie die geleentheid om alle fasette van die boerdery te optimiseer, insluitend:

• Volhoubare benutting van hulpbronne.
• Volhoubare toepassing van insette.
• Doeltreffendheid
• Winsgewendheid

Schalk Oosthuizen, Produkspesialis by Case IH, meen data is die sleutelgedagte in die hele proses. “Data en statistiek beteken niks as die inligting wat ingesamel word nie goed en korrek is nie. Net soos data jou kan help om goeie en slim besluite te neem, net so kan verkeerde inligting lei tot swak besluite en mislukkings.”

Hy het verder daarop gewys dat hoewel inligting reg moet wees, die verwerking en die toepassing daarvan van net so groot belang is. “Die verwerking van historiese data kan bepaal waar probleme gesetel is sodat dit reggestel kan word. Rekordhouding is daarom net so belangrik – vir vandag en vir die toekoms. Presisieboerdery is meer as net presisie-implemente. Dit is die herhaalde en konstante versameling, analise en toepassing van inligting.”

Volgens Oosthuizen bring Case IH se AFS Connect™-stelsel die volgende na die tafel toe in hierdie gekombineerde pakket:

• Vlootbestuur en -monitering – produsente kan sien waar die trekkers is en hoe vinnig hulle gery het.
• Afstandondersteuning aan die produsent en sy vloot.
• Afstandoordrag van inligting.
• Data word gevisualiseer.
• 5 jaar van oop data.
• Die deel van inligting – die produsent kan besluit wat met wie gedeel word.
• Sagteware kan maklik opgedateer word.
• Ander platforms kan geïnkorporeer word.

Volgens Heinz Oellermann, Hoof van die Graanafdeling van Agri Technovation, lê die sukses van winsgewende boerdery in die sinergie tussen landbou, wetenskap en tegnologie. “Ons kan nie net na een komponent kyk nie. Sou mens na die kultivar wat geplant word kyk, moet mens ook kyk waar die kultivar inpas. Daarom is dit belangrik om jou grond behoorlik te ontleed sodat jy weet watter tipe grond jy het, hoe diep die grond is, en hoe die totale samestelling van ’n land lyk. So kan mens bepaal watter kultivar waar geplant moet word. Dit is nou meer as variëerbare kunsmistoediening en stand, maar variëerbare kultivartoepassing. As mens so boer, kan jy die pitgewig, die pitgetal en die koppe per hektaar bestuurs om so by die optimale opbrengs uit te kom.”

“Ons betrokkenheid is om die aspekte waaroor ’n boer beheer het, te help bestuurs en aanpassings te maak waar en hoe nodig. Die dae is verby  dat ’n boer net tevrede kan wees met die toestand van sy grond. Boere moet kyk na die inherente potensiaal van grond en dit so bestuur dat hulle die potensiaal kan benut, ” het Oellermann gesê.

Hy het ook beklemtoon dat aanbevelings nie immergroen is nie en jaarliks aangepas moet word na gelang van die nuwe data wat ingesamel word.

Nico Myburgh hoof van presisietegnologie het beklemtoon dat die kliënt, in hulle geval die boer, altyd eerste gestel word. ”Ons is obsessief oor kliënte – hulle behoeftes bepaal ons aktiwiteite.”

Hy het gesê dat presisieboerdery vandag volgens die volgende beginsels geskied:

• Grond tot grond – soort grond en diepteplasings.
• Pit vir pit – die spoed en druk van die planter word aangepas om elke pit korrek te plaas.
• Druppel vir druppel – elke druppel moet so in die land geplaas word dat vog en bespuitings eweredig geskied sonder dat plante onnodig beskadig word.
• Spuit vir spuit - met meer doeltreffende implemente kan die boer verseker dat hy spuit op die optimale tyd.
• Graan vir graan – omdat die skepelgewig van die graan reeds met stroop bepaal kan word, kan dit ook help om graan meer optimaal aan die koper te lewer.

Foto-onderskrif

Die verteenwoordigers van Case IH van links: Schalk Oosthuizen, ProdukBestuurder; Stephan Nel, Besturende Direkteur Case IH; Nico Myburgh, Hoof van Presisietegnologie; Arno du Plessis, Hoof van Taktiese Bemarking; en Heinz Oellermann, Hoof van die Graanafdeling van Agri Technovation.

Vir meer inligting kontak Chimene de Villiers, Hoof van Bemarking en Kommunikasie, Case IH by chimene.devilliers@cnhind.com