John Deere has announced the introduction of AutoPath™ to help customers accurately document each row of crops in the fields throughout the season. The new precision ag application utilizes data collected from the first pass in the field, either with planting or strip-till. The goal is to help producers by giving them precise row guidance for all subsequent field passes, regardless of the machine type or width of equipment.
“When using AutoPath, guidance lines are automatically created from a map of crop row lines for each field,” said John Mishler, precision ag marketing manager for John Deere. “These mapped row lines are used to automatically create guidance lines for the entire field for all other in-field passes, such as spraying, nutrient application, or harvesting operations, later in the year. Using this solution, operators know which rows to start on and can precisely follow the auto-generated guidance lines, regardless of the field application or machine width. This increases operator confidence in being on the right row and the efficiency of field operations throughout the growing season and harvest.”
During the first field pass, the planter or strip-till implement and tractor are equipped with StarFire™ Receivers to record the location of each row via AutoPath. As a result, subsequent field passes are based on actual documented row locations, rather than a static AB Line, which may not actually represent the planted row. Ultimately, the time it takes to set up the entire process and manage the lines is reduced, boosting producers’ efficiency out in the field.
According to Mischler, operators can also use implements and platforms of different sizes or widths throughout their field operations. AutoPath is included in the John Deere Generation 4 Automation Bundle. It is also available for either the 4600 CommandCenter™ Integrated Display or the 4640 Universal Display.
More information can be found on www.JohnDeere.com or by speaking to your local John Deere dealer.