Localized information | Sensor gathers data on wind speed and direction so sprayer operator can make appropriate adjustments
Weather is the main factor determining whether or not to spray, but it’s often difficult to get accurate information about a specific field.
Ideally, an operator would like to merge accurate forecasts for the general area in which he’s spraying with localized data from a sensor within the one acre immediately surrounding his sprayer. Nice dream.
It would be even better if the dream system linked highly localized data to the area forecast with the GPS on the sprayer.
Even better if it would then bundle all that information into a system that warns about approaching weather patterns and the imminence of no-spray weather.
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Wake up. It’s not a dream.
John Deere can provide it for $3,499, according to Janae Tapper, product manager for Ag Management Solutions.
“It’s called John Deere Mobile Weather and it uses a third party sensor mounted on your sprayer along with forecast information from Airmar,” said Tapper.
Airmar is an independent weather service operating around the globe.
“The sensor on your sprayer is an Airmar Weather Station. It measures temperature, relative humidity, wind speed and wind direction,” Tapper said.
Wind speed and direction are automatically corrected to compensate for the sprayer travelling across the field. All GPS data comes from the regular GreenStar on the cab roof.
“Localized weather data gathered from the Airmar Weather Station on your sprayer goes to the application controller 1120 and interfaces with your GreenStar display. It tells the operator exactly what’s going on in real time,” she said.
“The operator can instantly pull up the weather screen to see what’s happening right now in the field where he’s spraying and what’s coming.
“You can set up your own customizable alert system triggered by parameters of wind speed, wind direction, temperature and humidity that you determine.”
The operator can customize the system for each field, depending on the chemical being applied, nearby fields and adjacent livestock operations.
“When you pull up the weather screen, all the values are displayed. If a no-spray condition is approaching, the background of the screen turns red. The operator can’t help but see it. It tells the operator which parameter will be exceeded.”
The operator then decides the best course of action.
Tapper said Mobile Weather is tailored for applicators who need precise weather information to make proper product application and other weather-related decisions.
Mobile Weather works with John Deere GreenStar 2 or GreenStar 3 displays, but only the GreenStar 3 2630 Display can document weather data that can be transferred to Apex or other third party farm management software for analysis and record keeping.
Mobile Weather enables operators to make in-cab product application decisions based on location-specific weather data. In addition, operators don’t have to rely on hand-held devices or make multiple stops to manually check and record weather conditions when applying product.
Mobile Weather is appropriate for applicators who need to capture weather information as part of their record keeping, documentation and data analysis, or for maintaining regulatory compliance.
“It integrates easily into existing sprayer and GreenStar displays without the need for additional hand-held devices or displays to provide on-the-go weather monitoring,” said Tapper.
Mobile Weather can be mounted on any 4940, 4930, 4830 and 4730 self-propelled sprayers with GreenStar displays.
