Alberta Pulse Growers researcher Nevin Rosaasen analyzed infield testing of commonly available section control systems in pea and canola. As part of his phase one report, he compiled a list of the multiple-zone sectional control technologies used on the Canadian prairies, including aftermarket options for existing equipment.
- Morris Industries Ltd. Input Control Technology (ICT) to disengage individual metering wheels to stop product flow and control up to 10 sections, averaging eight feet each, depending on drill size. The metering system remains primed after shutting off the product flow, unlike others that purge remaining product.
- Bourgault Dual Auto Section Control (ASC) system shuts down product flow while cleaning the lines with air to ensure all product is purged from six, eight, or 10 individual sections. Section size depends on equipment size. The dual-auto section control refers to being able to control both the seed and fertilizer at different times. However, this system does not shut off product flow by the meters but uses a knife valve in the air line to divert the airflow and stop product flow. In the sections that are engaged, auger speed is adjusted to place the correct product rate on the secondary manifold, ensuring that no extra product is being pushed through the engaged sections when others are shut off.
- Case IH AccuSection controls the meters using individual electronic meter drives, automatically shutting off up to four sections when crossing previously seeded areas This technology is also used in planters as well as sprayers.
- John Deere uses a GreenStar software application of John Deere Section Control to turn on and off implement sections. Like others, this technology allows for product shutoff when the GPS crosses previously set boundaries for areas that are not to be seeded. This technology can control up to four sets of implement sections through the GreenStar software activation. SectionCommand is the metering system that controls output from each meter. Up to eight sections can be controlled by opening and closing the gates on the meter which, similar to the Morris ICT, stays primed so there’s no interruption of product flow when the section is turned back on.
- Intelligent Agricultural Solutions created the AFT add-on Engage Zone Control designed for John Deere air carts. By using electric motors to control the slide gates, this technology allows up to eight sections to be controlled per tank, with up to three tanks per cart.
- New Holland also has an add-on section control kit available for P series air hoe drills and air disk drills, providing half-width sectional control across the drill, controlled by the Intelliview software. All Flexi-coil P Series air carts come with manual sectional control, which can be connected to a GPS and controlled through IntelliRate. This system can control up to eight primary product runs.
- TramRite’s Controlled Seeding Systems provide AFT options for air seeders, air drills, and planters. These systems were designed to add sectional control to numerous implements by different manufacturers. Some examples include control boxes for controlling the slide gates, adjustable slide gates for partial opening and control at the distribution towers by Y-diverters to divert the seed into a vacuum line. These systems are controlled by the associated GPS sectional control program through the monitor.
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