Where the tractor goes should be secondary to where the seeding implement goes.
After all, says Marty Cook of AutoFarm, it’s what does the work. The tractor is simply there to provide pulling power.
“Our next step in the evolution of machine guidance is to steer the seeding implement itself rather than steer the tractor,” Cook said.
“Until now, we’ve been trying to guide the implement by steering the tractor. It’s been our only choice. But if you’re really interested in the accuracy of your seeding implement, then it’s logical that the seeding implement is where you put the steering.
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“Our basic concept is similar to the Seed Master Smart Hitch. For broad acreage, AutoFarm RTK coupled to a Smart Hitch will give you inter-row seeding with one-inch accuracy in cereals and oil seeds.”
While Smart Hitch steers a drill with hydraulic cylinders anchored to the large mass of the tractor, the AFTracker steers the seeding machine with coulters mounted to the rear of the seeder frame.
Because the AFTracker runs in the soil behind the frame, it can exert a tremendous amount of left-right leverage on the frame. In effect, it is like rudder on a ship.
Hydraulic cylinders linked to steering arms control the left-right steering angle of the free-rolling coulters. The cylinders receive precise steering instructions from the AutoFarm RTK guidance system.
To achieve smooth implement steering, AFTracker mounts one GPS antenna on the implement and another on the tractor. The implement antenna records the position 10 times per second. The two antennas work in harmony so the implement follows the same line as the tractor.
“They actually dig into the soil to push your implement left or right, precisely to the correct position behind the tractor,” Cook said.
“It’s like a discer, except that the discs steer left and right with the hydraulic steering arms.”
The AutoFarm AFTracker implement steering system is intended primarily for row cropping. In Canada, it’s been sold to potato and corn growers.
The device works for towed and hitched implements and adapts to cultivators, planters and lister bars. In the corn-bean belt, it is used for side dressing, ridge till and strip tillage.
As the practice of strip tillage gradually moves into Canada, the specialized technology is also migrating north.
An essential part of strip tillage is the capability to run the seeding tool in the same path as the tillage tools. Cook said that RTK along with the AFTracker can accomplish that task.
The coulter steering system has other benefits. The coulters eliminate side slide on hillsides and side hop along curved paths or going through variable soil. It also helps prevent implement walking when working at an angle across old seed rows or cultivator rows.
AutoFarm said there’s another aspect of AFTracker that should be considered: If producers can achieve sub-one-inch guidance on a 30 foot seeding implement, they can also achieve it on a 100 foot seeding implement.
