Weighing and tracking on-farm movement of seed, fertilizer and grain became easier this spring with the introduction of a new data management system from Digi-Star.
Digi-Star’s Kevin Klubertanz said Grain Tracker, a multi-function seeding and harvest management system, is the first developed specifically as an interface between a producer’s office computer and the load sensors on his grain carts. It was designed from scratch just for farm applications.
At seeding time, Grain Tracker documents the loading and unloading of all seed and granular fertilizer. At harvest time, the same system documents the source of all grain loads as well as other information the producer requires.
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There’s nothing new about scales and indicators in grain carts, but manually collecting and collating the data often meant it never reached the office, especially if it was in a notebook.
Field data gathered by Grain Tracker transfers to the office computer for management purposes.
Grain Tracker is compatible with existing load sensors already installed on all major grain cart brands.
The indicators are mounted in the tractor cab, allowing the operator to instantly document contents of the load, field name, farm name, weight and other information.
The company said it has simplified the process with a start-stop feature and keys with symbols for entering and modifying field data.
Data from the basic 400 model can be sent directly to a printer but cannot be easily downloaded to a PC.
On the advanced 460 model, data can be downloaded to a portable USB flash drive. Flash drive data is then transferred to proprietary PC software, where it can go into PDF format or to an Excel spreadsheet. The 460 model costs $1,985 US.
Klubertanz said precise yield documentation is important for custom harvesters and farmers who use their services. A good history of yield data on a field-by-field basis is also valuable for crop insurance purposes and value evaluation for resale and land rental rates.
Another feature that Klubertanz said is exclusive to Digi-Star is the combine calibration button that automatically calibrates the combine’s yield monitor.
The system exploits the fact that load sensors on a grain cart are always significantly more accurate and reliable than those on a combine.
By pressing the combine check button at the top of the Grain Track counsel, the operator receives an instant reading from the grain cart and can compare it to what the combine yield monitor displays.
The operator can then make adjustments to the combine’s system.
Operators can also check the calibration of the combine yield monitor every time they auger grain from the tank to the cart.
Grain Tracker is available through Unverferth, Kinze and J&M grain cart dealers.
For more information, contact Kevin Klubertanz at 800-225-7695 or visit www.digi-star.com.
