New Planter Technology Coming In 2013

New Planter Technology Coming In 2013 PLANTERS “We’re taking the fast reaction time of hydraulic power to a new level by mounting a hydraulic down force actuator on every row unit of a planter ” says Roger Zielke of Ag Leader Technology “This system will improve planting depth accuracy on every row of any size planter across all soil conditions ” The new system combines the monitoring and control technology of Ag Leader’s INTEGRA™ display with the Rfx hydraulic down force actuator manufactured by Dawn Equipment Zielke says the system was developed because soil conditions encountered by a planter as it moves across fields can change quickly In compacted soils the planter may not be exerting enough down pressure for accurate planting depth while in soft soils it might be exerting too much “With the air controlled systems already on the market the planter may be past the compacted area or the soft area by the time a down pressure adjustment is made ” Zielke says “With this system the hydraulic down force adjusts instantly on the go as soon as the planter enters new soil conditions Another benefit is that hydraulic systems hold up better in dusty rigorous field conditions than air compressor systems ” Zielke says the system is extremely effective because sensors detect down pressure exerted by the gauge wheels against the soil several times a second Ag Leader developed the ground force sensor that measures how much force the row unit gauge wheel is exerting against the ground A control algorithm was developed to read the sensor and a proprietary control module brings the data to the INTEGRA display screen in the tractor “This system allows the seed to always be planted at the intended depth without compacting the side walls of the seed trench ” Zielke says “When seed is planted at a uniform depth emergence and early growth is more uniform and that can lead to better yields ” Ag Leader is testing system components at several locations during the 2012 planting season The company intends to have equipment available for Kinze and Deere planters for 2013 All of the electronics are Ag Leader’s design and Dawn builds the hydraulic actuator that mounts in place of a standard air bag on each row unit Zielke says the actuator sensors valves hydraulic hoses cabling and modules will cost $650 to $800 per row The system will be less costly per row for larger planters because the cost of the control valve is divided across more row units Pricing does not include the cost of the Ag Leader’s INTEGRA display or the GPS system “This is a good fit for us because our expertise is in electronic control while Dawn has a lot of experience with the actuators ” Zielke says “Together we’re providing a new level of planting accuracy ” Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Roger Zielke Ag Leader Technology 2202 South Riverside Drive Ames Iowa 50010 ph 515-232-5363; rzielke@agleader com; www agleader com

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