Halter goes global, but NZ farmers remain core to innovation
Virtual fencing company Halter is going global but for founder Craig Piggott, New Zealand farmers will always remain their main partners.
In operation, users can retrieve their preferred settings when they enter a paddock. This removes the need for lengthy machine set-ups, and field-specific settings only need to be inputted once.
Typically, complete tractor and implement combination set-ups can be time-consuming and need skilled operators. For example, complex planting machinery may require up to 60 display clicks to build an operating sequence, which can mean a loss of productive working time.
The John Deere AutoSetup allows the operator to activate all settings with one click once the complete the machine’s profiles are stored. The pre-planned job then appears automatically on the cab display when the machine enters a field, and the operator need only confirm the details.
AutoSetup supports tractor settings such as PTO speed, hitch and hydraulic valves. It also does implement settings such as sprayer boom height and nozzle selection or slurry tanker tyre pressures. It handles agronomic data such as field boundaries, guidance lines and application maps (ISO-XML is supported via the John Deere Operations Centre), and documentation data such as fertiliser and crop protection applications.
AutoSetup also supports farm and fleet managers by allowing them to organise all jobs in advance. This covers things such as application rates, maps and all tractor and implement settings. If required, the operator in the field can change settings and adapt them to working conditions.
Due to the open system architecture and cloud database, all ISOBUS-compatible implements can also be connected to AutoSetup. The system currently supports Kotte slurry tankers and John Deere trailed sprayers but other implements can easily be adapted.
All data is also available in the John Deere Operations Centre web portal, and so can be used for an entire machinery fleet. The data is stored in a cloud-based system, which is a new feature in the agricultural industry.
AutoSetup will be available on selected John Deere tractors in the second half of 2020 and can be retrofitted to models equipped with the latest Generation 4 display. Both the software update required for the retrofit system and reference to the John Deere Operations Centre are free.
