Moisture levels vary from field to field, plot to plot, but knowing when yield-robbing variances occur isn’t as easy to predict. Now it is with John Deere Field Connect Soil Moisture Monitoring. This straightforward solution helps you pinpoint where crops thrive, resources are protected, and profits soar.
Intuitive and farmer-friendly, the John Deere Field Connect system comes with the full support of your John Deere dealer. Field Connect uses field-installed probes to monitor moisture levels at various depths. It then sends the information to a web-based interface where you can see the data on your computer or mobile device, so you can make timely irrigation decisions from anywhere.
At the office or in the field, you can see if your soil’s moisture levels are balanced and decide what measures need to be taken, like making the call to apply more water to encourage uptake of nutrients, or less water to reduce leaching. Without delay or guesswork, you can advise your crew to make the adjustments needed to protect your yields and reduce costs. With your soil moisture levels balanced, your crops are able to effectively absorb fertilizers and pesticides, promoting higher yields and improved crop quality.
And with new environmental sensors that measure air and soil temperature, wind speed, humidity, solar radiation, rainfall and leaf wetness, you’ll know exactly what’s going on — above the ground and below the surface.
Call your John Deere FarmSight Certified Dealer today, and ask them how John Deere Field Connect Soil Moisture Monitoring can help you make more informed irrigation decisions.
Read how Kip Cullers (world record holder for soybean yield) uses John Deere Field Connect and subsurface drip irrigation in his operation (originally printed in Farm Journal, October 2012).
A producer's yields are highly dependent on the inputs provided to the crop. Just as important is the time at which those inputs are provided. For corn, this means ensuring moisture is available during the pollination stage. Inadequate moisture during this key time can cause significantly lower yields. However, having too much moisture can be damaging as well.
The quality of a crop can also be affected if correct moisture levels are not maintained during fruit fill. In processing tomatoes, moisture levels are lowered in the final weeks of the season. This ensures that tomatoes are produced that have appropriate brix levels, high solids/sugars, to bring the highest possible price for the producer.
John Deere Field Connect provides detailed soil moisture levels throughout the growing season. When combined with optional environmental sensors, producers have a wealth of site-specific information at their fingertips. This ability to monitor moisture levels and key environmental conditions means decisions can be made around those key crop stages, allowing producers to make informed moisture management decisions.
When timely decisions matter, quick issue resolution and support for the decision-making process are key. The John Deere Field Connect™ solution is supported by an organization no one else in the industry can rival: the John Deere dealer. Armed with the resources to resolve any support need and backed by the expertise of a company admired around the world, John Deere dealers can provide local, customized decision support to meet the needs of their producers.
The John Deere Field Connect™ solution offers optional environmental sensors to enable producers to make decisions with site-specific information pertaining to the environment.
Available sensors collect information on air temperature, soil temperature, solar radiation levels, and precipitation. This information can be used to calculate many measurements that aid in determining depletion rates of soil moisture, timing for field applications, and field preparedness for various activities. One calculation is reference evapotranspiration. Calculated from environmental sensor values, reference evapotranspiration (ET) has been shown as a daily value on the landing page. This value can be viewed as a data layer on the graph, allowing for trending and historical data display.
Leaf wetness sensors are also available to aid in disease modeling and prevention activities. When paired with a John Deere Field Connect Gateway and its reliable communication systems, these environmental sensors can provide key information to optimize a producer’s operation.
John Deere Field Connect environmental sensors and attachments:
Energy costs are rising, water conservation practices including allocations are becoming more prevalent, and chemical application continues to be a significant input cost to a producer’s operations. John Deere Field Connect™ system can provide producers the information needed to ensure that irrigation is used only when it is required, thereby reducing the tendency to overwater. Running an irrigation system only when needed will save on fuel costs and reduce the risk of washing chemical applications away from where the crop can use it. In areas with water restrictions, saving water today could make the difference between having a crop next season and not.
Product modules and features has been compiled for worldwide circulation with general information, pictures, and descriptions of features not available in all countries. In some countries, products and accessories may require modifications or additions to ensure compliance with local regulations. Contact your local John Deere dealer for details.