Pivot control becomes remote control

pivot control 1
Better management, improved time utilisation and better use of technology are imperative for meeting the escalating challenges of modern farming. One of the means that can help the farmer to extend his attention to more areas on the farm and to manage the whole operation more accurately, is remote data communication. This technology is being improved and developed almost daily to serve the farmer even better.
Pivot manufacturers fully realise the value of this technology for the farmer, therefore a data communication engineer or two are included in the development team of every pivot company. ProAgri Zambia asked each of the four main pivot companies in Southern Africa what they offer the pivot irrigation farmer to save effort, time and trips to the pivots. In addition to these companies, there is a separate company specialising in providing the most basic pivot control functions at a very reasonable price.
One fact that needs no debate, is that a farmer who operates only one or two pivots, needn’t acquire the latest and most advanced control technology. First, it is too expensive and second, it is superfluous.
On the other hand, farmers or company farms operating scores of pivots will surely find it useful to control all the excellent functions of the many pivots from a smartphone, tablet or laptop. With a user friendly graphics display of all his pivots, a farm manager can see the whole operation at a glance to make informed decisions and exercise proper control. However, solutions are also available for the smaller farmer who does not have time to visit his pivot regularly.
Senter 360
This South African company became renowned for the modular design of their pivots, and this principle is also applied in their remote control sys-tems. They use radio or GSM (Global System for Mobile Communications) platforms to send control and feedback signals between the operator and the pivot. As a farmer acquires more pivots, he can easily and affordably adapt his control box by simply adding the necessary remote control components. It can either be a plug-in radio transmitter or a cell phone module and an app for his smartphone.
The app on the smartphone then communicates with the control panel and can be used for single or multi pivots. The farmer may choose between various communication options, including fault messages, basic settings, tamper warnings and extensive provision of information.
However, Senter 360 insists that remote control must always be backed up with a manual control system for those isolated instances where bugs invade an electronic system.
Lindsay
In April last year, the American company, Lindsay, who manufactures Zimmatic pivots, introduced the Fieldnet pivot control system. The main benefit of this system is that it can be used with any other pivot as well. Simply connect the Fieldnet control box next to the existing control box to gain remote control of the pivot.
With Fieldnet a farmer can fully operate, control and monitor his pivot by means of remote control with his smartphone or tablet. It works equally well on an Apple or Android platform. The farmer himself can lay out the simple interface to suit his taste by using the pull and place functions with his fingertips.
The display panel immediately provides a review of your whole system, and by touching a function on the screen with his finger, the farmer can activate his pivot.
The control system permits a farmer to monitor a thermometer, water flow meter and rain gauge that records the precipitation in real time. Furthermore, the farmer can start or stop a pivot or pump, change its direction of rotation and the water application by simply touching an icon on the touch screen.
To see exactly how the pivot moves in the field, a GPS is placed on the end of the pivot. It works in tandem with the control box at the centre of the pivot circle to depict the position of the pivot very accurately. All the data gathered by the system is saved for possible later perusal.
Agrico
The Agrico system is called Advanced RAIN, and it offers two choices for remote control of pivots:
First, a farmer can use the cell phone text message control function to start or stop a pivot, to change direction, to alter the precipitation and to run dry to allow movement of implements during planting, crop spraying or harvesting.
Agrico can also send the status of certain functions, such as the position of the pivot in the land and the water pressure in the pivot, to the farmer by means of a cell phone text message. Important notifications can be sent to the farmer in the same way.
Second, an Agrico pivot can be controlled through the internet. A farmer can gain prompt access to the control choices of one or more of his pivots with his smartphone, tablet of computer, and with the tablet or computer a map presentation of all the pivots can be seen. Other choices are scheduling irrigation programmes and the graphic presentation of statistics.
Agrico’s latest addition is pump control though the internet control system. Now, the farmer can change the system pressure with a VSD (variable speed driver) that switches the pump on or off. This means a meaningful saving of electricity.
Presently, Agrico grants two years’ free access to the internet control system with any new Advanced RAIN device.
Valley
AgSense is the collective name for Valley’s remote control management products that give a farmer access to WagNet (Wireless Agricultural Network), a world-wide network created especially for agriculture. This network collects data, processes it and sends it back to the farmer in a usable format.
The best known control system in die AgSense fold is the Field Commander that can help a farmer to control up to a hundred pivots. A GPS determines the position of every pivot and sends real time information and alarms to your cell phone. The base station and its antenna are installed in the farm office, and it then communicates with an antenna on every pivot. The computer in the office is connected to the internet, which in turn communicates with Valley’s special app on a smartphone or tablet.
Valley’s latest remote communication technology is called BaseStation 3. It enables the farmer to exercise complete pivot control from any spot on earth. The farmer can choose whether he wants to use a cellular signal, data radio or the internet, according to the various cost implications.
With BaseStation 3 a farmer can look at his farm through Google Maps or read the moisture levels of his soil. More than one person can use the system at the same time, and a farmer can now share his irrigation data with a third party, such as his agronomist, irrigation scheduler or seed or fertiliser representative.
BaseStation 3 can also be integrated with other farm management programmes to obtain a better overall view of the whole farming operation.
Secucell
Secucell, a company from Vereeniging in South Africa, offers a solution for the farmer who needs a very inexpensive remote control system. Their simple control box contains the necessary electronics and a veteran cell phone, enabling the farmer to start or stop all his pivots one by one by simply giving each of them a missed call.