Overview of Automatic Section Control Technology - Alabama ...

BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING SERIES
TIMELY INFORMATION
Agriculture, Natural Resources & Forestry
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Department of Biosystems Engineering, Auburn University, AL 36849-5626
BSEN‐PA‐08‐02 JULY, 2008
Overview of Automatic Section Control Technology
Introduction
Automatic section control is a precision agriculture technology that has been readily adopted by
producers over the past couple years. Currently, equipment manufacturers and third‐party companies
are offering systems that control sections, nozzles, and rows on sprayers and implements. Simply, the
technology turns application equipment OFF in areas that have been previously covered or ON and OFF
at headland turns, point rows, terraces, and/or waterways. Many farmers have implemented the
technology for use on sprayers with popularity growing for planters.
Figure 1 illustrates an example of manual control versus a sprayer equipped with GPS enabled boomsection
control. Today, most sprayer manufacturers provide this technology as an option on new
sprayers. However, some older sprayers can be retrofitted with this technology. Further, several
planter manufactures are working with third‐party vendors to provide section‐ or row‐control
technology (Fig. 2). Consult the manufacturer to determine if this technology is compatible for your
equipment.
(a)
(b)
Figure 1. Example operation of manual sprayer control system (a) and a sprayer equipped with GPS‐based
section‐control when traversing a grassed waterway (b). In this example, the technology provides the benefit
of treating the cropland while preserving the grass waterway.

Components
The cost for this technology generally starts around $2000 but depends upon existing technology and
equipment you may already be using on your farm. At minimum, you must have a:
• GPS receiver
• Controller with software capable of automatic section/row control
• Proper boom valves for sprayers or row clutches for planters
Other components can include a flow meter/control or other sensors to maintain the desired application
rate when turning rows or sections ON/OFF. Please consult manufacturers for the necessary
components and cables.
Benefits
Our calculations have shown input savings from 5% to over 30% for each pass across a field using
automatic section control. However, these savings are dependent upon field shape and size with higher
benefits occurring in large, irregular shaped fields or fields containing conservation management
structures such as grass waterways and terraces.
Benefits of this technology can include:
1. Improved overall sprayer and planter accuracy
2. Reduced overlap thus reducing overall input costs
3. Improved environmental stewardship
4. Reduced crop damage from over‐application
5. Improved application efficiency
6. Optimized operator efficiency
Figure 2. Example benefits of planter individual row control to reduce overlap and skipped areas. The
technology improves planting efficiency while savings on the amount of planted seed.
Utilizing a guidance system in conjunction with automatic section control, can significantly improve
field efficiency while providing input savings. Generally, automatic section control technology can pay
for itself over 1 to 2 growing seasons.
Prepared by
Daniel Mullenix, Research Engineer, John Fulton, Assistant Professor, Christian Brodbeck, Research
Engineer Biosystems Engineering Department, Auburn University and Amy Winstead and Shannon
Norwood, Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
ALABAMA A&M AND AUBURN UINVERSITIES, AND TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY, COUNTY GOVERNING BODIES AND USDA COOPERATING
The Alabama Cooperative Extension System offers educational programs, materials, and equal opportunity employment
to all people without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
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Available Systems and Technology
The following table provides a partial list of companies either providing complete systems or technology
for these systems (last updated July 2008). Mention of trade names and commercial products is for
informational purposes and does not necessarily imply endorsement by Auburn University or the
Alabama Cooperative Extension System.
Company System Name No. of Section Controls Website
Topcon X20 Auto‐Section Control Up to 30 1
John Deere Swath Control Pro TM Up to 12 2
Relevant Controller
GreenStar TM 2 (GS2)
Raven AccuBoom (CAN) Up to 10 3
AccuBoom (Parallel) Up to 7 3
SmartBoom Up to 7 3
Relevant Controllers
SCS 330 Up to 3
SCS 400 Series 3, 6, or 7
SCS 600 Series Up to 7
SCS 4000 Series Up to 10
TeeJet / Mid‐Tech Swath Manager Up to 5 4
Boom Pilot Up to 15 4
Centerline® 230BP Up to 15 4
Relevant Controllers
Legacy 6000
ARC‐TASC Series Rate Controllers
844 and 854 Rate Controllers
Trimble AgGPS® EZ‐Boom TM Up to 10 5
AgLeader Technology EZ‐Boom TM Up to 10 6
AutoSwath TM Up to 10 6
Relevant Controllers
Insight
SeedCommand
DirectCommand
Farmscan Farmlap ABS 5210 up to 10 7
Farmlap Spray Control with Auto Boom
Switching
Up to 14 7
Canlink 3500 Spray Guidance with TWIN
Spray Line Control
5, 7, or 9 7
Rinex AutoSPRAY AS7500 Up to 32 8
Tru‐Count Air Clutch 9
Capstan PWM Individual Nozzle Solenoids 10
Related Websites
1 www.topconpositioning.com 4 www.teejet.com or www.mid‐tech.com 7 www.farmscan.net 10 www.capstanag.com
2 www.deere.com 5 www.trimble.com 8 www.rinex.com
3 www.ravenprecision.com 6 www.agleader.com 9 www.trucount.com
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