A technologic jump

Precision agriculture proceeds with the popularization of electronic devices but challenges manufacturers to join new resources to a continuous process of production

According to a survey carried out by the Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics - IBGE), Brazil will surpass this year the mark of 199.6 million tons of produced grains. Since there was no considerable expansion of the planted area, we may conclude that such result—3.5 percent above the crop registered in 2014 – is mainly due to better levels of productivity and technologic advancements.

And this path will probably go on during the next years. Data gathered by the Ministry of Agriculture point to a promising scenario for the activity till 2024. According to the projections of that organ, the production of grains will increase between 30.4 and 52.3 percent, going to 252.4 million tons per year at the end of this period. Considering this increase in productivity, the use of updated machines is indispensable to allow the farmer to follow the demand. On the other hand, to exceed the technologic borders with the offer of safer, innovative and efficient systems is one of the main current challenges of the industry. And, by the way, the challenge is being overdue. “Currently Brazil does not operate worse than any country of the first world”, says Eder Pinheiro, coordinator of product marketing from Massey Ferguson. “The new family of tractors MF 6700R Dyna-4, for example, confirms this evolution since the concept was introduced first in Brazil and then in the rest of the world.”

Marked by operating efficiency, the new generation is composed by the models MF 6711R, MF 6712 and MF 6713R, all equipped with four-cylinder AGCO Power Turbo engines with respectively 112 cv, 122 cv and 132 cv. “We offer the most modern tools of precision agriculture”, points out the executive. “Evidences of this point of view are features such as automatic pilot, telemetry systems and productivity monitoring.”

The line of Massey models is an example of how on-board technology may reduce production costs and environmental impacts of agriculture and makes easier the operation. “Currently, we are trying to offer more comfort, economy of fuel and features that ensure higher productivity in smaller areas”, emphasizes Pinheiro. “To do so, we bet in the evolution of components such as engines and transmissions, in addition to updated regulations with new emission levels.”

PRODUCTIVITY

In the case of engines, Pinheiro points out that there are other challenging phases to be overcome. “The trend is that—as it is now occurring in Europe with Tier IV and systems EGR and SCR—equipment has capacity to generate more torque causing less pollution”, says him. “But in Brazil, that just reached Tier III, it is necessary to make available a more pure fuel to go on.”

According to him, the offer of new components will also be determinant to optimize the works and to increase the productivity in the field. Currently, Massey Ferguson offers a global technologic package to make easier the operator’s day-to-day. “Features such as electronic control of the hydraulic rising system of the three-point coupling, automatic pilot Auto-Guide 3000, system of telemetry AgCommand, joystick for work with front blade and a creeper and a super speed reducer to 150 m/h are already available for the tractor series 6700 R Dyna4”, points out him.

The popularization of smartphones and tablets also opened a new field for the development of applications to make easier producers’ day-to-day. In the 38th edition of Expointer carried out in the beginning of September at Esteio (RS), for example, the visitors could check a new feature that will be presented only in 2016. It is a mobile application of last generation that allows wireless data transferring. A new solution for machine management, the Go-Task allows the businessman to take assertive decisions and to reduce necessary time and efforts to manage data used in the operations. “It ensures that data input and output are carried out through a wireless device in a safe and agile way”, says Niumar Dutra Aurélio, ATS product marketing coordinator from Massey Ferguson.

The technology may be used in any device with iOS system. Once it is installed in an iPhone, iPad or iPod, data transfer is carried out in a synchronized and automatic way with no use of Internet. “It is enough to get the device closer to the machine to allow data transferring”, says Aurélio.