Valtra has taken a step beyond precision farming and is now aiming at Smart Farming. Smart Farming involves more than just adjusting tractor functions based on location information or some other individual technology. Instead, it is an integral part of the entire ecosystem of a farm or contractor, from crop planning to financial administration and purchasing to maintenance. Smart Farming is easy, Smart Farming is profitable and Smart Farming is environmentally friendly.
While tractor engines, transmissions and cabs have developed a lot in recent years, digital systems have taken a huge leap forward. This is reflected in Valtra’s advanced features: the SmartTouch armrest, Valtra Guide automated steering, Section Control, Variable Rate Control, Task Doc, the U-Pilot headland management system, ISOBUS implement control, Valtra Connect telemetry…
The advances in tractor technology can best be appreciated through practical examples. For example, when getting ready to prepare the fields, the driver uses SmartTouch to find the settings saved for the appropriate implement during the previous season. The Valtra Guide automated steering system also remembers the settings for the best waylines and any possible obstructions on the fields. When approaching the headland, the U-Pilot headland management system lifts the implement and disengages the four-wheel-drive and differential locks with the click of a button. Valtra Connect telemetry continuously saves fuel consumption, working hours and other data in the cloud. Task Doc also transfers the data wirelessly to the farmer’s or contractor’s office computer so that it can be used for making cultivation plans or preparing invoices.
Smart Farming tools help save fuel, time, fertilisers, seeds and other production inputs. At the same time, work is made lighter and easier. More and more data is accumulated each year, which in turn enables better decision making. Tractors are connected to the farm’s other IT systems and implements, as well as to the local Valtra service dealer. Large farms and contracting businesses can track the location and tasks of all their machinery. This information can also be used for invoicing, profitability calculations, traceability and other reporting. Valtra’s system is not limited to tractors alone but can be linked to farm management systems such as AGCO’s Next Farm Management solution.
Valtra Guide – Fully updated automated steering system
The Valtra Guide automated steering system has been fully updated this autumn. Whereas previously the operator had to switch between map screens and settings, now the settings appear in the map screen. The settings can be displayed using the icons on the sides of the screen or by tapping the screen once. This makes it possible to change or check all settings without having to exit the map screen. Selecting fields and creating waylines has also been made simpler. Waylines, obstructions and entries are retained in the memory for future tasks.
The new Valtra Guide is installed automatically on all tractors equipped with the SmartTouch display and automated steering when they visit authorised service dealers.
The update also enables many other new features in the future. For example, the ISOBUS AUX driver makes it possible to programme the functions of ISOBUS-compatible implements on individual buttons or switches, so the Valtra Guide map screen does not have to be exited even when controlling implements.
