Site-specific precision delivers agronomic benefits

With AFS Soil Command tillage prescription technology, producers can match soil management to the unique needs of their fields. When using a True-Tandem™ 335VT vertical tillage tool in fields with highly erodible zones, AFS Soil Command enables the operator to run at deeper depths to manage heavy residue cover, and as shallow as 0 in. in areas that a farm manager needs to preserve. It can also help producers address compaction by giving operators the ability to run deeper to fracture the compaction layer with a tough primary tillage tool, such as the Ecolo-Tiger® 875 disk ripper — and work soil less aggressively in other areas for soil preservation.

Through Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) Connect™, a farm manager, consultant or agronomist can create prescription maps that enable automatic machine adjustments to help achieve changing soil goals across a field. Each aspect of the tillage tool can be assigned different prescriptions, so the entire tillage tool, not just depth, is precisely coordinated and monitored. AFS Soil Command agronomic control technology optimizes settings for depth control, fore/aft leveling, stabilizer wheel position and Crumbler® downforce.

“With tillage prescriptions, farm managers can rest assured that soil management is being completed efficiently and correctly,” Lursen said. “Agronomic control technology helps instill peace of mind, knowing that the tillage tool is set for optimal performance, no matter the operator.”

After an operator’s tillage run is complete, producers can gather and visualize as-tilled data for better agronomic insights into their operation with AFS Connect. Through the desktop or mobile platform, producers can visualize and review various layers of agronomic information — including the data recorded with AFS Soil Command — to help make data-driven decisions through the rest of the growing season and into the next.

Case IH agronomic research demonstrates enhanced productivity

AFS Soil Command tillage prescriptions contribute to more efficient soil management. With the ability to vary and increase speed as conditions allow, operators can cover more acres. Plus, tillage prescription technology can help minimize equipment wear and tear — and maximize fuel efficiency — as the machine is adjusted in conditions that require little to no tillage treatment.

In Case IH research with the Ecolo-Tiger 875 disk ripper, prescriptions developed based on soil type and conditions contributed to more efficient fuel economy and usage, compared with constant-depth tillage. With increased field speeds, tillage prescriptions helped enhance productivity by up to 9.5%.¹

“This productivity gain can make a world of difference when operators are performing soil management in tight windows,” Lursen said. “Plus, these efficiencies can help producers get the most out of their equipment by lowering cost per acre.”

In fields with compaction, tillage prescriptions can be developed to fracture hardpan at the appropriate depth to help boost yield potential. In research from the University of Illinois, corn yields increased by 33 bushels per acre, and 18 bushels per acre for soybeans — all by eliminating compaction. This is because uneven crop emergence and stand variability — often caused by compaction — can reduce crop yields by up to 50%.²

The full suite of AFS Soil Command tillage technology is currently available for the Tiger-Mate™ 255 field cultivator, single-fold True-Tandem disk harrows and vertical tillage tools, and the Ecolo-Tiger 875 disk ripper. AFS Soil Command prescription technology can be used on Case IH AFS Pro 1200 and AFS Pro 700 displays.

For more information about the Case IH AFS Soil Command tillage technology, contact your local Case IH dealer or visit www.caseih.com.

¹_{Research conducted in 2021 in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, with a Case IH Ecolo-Tiger® 875 disk ripper. Tillage prescriptions called for shank depths between 5 – 14 inches, while constant-depth tillage was set at 14 inches. Performance may vary based on soil types and conditions.}

²_{Research conducted by the Crop Physiology Laboratory at the University of Illinois.}