Manure Constituent Sensing now available with John Deere HarvestLab™ 3000
New feature measures N, P, K values and more for liquid manure applied as fertilizer
OLATHE, KANSAS (June 11, 2019) – Producers and commercial service providers applying liquid manure to fields can now more accurately analyze, adjust and document gallons applied per acre, on-the-go, to meet specific nutrient targets. The John Deere HarvestLab™ 3000 with Manure Constituent Sensing analyzes liquid manure 4,000 times per second to provide laboratory-quality values for important nutrient constituents to help producers manage their total fertilizer program.
According to John Mishler, precision ag tactical marketing manager for John Deere, the HarvestLab 3000 infrared sensor used to evaluate nutrient characteristics of forage crops and feed can now be used to provide accurate values for major constituents found in liquid manure used for fertilizer. “The system provides accurate, real-time values for total nitrogen, ammonia nitrogen, potassium, phosphorous and dry matter content of the manure as it’s applied to the field,” Mishler explained. “This enables the operator to manually or automatically adjust the volume based on the nutrient values to meet specific nutrient targets or goals for their fields, and possibly save on commercial fertilizers.”
Mishler explained that nutrient levels of the manure can vary tremendously within a load and between loads compared to traditional sampling methods used to determine fertilizer values. “HarvestLab analyzes the entire load in real time so applicators know exactly how much material is applied per acre and what the nutrient values are. It takes out all the guess-work, resulting in better decisions and more uniform nutrient applications and, ultimately, better crop response.”
HarvestLab 3000 can be used with a variety of tanker or dragline equipment to apply liquid swine, beef and dairy cattle manure. During application, the nutrient values are shown on the John Deere display in the tractor cab, and with Tractor Implement Automation, the tractor/applicator speed is automatically adjusted to maintain the desired application rates or nutrient levels. Using JDLink™ Connect, application data can be sent wirelessly to the John Deere Operations Center for mapping and documentation, or shared with trusted advisors.
“HarvestLab helps producers control fertilizer costs by automatically applying valuable manure at the right rate in the right place, based on their specific crop needs and fertilizer goals,” Mishler added. “The three-in-one HarvestLab 3000 is a highly portable, highly accurate sensor that can be used to analyze forages at harvest and at the time of feeding, and now with manure applications for fertilizer. It may be the most versatile tool producers can use to analyze and manage their forage, feed and manure resources.”
HarvestLab 3000 with Manure Constituent Sensing and activation is available starting August 2019. Customers with existing HarvestLab 3000 units will need to order the parts to install the sensors on their manure application equipment, as well activate the manure sensing software. For more information on HarvestLab 3000 and the Manure Constituent Sensing capabilities, contact your local John Deere dealer or visit JohnDeere.com.
Deere & Company (NYSE: DE) is a world leader in providing advanced products and services and is committed to the success of customers whose work is linked to the land - those who cultivate, harvest, transform, enrich and build upon the land to meet the world’s dramatically increasing need for food, fuel, shelter and infrastructure. Since 1837, John Deere has delivered innovative products of superior quality built on a tradition of integrity. For more information, visit John Deere at its worldwide website at www.JohnDeere.com.
CONTACT
Laurel Caes
Manager, Public Relations
John Deere Ag and Turf Division
10789 S. Ridgeview Road
Olathe, KS 66061
913-749-9768
CaesLaurelJ@JohnDeere.com
