John Deere Field Connect™

Field irrigation

Energy costs are rising, water conservation practices including allocations are becoming more prevalent, and chemical application continues to be a significant input cost to a producer’s operations. John Deere Field Connect™ system can provide producers the information needed to ensure that irrigation is used only when it is required, thereby reducing the tendency to overwater. Running an irrigation system only when needed will save on fuel costs and reduce the risk of washing chemical applications away from where the crop can use it. In areas with water restrictions, saving water today could make the difference between having a crop next season and not.

With so many options available to producers, there is endless variation in the types of field configurations that a producer can use. John Deere Field Connect™ system can be used in irrigated fields utilizing drip irrigation, center pivot systems, furrow irrigation, and a host of others, helping the producer to schedule the appropriate irrigation. 

Tiled field situations provide another opportunity for utilizing the system. While moisture may be plentiful, a producer’s ability to control the movement of moisture away from the field can be critical. In these fields, John Deere Field Connect can be used to determine when to open and close tile gates to ensure moisture levels are optimized.
 
Moisture information can also be important in chemical applications as well, enabling producers to make the most of their inputs, by ensuring soil moisture content and environmental conditions are appropriate for the application. This is true whether or not the field has systems in place to control moisture levels.

John Deere Field Connect™ enhances decision making

A producer's yields are highly dependent on the inputs provided to the crop. Just as important is the time at which those inputs are provided. For corn, this means ensuring moisture is available during the pollination stage. Inadequate moisture during this key time can cause significantly lower yields. However, having too much moisture can be damaging as well.

The quality of a crop can also be affected if correct moisture levels are not maintained during fruit fill. In processing tomatoes, moisture levels are lowered in the final weeks of the season. This ensures that tomatoes are produced that have appropriate brix levels, high solids/sugars, to bring the highest possible price for the producer.

John Deere Field Connect provides detailed soil moisture levels throughout the growing season. When combined with optional environmental sensors, producers have a wealth of site-specific information at their fingertips. This ability to monitor moisture levels and key environmental conditions means decisions can be made around those key crop stages, allowing producers to make informed moisture management decisions.

Landing page showing current status

Sum graph portrait view

Line graph landscape view

Accessing John Deere Field Connect has never been easier. All of John Deere Field Connect data can be accessed from a mobile phone. Get the latest readings for soil moisture levels and attached environmental sensors. Scroll easily from sum graph to line graph and add notes while viewing up to 30 days of data. Currently, the app works with smartphones. Tablets will continue to utilize full Web version to allow admin functionality.

Features

Compatible with iOS™ and Android™ smartphones

• Optimized for mobile phones
• Credentials are stored for one year after initial log in allowing quick and easy access to data.
• Available on the App Store® on iTunes® systems, or from supported Web browsers on a mobile device.
• Improved user experience

Access key Web application features

• Ability to monitor soil moisture levels with SUM and LINE graphs
• Quickly view the most recent environmental sensor measurements
• Hardware status view provides the user with the most recent information regarding the status of equipment in the field
• Quickly add detailed notes on the go pertaining to a management zone

App Store, iOS and iTunes are trademarks of Apple, Inc. Android is a trademark of Google, Inc.

Using the Field Connect Mobile app

Environmental sensors

The John Deere Field Connect™ solution offers optional environmental sensors to enable producers to make decisions with site-specific information pertaining to the environment.

Available sensors collect information on air temperature, soil temperature, solar radiation levels, and precipitation. This information can be used to calculate many measurements that aid in determining depletion rates of soil moisture, timing for field applications, and field preparedness for various activities. One calculation is reference evapotranspiration. Calculated from environmental sensor values, reference evapotranspiration (ET) has been shown as a daily value on the landing page. This value can be viewed as a data layer on the graph, allowing for trending and historical data display.

Leaf wetness sensors are also available to aid in disease modeling and prevention activities. When paired with a John Deere Field Connect Gateway and its reliable communication systems, these environmental sensors can provide key information to optimize a producer’s operation.

John Deere Field Connect environmental sensors and attachments:

• Leaf wetness sensor
• Temperature probe
• Pyranometer
• Rain gauge
• Weather station

In-field dealer support

John Deere dealer

When timely decisions matter, quick issue resolution and support for the decision-making process are key. The John Deere Field Connect™ solution is supported by an organization no one else in the industry can rival: the John Deere dealer. Armed with the resources to resolve any support need and backed by the expertise of a company admired around the world, John Deere dealers can provide local, customized decision support to meet the needs of their producers.