Bill Angus - Benefits see second system added to the fleet - AS Communications (UK) Ltd.

Bill Angus – Benefits see second system added to the fleet

F1 Seeds are a plant breeding company developing new varieties of wheat and oats, from developing genetic traits for hybrid strategies to adding a new variety for our morning porridge bowl, attention to detail has been key. As a family company surrounded by large multinationals we empower our team to take ownership of what we do, it helps set us apart from the crowd and our dedicated team strive to improve performance where possible says Bill Angus.

Bill has been involved with GPS in plant breeding since its inception some 20+ years ago, attention to detail has always been key in this industry whether it be in the field or in the laboratory and as a whole, if the technology works it will be taken up. No one technology is a game changer in my opinion but bringing a selection of technology together such as genetic markers in a laboratory and a plot combine in the field,  this creates a value solution. The addition of GPS into seed breeding operations has delivered significant benefits, it could be argued these returns are easier to see in smaller companies such as ours.

During 2019 we investigated GPS solutions and commissioned Vantage ASC to install a Trimble TMX 2050 display, Autopilot Motor Drive steering motor all running on a RTK Radio correction signal. That year sowing conditions were particularly terrible but having this technology on our Kioti RX 7330 tractor allowed us to be flexible and take advantage of every available weather window. One of the best things about Vantage ASC is that I do not see them (Bill says jokingly), the equipment is reliable and so far so good on the breakdown front.

We believe you cannot over invest where the quality of performance is so critical, therefore we have added a second Trimble TMX-2050 system complete with a retrofit steering motor, this time on our John Deere 5100R. We continue to use the FMX+ operating system on this display however we now use CenterPoint RTX correction signal in place of radio RTK, pass to pass accuracy is the same with no additional hardware. I would recommend Vantage ASC to others, you may not see them often because of product reliability, but they are there when you do need them and very knowledgeable in what they do.

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