Compare: FieldBee Tractor Auto Steer with RTK vs Other Systems

Autosteer systems help your tractor stay on track – literally. They use GPS, usually with RTK correction, to guide machinery along a set path without constant driver input. The steering adjusts automatically based on preloaded routes, field boundaries, and terrain, allowing you to focus on results instead of wheel control.

FieldBee takes this technology a step further by combining affordability, centimetre-level accuracy, and full RTK support in a flexible package. Let’s see how it compares to other autosteer systems on the market.

What Are the Advantages of Automatic Steering in Agriculture?

Automatic steering systems are becoming an essential part of modern agricultural machinery, offering significant improvements in the efficiency and precision of field operations. These systems help reduce the workload of operators and ensure accurate and consistent results across various agricultural tasks. Below are the key advantages of automatic steering systems, especially beneficial in precision farming.

For Which Operations is an Automatic Steering System Important?

An automatic steering system is crucial for operations that require high precision in the field, ensuring accuracy and consistency. These operations include seeding, fertilising, spraying, inter-row cultivation, and soil cultivation. In such tasks, even small deviations can lead to overlaps, missed areas, or crop damage, all of which negatively impact yield and resource efficiency.

The system is also indispensable for repetitive tasks across different stages of the season, where returning to the same paths is crucial. For example, when fertilising or cultivating established rows, the system ensures precise navigation. Additionally, automatic steering allows machinery to operate effectively even without visual references, such as in poor visibility conditions or during the early stages of crop growth.

What Resources Does an Automatic Steering System Help to Save?

An automatic steering system helps farmers reduce costs and make more efficient use of resources. The key resources it saves include:

• seeds. During sowing, the system ensures precise parallel passes without overlaps or gaps, resulting in even distribution of seeds across the entire field. This reduces re-seeding of already processed areas, minimizes seed consumption, and helps save high-value seeds;

• fertilisers. The system aids in the accurate application of fertilizers along predetermined paths, eliminating overlaps and uncovered areas. This is especially beneficial when working with liquid and granular fertilisers, allowing for more efficient use and reducing wastage. The correct dosage leads to better plant nutrition and lower overall fertilizer consumption;

• plant protection products. During spraying, the autopilot system ensures precise adherence to pre-determined paths, applying plant protection products only where needed. This helps avoid excessive use of pesticides and herbicides, which in turn benefits both the environment and the farm's bottom line;

• fuel. With a clear, consistent trajectory, the equipment requires fewer passes across the field, reducing the total distance traveled. This reduces fuel consumption, decreases machine wear and tear, and cuts down on operating costs, especially on large fields;

• time. Automatic control reduces the time required for operations, eliminating the need for frequent route adjustments and error corrections. This is particularly useful during peak seasons or in conditions with limited time windows, such as sudden weather changes;

• human resources. The system reduces the load on the operator, who no longer needs to constantly monitor the equipment's movement. This not only reduces operator fatigue but also allows for longer, more efficient work periods. Additionally, automatic steering improves safety and enables quicker retraining of operators.

By improving efficiency in these areas, automatic steering systems not only reduce costs but also enhance overall farm productivity. This leads to more sustainable farming practices, while significantly increasing profitability in the long run.

How to Choose an Automatic Tractor Control System?

When selecting an automatic tractor control system, it's crucial to consider several factors, such as the type of farm, the operations being performed, and the availability of satellite navigation (e.g., an RTK receiver or the FieldBee Tractor GPS app). Compatibility with existing equipment is also essential. Pay attention to the system’s accuracy, ease of installation and use, and its support for different field and equipment configurations. Additionally, the reliability of the system, the level of technical support, and the ability to update software are important aspects to evaluate.

Below, we will compare the main autopilot options available on the market and highlight how FieldBee stands out among solutions from leading global brands. From the start of FieldBee’s development, we focused on providing farmers with a more affordable alternative to existing systems, without compromising on functionality.

Quality should never be sacrificed for affordability – reliability and safety are our top priorities. To ensure this, we strategically integrated the FieldBee system with one of the most trusted automatic steering controllers used by industry leaders such as Claas, Mueller-Elektronik, Ag Leader, and TeeJet. This approach combines cost-effectiveness with professional-level reliability, providing farmers with a practical, efficient solution for precision farming.