alafarmnews

Free Signal Will Be Used By
Multiple Agencies and Farmers

The hard work of many individuals and agencies paid off recently as a Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) was dedicated in North Courtland in Lawrence County.

On Friday, May 16, 2008, an odd assortment of cohorts gathered just across the road from the R.A. Hubbard High School at the edge of a cotton field.

Under an Auburn University tent some local farmers gathered with representatives from the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), the Alabama Department of

Farmers and agency representatives were on-hand for the dedication ceremony for the new Continuously Operating Reference Station (CORS) site at the R.A. Hubbard High School in North Courtland. The ceremony was held on Friday, May 16, 2008.

Transportation and other agencies to celebrate a new technology available in North Alabama.

According to the Extension system, the CORS site uses global-positioning-satellite (GPS) measurements to support three-dimensional positioning activities. One of those activities is precision farming.

Precision farming technology is still unknown and not well-understood by many people. Farmers who use the technology say it saves them time and, most importantly, money.

Shannon Norwood with ACES likened the use of GPS in farming to the lines on a major highway. She said it gives reference points for the farmers to follow.

"You wouldn’t want to drive down an eight-lane highway with no lines, would you?" she asked.

Tractors used in precision farming are equipped with computers using the GPS system to aid the farmer in navigating a field. These computers help control planting, harvesting, spraying and irrigation.

To link to the CORS site, tractors need to be outfitted with a cell phone with access to the Internet. With that phone, the tractor can receive a signal from the site and correct its path in the field.

Lawrence County farmer Don Glenn of Glenn Acres farm explains how the free-access CORS signal will benefit local farmers who use precision farming technology.

Farmer Don Glenn began using a signal available from the Space and Rocket Center in Huntsville three years ago. For fields too far from the signal, Glenn and other farmers have had to rely on mobile base stations, which are tricky to setup and expensive to purchase.

"We pooled our resources for this station," said Glenn. "Otherwise each farmer would have to invest in a base station — that’s $12,000 to $15,000 each."

Many farmers use mobile base stations since their fields can be separated by several miles. But mobile units emit very limited signals usually traveling only a few miles, depending on the terrain.

Mobile units require a direct line-of-sight for them to work. In other words, if a farmer was using a mobile base station to facilitate him planting a field, the base station would have to be visible from his tractor at all times.

Free Signal

One of the factors keeping some farmers away from precision farming is the cost. Specialized gear has to be purchased and installed on equipment in order for the technology to be used. In addition, some correction signals have to be purchased, like a subscription.

The North Courtland CORS signal is free. It is available to anyone who has the equipment to receive it.

"One of our standards for this site was that the signal had to be free," said Glenn. "We wanted everybody to have access to it."

An internet accessible cell phone in tractors can access the CORS signal.

Tractors equipped with an Internet- accessible cell phone can access the CORS signal at no charge.

The actual station is located inside the R.A. Hubbard High School. Only a small antenna is visible from the roof.

Partnership with DOT and Other Agencies

While it may seem odd that Lawrence County farmers and the Alabama DOT would want the same thing, in the case of the CORS site, they were seeing eye-to-eye.

Glenn explained that when the farmers first began the project they looked for partners who had the same need—a stationary signal.

Turned out the DOT needed the same thing for use in constructing roads and other projects.

Other folks were involved as well.

According to Amy Winstead of the ACES, nine Lawrence County farmers pooled their resources to provide the initial funding for the station while ACES and the DOT provided in-kind support.

The Alabama Wheat and Feed Grain Committee and the Alabama Cotton Commission also provided funding to implement and test the station.

The DOT’s support resulted from its partnership with the Alabama Department of Revenue.

Winstead said Congressman Bud Cramer and Senator Richard Shelby provided funding to the Department of Revenue through the Alabama Height Modernization Grant, which was administered through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Service Being Utilized

While the CORS technology has been traditionally used by the Geodetic Survey, the transportation sector and other governmental agencies, its use by farmers has brought it to the public sector.

Gilbert Mitchell is chief of the National Geodetic Survey. He said the important thing is that people are using the site.

"We do things—certain projects," he said. "And we like to see the public use them."

John Russell of the DOT said precision agriculture was only one application of this system. He said the DOT would be making good use of the site, as well.

Contact Information

Persons interested in more information about the CORS system may call Amy Winstead at 256-443-4752 or Shannon Norwood at 256-412-1696. They are based at the Tennessee Valley Regional Research and Extension Center in Bell Mina. Winstead’s e-mail address is winstat@auburn.edu. Norwood’s e-mail address is snorwood@aces.edu.

Susie Sims is a freelance writer from Haleyville.