Valley Irrigation, a technology leader in precision irrigation, is introducing the industry's first line of GPS Ready irrigation control panels. The GPS Ready PRO2 Pivot Control Panel and GPS Ready AutoPilot Linear Control Panel currently are available from Valley dealers.

The GPS Ready Select2 Pivot Control Panel was expected to be available by the end of the year.

“All of our computerized control panels will be GPS Ready, which means producers will be able to easily take advantage of the benefits of GPS technology,” explained Rich Panowicz, manager, Valley Irrigation aftermarket sales and product management.

“Producers need to be able to manage precision application of water and fertilizers. GPS Ready control panels for center pivots and linears can help producers do just that. With the high costs of fuel, fertilizer, water and other inputs, it's important for producers to incorporate these tools that will help their bottom line.”

The GPS Ready control panels from Valley Irrigation differ from other control panels on the market because they perform all of the necessary GPS position calculations right in the control panel, therefore eliminating the need for external computers on the machine.

Numerous options

They also are compatible with different types of GPS receivers, including WAAS-enabled receivers. This means producers can pick the GPS receiver with the accuracies necessary to meet the required management needs.

“This is a very exciting time for technology in agribusiness,” Panowicz said. “GPS technology allows irrigators to correlate production techniques with land variability, ultimately minimizing costs and maximizing yields.”

This means that instead of applying the same amount of water, fertilizer and other inputs to an entire field, producers can program the panel to apply different levels of inputs within the same field, based on data the GPS receiver collects and feeds to the control panel. In turn, producers don't have to invest in applying inputs where they aren't needed and crops have the potential to yield better with better management tools in hands of the producer.

“The introduction of GPS Ready control panels reinforces the commitment of Valley to delivering quality, innovative products that help producers maximize their bottom lines,” Panowicz said. “In fact, this is just the first of several new products we'll introduce over the next 18 months.”

For additional information visit www.valmont.com.