Case IH and its precision farming team introduce a solution for a problem farmers have known about for a long time. Once growers could rely on a tractor to guide itself with an accurate GPS receiver, they noticed that especially on slopes, planters didn’t always track precisely behind the tractor. That meant things didn’t exactly line up when sidedressing or doing other activities on those same rows.

While some people have put GPS receivers on implements to make corrections over the years, there was no plug-and-play solution. Now Case IH is offering an answer: active guidance.

“Active Implement Guidance is especially important for operations like making fall strips in strip-till systems,” says Kendal Quandahl, precision systems lead for Case IH. “If the planting pass is accurate and lines up with the tractor pass, then you will be all set to apply anhydrous ammonia at sidedressing or as you make other trips across the field during the season.”

That’s why you can expect GPS receivers to begin appearing on Case IH Early Riser planters in 2025 — no longer just on tractor cabs. This new feature works with Eary Riser 2140, 2150 and 2150S planters.

How active guidance works

The Case IH Active Implement Guidance solution features an ISOBUS interface to set up and control the implement guidance system on your existing display in the cab. That allows for plug-and-play capabilities on Case IH Magnum or Steiger Series tractors.

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“To be able to correct for adjustments, we suggest attaching a third-party specialized hitch to your tractor,” Quandahl explains. “Then when adjustments are needed to keep the planter in line with the tractor, the specialized hitch makes the adjustment.”

Here’s what might happen when planting corn on the side of a rise. The GPS receiver on the planter would send its location to the cab, also receiving a signal from the tractor’s GPS receiver. Software then interprets the signals and sends necessary correction information to the hitch. It adjusts, and rows remain straight, based on the tractor’s A-B line set for guidance.

2024 fall farm shows featured a Case IH tractor with Active Implement Guidance on an Early Riser planter equipped with a ProTrakker hitch from MBW Products. This hitch also works for other precision applications and with other brands of equipment.

For more information on the hitch, visit protrakker.com. To learn more about Case IH and active guidance, visit caseih.com.