AN AUSTRALIAN company has been recognised for outstanding utilisation of John Deere’s application programming interface (API).
Toowoomba based company, Precision Terrain Solutions received the award for their land-forming software TerraCutta.
Designed in Australia, the software caters for irrigation levelling work and allows farmers to build drains, roads and levees from inside the cab.
Land formation for irrigation is important to prevent pooling, breaching of contour banks, uneven flow and other issues which prevent the effective and efficient use of water.
PTS international, sales and support co-ordinator, Sean McColley said the software was pioneered by the PTS parent company, Precision Cropping Technologies (PCT), based in Narrabri, NSW.
“The company was using a lot of spatial data for customers who had auto-steer but were looking at elevation data to see when they should go back into the paddocks to re-level or fix problem areas,” he said.
Mr McColley said PCT managing director, Andrew Smart saw a need for a package allowing end-users to do the work themselves.
“The operator surveys a paddock simply by driving over it with a scraper,” he said.
“With multi-fit technology calculating variable slopes to accommodate natural undulations and displaying cuts and fills on-screen on the move.”
Mr McColley said the four programs available are suitable for use in-cab, on desktop or through a smartphone app.
“These allow a customer to quickly survey a paddock, see a three dimensional view in-cab or do a rainfall simulation,” he said.
Mr McColl said the programs allow the operator to choose between a laser type best-fit scenario or a multi-fit based on a single direction, but following the natural contours of the earth.
“I’d say the in-cab multi-fit is one of the product’s best features,” he said.
“Along with the ability to simulate ‘before and after’ rainfall events to check prospective water flows.”
Mr McColl said TerraCutta was now marketed throughout Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US and was moving into Africa, Asia and Europe.
“We now have a marketing agreement with John Deere North America,” he said.
“So we sell TerraCutta through that dealer network, working in conjunction with John Deere’s iGrade system.
“The system fits on John Deere machinery very easily and works with other brands.
“While our desktop software, TerraDesign, will also build control files for Trimble.”
The software also features day/night modes for 24-hour operation, two and three dimensional viewing modes with overlay options and automatic data back-up and restore.
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