"I would never go back to not having AutoPath™…one of the best things on the farm."

No matter the method, AutoPath enables precise execution of farming practices that may not be possible otherwise. Precisely seed between the rows of last year’s crop, plant directly on a fertilizer strip, spray without driving over crops, and consistently harvest at capacity. Simply put, AutoPath can make your job easier and more effective, even in difficult fields. AutoPath users now have two options when it comes to automatic, full-field guidance plan creation. AutoPath (rows) and AutoPath (boundaries). Check it out.

"I absolutely love it. After the planter goes through, we have no issues side dressing, spraying, and harvesting."

How it works:

AutoPath™ creates guidance tracks for the entire field using crop row data recorded during the first pass through the field, whether that be a fertilizer application, tillage, or planting pass. The exact crop row or fertilizer location is captured and mapped using an implement mounted, StarFire™ Receiver, which means that fundamentally, farmers don’t need to do anything different as they work a field. In fact, adding this technology makes their lives easier as time passes.

AutoPath lets users begin each 'next pass' through the field quickly and confidently using their previously recorded data to guide them.

Farmers have been using AutoPath (Rows) since 2020. Those who have adopted it, have been able to see the advantage that it provides their operation.

"If you have odd-shaped fields like we do, it makes headland line management a piece of cake. Also, if you have to swing out for a pole or a standpipe, it records that position in the primary pass even while free handing and the planter steers it."

"It’s great to start planting at night. Use the lines from the previous year and go."

Check out some of the additional advantages AutoPath (Rows) can provide its users.

• Automatically generates field guidance tracks for the next pass, accommodating for equipment width, based on actual planted crop rows.
• Accomplish work you could not manually. - Stay precisely on top preplant fertilizer strips when planting. Stay off emerged crops when spraying, without having to slow down in fear of damaging crops. Don’t count guess rows when you’re harvesting crops. Oh, and don’t use your hands to steer the machine while you’re at it.
• Reduces hunting for guess rows when spraying or harvesting a field.
• Makes harvesting easier in down crop conditions, and less than ideal conditions in general.
• Farmers can now easily use implements and machines of varying widths. Plant with a 24-row planter and harvest with a 16-row corn head with no issues. AutoPath keeps you on established guidance tracks that accommodate each machine, reducing the risk of partial width passes.
• Eliminates the complexity of trying to manage guidance tracks, especially in standing crops, from tillage to harvest.
• Helps maximize overall yield by reducing crop damage. When spraying at high speeds, even a few short seconds of driving over crop can cause measurable yield losses. Take harvest into consideration. In higher yielding corn, every second of driving on the row can lead to 17.6 L (0.5 bu) or more in loss. Over the course of a day, the amount of damaged crop can add up fast, impacting your bottom line.
• Row crops are rarely simple, straight lines, and fields often have irregular boundaries. Planting around water holes, waterways, or terraces adds complexity, but these challenges can be easily overcome with the AutoPath, path planning tool.

"AutoPath™ (boundaries) has been a really great feature for us. I just got a new sprayer and didn’t really have to adjust anything because we had an accurate boundary that just drives the sprayer around the field for me. I didn’t have to worry about where I was driving or if I was going to hit something with the longer booms, I could focus more on learning the machine functions and doing a good job applicating."

There is no need for an implement receiver or source operation, it all starts with a driven boundary. (Click here to learn the ins and outs of proper field boundary creation) Automatically generating a guidance plan for the entire field using AutoPath (boundaries) is as easy as 1, 2, 3.

1. Drive and record the boundary of the field using a StarFire™ receiver with SF3 or greater correction signal. – See a pro boundary-creator at work.
2. Set the headland size (implement/machine track spacing) and offset type (Constant or Top/Bottom).
3. AutoPath automatically generates in-field guidance tracks, separate from the headland tracks, using one of three methods: Heading angle, align to boundary, from existing track.

You may be asking yourself, "how does this solution differ from Boundary Fill?" There are several  distinct differentiators between the two, one of which,  was previously alluded to; AutoPath (boundaries) creates a guidance plan for the entire field, generating field and headland guidance tracks separately. (For a more in-depth comparison of AutoPath (boundaries) and Boundary Fill).

Headland guidance tracks follow the shape of the field boundary, while the in-field guidance tracks are built automatically according to the generation method selected. This functionality allows farmers to work their fields more efficiently, as they can create plans that minimize the number of passes required to complete the field by simply adjusting the track generation inputs.

If you have a larger field that you farm in multiple 'zones', AutoPath can create a single plan for each of the zones applying the same settings (heading angle, headland, etc.) to the entire field.

If needed, a user can update heading angles mid-field. See the Insider's Update for more information on how to accomplish this.