VALLEY, Neb.-Tracker Mobile and the AutoPilot Linear Control Panel with GPS Ready positioning from Valley Irrigation were recently recognized with AE50 awards from the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE).
To be recognized by the ASABE with an AE50 award, a product must have been introduced to the marketplace during the previous calendar year. Entries are judged by a panel of experts representing all facets of the agricultural, food, biological and related systems engineering professions. Judges expect the recognized products to save producers time, costs and labor, while improving user safety.
According to Donna Hull, director of publications, ASABE, the annual AE50 program has been recognizing engineering achievements for two decades. Past winners include companies of all sizes throughout the world.
The Valley Tracker Mobile allows producers to remotely check the status of center pivot and linear irrigation equipment and control their operations with a web-enabled Smartphone that has a Windows mobile browser and access to the internet. A demonstration of the product is available at http://m.valleytracker.com.
The Valley AutoPilot Linear Control Panel with GPS Ready positioning is unique because it is a control panel specifically for linears, allowing irrigators to automate the linear to take into account production techniques and land variability, ultimately minimizing costs and maximizing yields.
These awards are a testament to the ongoing commitment of Valley Irrigation to develop innovative and technologically advanced products for producers utilizing mechanized irrigation equipment. Previous Valley products named to the AE50 list include: Computer Aided Management System (1991), BaseStation (1992), Precision Corner (2000) and Pocket Pro (2003).
Tracker Mobile also was recognized earlier this year as a World Ag Expo Top 10 new product. In 2008, the AutoPilot GPS Ready control panel was named Product of the Year by the Irrigation Association. (See "Streamlining Irrigation," July 2009 issue.)