ABSTRACT

GPS navigation systems have been increasingly found in farming activities, promising lower farmer operational costs. Therefore, this research focused to evaluate the maneuvering time during soybean sowing. The experiment was set in an entirely randomized design with two treatments and twelve replications. The treatments consisted of recording maneuver time spent in conventional sowing and with a GPS navigation system coupled to an autopilot. We evaluated the operation time and the economic return. The maneuvers performed with the aid of navigation system were, on average, 49% faster than those carried by conventional system. We observed a cost saving of R$ 4.15 per hectare in areas with 800-m long lines. Moreover, areas with shorter lines (50 meters), such saving reached a value of R$ 19.90 per hectare. Thus, the use of satellite navigation system combined with an autopilot device can generate significant saving in time and operational costs in soybean cropping.

precision farming; autopilot; economic viability