Grainswest Tech 2021

Tech 2021 grainswest.com 23 M id-harvest is the worst time for an equipment failure, but that is what happened to Hannah Konschuh as she combined wheat on her family’s farm east of Strathmore last year. The Case IH 9230 combine flashed three error codes across its monitor. Konschuh checked the owner’s manual, which advised her to call an authorized equipment dealer. “And there’s really no information given about what's going on, or how to fix it,” she said. It was an experience familiar to many Alberta farmers: an equipment software problem they can’t resolve causes unexpected downtime during critical fieldwork. Konschuh concluded her machine’s problem had to do with the diesel exhaust fluid system that manages emissions. Anxious to finish harvesting, she continued to run the combine, but the error codes reappeared three times and the combine went into low-power “limp mode.” It was impossible to continue the harvest. Without more information on the nature of the problem, she had no option but to call the dealership the next day. The technician arrived hours later and cleared the codes but the cause of the error remained undetermined. The diagnosis and repair bill came to about $1,300. Konschuh, a Cereals Canada representative for the Alberta Wheat Commission, calculates she lost four to six hours of combine time. “With the weather the way it is at harvest time in Alberta, every hour counts,” she said. “The ability to service that machine ourselves, or have the choice of where you want to go and who you want to deal with to fix it, is really important. And that’s not really a choice we have right now.” PROBLEMS IN CODE The issue has been building in Alberta for years as farmers purchase new equipment with on-board computers that feature proprietary software. “I’d say sometime around the late 2000s this started becoming a clear concern for farmers,” said Geoff Backman, manager, business development and markets with the Alberta Wheat and Barley Commissions. “Farmers bring it up as one of the reasons they’re hesitant to adopt new machinery.” Whether or not a R2R commitment made by the equipment industry has been met varies according to whether you speak to farmers and farm advocates or industry and its supporters. Photo: Shutterstock