Farmers ought to be aware that 2025 could be the last year they are able to use A-B lines and field boundaries recorded in season’s past.
According to The Ohio State University professor Dr. John Fulton, there is a new ag “datum” or set of reference point measurements, coming to GPS systems in 2026.
“So, what’s happening is they’re basically redefining a datum, which is basically – if you think very simply – a mathematical model of the earth that enables us to calculate our position down here from the satellites,” Fulton says. “And so, they’re making a change to that datum (in 2026). What does that mean for users? Well, if I have predefined A-B lines or if I have boundaries in my fields, when that new datum gets executed, it will likely shift those about three and a half feet.”
NOAA’s National Ocean Service defines a GPS datum as such: “A GPS datum, or geodetic datum, is a coordinate system that serves as a starting point for creating maps and surveys. It’s a parameter in a geographic coordinate system (GCS) that defines the model used to represent the Earth’s surface and its position relative to the surface.”
Fulton says this datum shift will benefit farmers by increasing the general accuracy of positioning data.
But it could also create more work for farmers, especially farmers with large fleets and many fields, because the datum shift will require adjustments to existing mapping and guidance systems. Autonomous equipment will also operate off the new datum, Fulton says.
Having worked alongside several major farm machinery OEMs and precision technology firms – Ohio State has the Land-Grant system’s only on-campus Trimble lab, and his department has close ties with Case-IH and several other equipment and technology companies – Fulton is confident that iron and technology providers will be ready.
“Everyone’s aware this is coming; we’re just encouraging them to have solutions in hand for when it goes live,” Fulton states.
John Deere representatives reached out to Farm Journal with the following statement on the GPS datum shift: The John Deere StarFire Network does not utilize the datums referenced in this article, and this change will not impact customers using StarFire receivers and correction solutions, including SF1, SF3, SF-RTK, and Radio RTK.
Farmers and operators can prepare for the datum shift in several ways:
- Assess Connectivity: Evaluate current connectivity and signal strength on your farm. Keep in mind that robust connectivity is needed for autonomous equipment.
- Update Equipment: When considering new machinery, prioritize equipment that is marketed as “autonomy ready.” Those machines will likely be new datum compatible right away.
- Remapping Fields: Unless precision is not a concern in your operation, all signs point to you needing to re-map fields. This may also include recalibrating guidance systems and ensuring all machinery is compatible with the new positioning standards.
Dr. Fulton is a professor and extension specialist with The Ohio State Universities’ Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (FABE). He is a respected authority on precision farming technology and research alongside fellow OSU FABE professor and department chair, Dr. Scott Shearer.
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