#Variable-Rate Application

Agricultural Machinery Engineering September 4, 2026

Agricultural Machinery Engineering 101: RTK Guidance — From Satellite Positioning to Autonomous Steering and Variable-Rate Application

RTK-GNSS delivers centimeter-class position, but by itself it steers nothing. This article works through the engineering chain that makes 'RTK guidance' actually reduce labor and sharpen precision in tractors and rice transplanters: AB-line/curve/contour guidance patterns, the control loop that feeds lateral deviation back into steering angle, and the link to yield and application maps.

Fundamentals · 10 min Agricultural Machinery Engineering September 4, 2026

Agricultural Machinery Engineering 101: Seeders and Fertilizer Applicators — How to Keep Delivering One Seed, One Fixed Amount, Continuously

A seeder isn't a 'machine that sows seeds' — it's a metering machine that cuts an irregular granular material, the seed, into a fixed interval. This article reads through equations and public materials the principles of mechanical-plate and pneumatic (vacuum/pressure) metering, broadcast/band/variable-rate fertilization, and current product examples.

Fundamentals · 10 min