Precision Pays

Bill Stanczykiewicz, president and CEO of the Indiana Youth Institute, recently published an Op-Ed in the IndyStar online. Below are some excerpts from his article:

According to the Indiana Department of Agriculture, farming is a $25 billion industry, the fourth largest industry in our state’s economy. Agriculture employs nearly 600,000 people. That’s 15 percent of Indiana’s work force. However, the number of farm-related jobs in Indiana is expected to drop by 11 percent over the next 10 years. That’s not because people will eat less, but because of efficiencies created by technology…

Consider the career Web site of FFA. According to FFA, the following jobs require at least a two-year associate’s degree: farmer; grain farmer; vegetable farmer; cattle rancher; and chemical applicator. This is not your grandfather’s farm.

Stanczykiewicz can be reached at iyi@iyi.org.

We encourage you to share your thoughts about the future of agriculture in your state. Post a comment for Bill here.

We continue to see more about precision farming in the news. Michelle Koetters, Pantagraph, writes about a recent Japanese visit to the U.S. where they saw precision farming in action:

A group of Japanese agribusiness professionals took turns in the passenger seat of a tractor as the farm machinery virtually drove itself in a straight line. The miracle was the tractor’s high-tech global positioning system at work.

Eight of the agribusiness professionals weree from Hokkaido, the northernmost island of Japan. It also has the richest farmland and the largest farms, said Donald Beatty, a consultant for Mitsubishi International Corp. in Tennessee.

Visit the official John Deere site for more information about John Deere Ag Management Solutions.

A geographic information system workshop is set for Oct. 18 at the Texas A&M University System Research and Extension Center at San Angelo.

The workshop is being sponsored by Texas Cooperative Extension and the Texas A&M University System’s Institute of Renewable Natural Resources and will last from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Dr. Dale Rollins, Extension wildlife specialist at San Angelo, said most people, even those with a global positioning system in their car or pocket, don’t fully understand the technology.

“While an increasing number of landowners and recreationalists are aware of GPS, most don’t appreciate the power and utility of what they have,” Rollins said. “Whether you’re interest is in recreational mapping or precision agriculture, you’ll benefit from this training.”

Rollins said much of the workshop will be hands-on training outside with various equipment. Participants will then move indoors for classroom instruction on incorporating and using data from the various morning exercises.

Equipment used during the workshop will include: Precision Ag fast-update global positioning systems, Lightbar Guidance Systems, Envisio Guidance Systems, Tablet Personal Computer and heads-up navigation, and Landitude Heavy Equipment Software for tracking heavy equipment efficiency.

“The workshop should be helpful to landowners, hunters, brush control contractors or anyone else interested in global positioning system technology,” Rollins said.

The meeting is free and open to the public but limited to the first 30 participants.

For more information contact Rollins at 325-653-4576, d-rollins@tamu.edu.

Husker Harvest Days. And University of Nebraska President J.B. Milliken showed up to highlight the school’s increasing presence there. Enrollment for ag programs at the university has grown tremendously in recent years and the school says this is their strongest and most diverse showing at Husker Harvest Days.

Walking past it, many at Husker Harvest Days may not have realized just how much is going on at the UNL Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

“Some of the technology being developed, some of the science being developed it is critically important that the university stay connected with people across Nebraska, and this is a great way to do that,” said Milliken.

As they mention often, 1 in 3 jobs in Nebraska is related to agriculture. It is a stat that catches the attention of incoming students and that is reflected in the school’s enrollment figures released this week.

“The largest growth of any college throughout the university is agricultural sciences and natural resources – 12 percent enrollment growth this year – that is just great. It is a great success story, and it demonstrates how important agriculture is to the future of this state and the people recognize that,” said Jill Brown, College of Agricultural Sciences.

One of the school’s newest exhibits at Husker Harvest Days has to do with precision agriculture, using GPS satellite technology to monitor crop yields.

In fact, President Milliken got a chance to test out this technology for himself, using the GPS to track down a specific booth on the grounds.

Excerpts from Robert Price, KHAS-TV in Grand Island

2008 OSU Precision Agriculture Data Management, Analysis and Decision Making Workshop

This workshop is about making use of “Best Management Technologies” for use in Precision Agriculture. You will learn how to integrate tools such as GPS, GIS, sensor technologies and other geodata for use in making management decisions.

Several topics covered in the workshop include:
- Yield monitoring and mapping
- Soil mapping and sampling
- Soil fertility mapping
- Field Management Zones
- Variable Rate Applications and Mapping
- GPS and navigation system selection
- Environmental planning
- On-Farm Research

A workshop binder and CD will contain resources and software for attendees to take home. The class is taught one day a week for a 3-week period. When you register you are registering for 3 days of classes.

Class size is limited to 19 people at each location. Registration is on a first-come first-serve basis so register early!

Who Should Participate?
This workshop is designed for those who have no to limited experience using precision agriculture technologies. It is designed for agricultural producers, consultants, and cooperatives.

What You Will Take Home
- How to manage and use data for map creation for yields, soils, fertility, variable rate applications, and other data sources.
- Knowledge of what GPS equipment, GIS and mapping software and services are needed for specific applications
- Ability to sort out field spatial variability
- Develop field management zones and working with multiple years of data
- Create profit maps to assess field productivity levels
- Field record keeping techniques for effective data collection
- Ability to create maps for reports and planning
- Strategies for on-farm research techniques to see cause and effect relationship between farm practices and precision agriculture technologies.
- Strategies for environmental stewardship and techniques for effective conservation program implementation.

Sponsored By
This program has been made possible by collaborative efforts involving the Ohio Geospatial Extension Program, OSU Extension Agriculture and Natural Resources, and The Ohio State University Precision Agriculture Team.

CCA CEU credits applied for. Workshop includes resource materials, lunch, and breaks. If you have special needs that need accommodation, please contact us 1 week prior to workshop. Cancellation and substitution conditions apply. You may receive a refund only if we receive notice within 1 week in advance of workshop start date.

For more information contact:
Nathan Watermeier
OSU Extension
(614) 688-3442
E-mail: watermeier.2@osu.edu

The 30th Anniversary Husker Harvest Days 400-acre field demonstration area offered a chance to compare machines side-by-side. And that’s exactly what farmers of all ages recently experienced — a first-look at the newly launched John Deere equipment at Husker Harvest Days in Grand Island, Neb.

Husker Harvest Days it is a working show…growers get a chance to see implements work under actual field conditions. Seeing a tool perform at Husker Harvest Days is worth dozens of talks with salesmen.

They also had a chance to see the biggest and most technologically advanced machines in the world zip through corn during the show. And what modern farm show would be complete without precision farming exhibits? At HHD, new tractors equipped with autosteer and similar equipment strutted their stuff in the familiar Ride ‘n Drive area and visitors had a chance to visit with John Deere representatives as well as take a hands-free test drive.

Visit www.johndeere.com/ag or your local John Deere dealer for more information on the complete list of new products available for the 2008 growing season.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Jackson, Farm Progress Companies.

See the entire new product lineup from John Deere, recently introduced in Cincinnati, Ohio.

“The Fight for the Cab” — Farm Industry News, August 2007

“Why Deere Decided to be the Mac in a World of PCs” — Farm Industry News, August 2007

“By Wheel or by Wire” — Farm Industry News, August 2007

Brought to you courtesy of Farm Industry News.

This week, John Deere hits the road to farm shows including the Big Iron Farm Show and Husker Harvest Days. Fargo, North Dakota hosts the Big Iron show again this year on Sept. 11-13.

Husker Harvest Days also kicks off Sept. 11-13 in Grand Island, Neb. Be sure to stop by the John Deere booth to see the newly launched products and Ag Management Solutions precision farming services. And, stay tuned to Precision Pays for reports from Husker Harvest Days.

John Deere recently announced enhancement to its guidance software offerings to bring more value and accuracy when using field equipment. Two new improvements include Long Range RTK, which expands the working distance of a vehicle from the base station, and Shading Optimization, which enhances AutoTrac performance in partially shaded conditions. The previous version of StarFire RTK had sub-inch accuracy but was limited to a six-mile radius from the base station. The new Long Range RTK software now maintains the accuracy but allows a 12-mile radius from the base station.

“We’ve also developed Shading Optimization software for our AutoTrac SF1 and SF2 systems,” explains Kayla Reynolds, product marketing manager, John Deere Ag Management Solutions (AMS). “Barriers such as trees, buildings or other structures are a problem for all guidance systems because they disrupt the satellite signal to the vehicle, especially during headland turns. Shading Optimization allows AutoTrac to stay enabled when moving through areas with trees and windbreaks.

“The AutoTrac guidance system usually needs a stable signal from the L1 and L2 bands. Previously, the system would shut down if one signal was missing because of shading. The new Shading Optimization continues to AutoTrac even if the StarFire iTC Receiver is receiving a signal from the L1 band only. This adds more consistency and accuracy to optimize the AutoTrac system. Signal disruption can still be a problem if both the L1 and L2 bands are lost,” says Reynolds. “But we’ve helped improve the overall system with the enhanced Shading Optimization software.”

The sun has been beating down on fields and cities across the Midwest this summer. As temperatures rise, grass keeps getting brown and crispy. But there’s something new and green coming to Cincinnati, Ohio on August 23rd. It’s the John Deere Intro Event and it’s the event of the year.

Cincinnati will never be greener than it will be next week. It’s the location for one of the biggest, most innovative new product launches in history. And John Deere is leading the way.

So look out! Something BIG could be coming to your farm. And you can be one of the First to See the hot, new equipment from John Deere. It’s easy!

Sign up now, or at least before Tuesday, August 21, and we’ll send you a special e-mail on the evening of August 22, 2007.

Visit the Web site to be one of the First to See!

Get ready for Farm Science Review, Sept. 18-20, 2007 at the Molly Caren Agricultural Center!

New at this year’s Review is the Energy Education Tent. Located in Alumni Park, it features educational and informational displays from Ohio State, Purdue, and organizations/agencies with similar educational missions. A number of sessions at the nearby Question the Authorities program will be addressing the economics of energy markets, conservation, and new technologies. Then, the speakers will be available in the Energy Tent for “energetic” informal bull sessions related to today’s critical energy issues. The idea is to make this area a gathering point for those interested in “energetic” discussion. Some very visible energy-related technology should make this tent impossible to miss.

Also plan to attend the daily field demonstrations:
Corn Harvest: 10 a.m. Tues., 10 a.m. Wed., no demo on Thur.
GPS Technology/Strip-Till: 1 p.m. Tues., 1 p.m. Wed., 1 p.m. Thur.
Manure Application Equip: 1 p.m. Tues., 1 p.m. Wed., 1 p.m. Thur.
Corn Harvest: 1:30 p.m. Tues., 1:30 p.m. Wed., 1:30 p.m. Thur.
Tillage: 2:00 p.m. Tues., 2:00 p.m. Wed., 2:00 p.m. Thur.
Soybean Harvest: 2:30 p.m. Tues., 2:30 p.m. Wed., 2:30 p.m. Thur.

For more information, visit the Farm Science Review Web site.

John Deere, in partnership with Syngenta Crop Protection, announced a new liquid Central Insecticide System to help growers control corn rootworm with more efficiency and reliability while planting corn.

“This central fill, closed-handling system allows the operator to efficiently and accurately apply insecticide at planting while decreasing potential insecticide exposure to the operator,” says Rob Rippchen, division marketing manager, John Deere Seeding. “The new liquid system uses Force CS, which offers superior control of corn rootworms and is the premier product for control of early-season pests such as white grub, wireworm, and cutworms.”

The Central Insecticide System draws Force CS from its closed packaging via direct injection, mixes it with water, delivers the solution to the individual planter row units, and applies it in a T-band over the seed furrow. Plus, as a result of this partnership, growers are provided with complete, top-notch service and support from both Syngenta and John Deere.

“This ensures precise coverage on and around the seed for excellent rootworm control,” explains Rippchen. “Also, the Central Insecticide System is a pressure-based system which provides outstanding row-to-row accuracy compared to granular insecticide systems. The system is fully integrated with the planter and compatible with Refuge Plus.”

The Central Insecticide System will be available on John Deere 1790 Planters (30-inch rows only), 1770 NT CCS Planters with Pro-Series Row Units, and DB 80 and DB 90 CCS Planters with Pro-Series Row Units. The system will help growers realize cost and time-saving efficiencies while optimizing the potential for increased corn yields. The new system will be available for the spring 2008 planting season.

Do you (or someone you know) work as a Precision Agriculture Specialist/Technician? Or perhaps your work involves supervising or training Precision Agriculture Specialists/Technicians? If either of your answers is “Yes,” then we need your help.

Under a grant from the U.S. Department of Labor/Employment & Training Administration, the National O*NET Center is seeking precision professionals to answer questions about their work for a national occupational database. Selected volunteers receive a $40 honorarium.

A well-known nonprofit research organization, RTI International, working with the National O*NET Center, under a grant from the United States Department of Labor/Employment & Training Administration, is asking for help with an important national project to gather information describing the work that people do in over 800 different occupations.

We are looking for people with expertise in the occupation of Precision Agriculture Specialists/Technicians to answer survey questions about Precision Agriculture work, as part of the O*NET Data Collection program.

By volunteering to assist in these efforts, you will help the O*NET database to accurately reflect the realities of the American workplace, and you will be doing your part to represent the occupation of Precision Agriculture Specialists/Technicians on behalf of the entire profession. Thank you in advance for volunteering!

What is O*NET? The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Information Network (O*NET) is the nation’s primary source of occupational data, allowing millions of employers, workers, educators and students across the country see what it takes to do the work of over 800 occupations (including that of Precision Agriculture Specialists/Technicians).

This information is provided free of charge online to the general public.

The annual Virginia Ag Expo will be held Aug. 8, beginning at 7:30 a.m., at Renwood Farms in Charles City County. The annual event is the largest agricultural field day held in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Renwood Farms is a large grain and seed processing farm located on the James River, not far upstream from the historic Jamestown settlement, which celebrated its 400 birthday this year.

Growers will have an opportunity to view the 2007 Virginia on-farm corn and soybean test plots. There will be corn and soybean seeding rate plots, corn and soybean weed control plots, seed treatment and fungicide plots.

Participants will be able to go from exhibit to exhibit and visit with the various exhibitors at their own pace.

The theme for this year’s Expo is “400 years of American Agriculture”.

In addition to the many exhibits, and things to see on this operation, field plots will highlight corn and soybean varieties, plant population/density research, corn response to nitrogen, and antique corn varieties.

Secretary of Agriculture Mike Johanns is scheduled to be the keynote speaker for the 2007 Expo. Rick Tolman CEO of the National Corn Growers Association and senior leadership of the American Soybean Association will also be on the program.

A large outdoor exhibit area will give farmers an opportunity to see the latest farm equipment and products and provide an arena for visiting with industry leaders during the Expo.

There is a $10 registration fee which includes a barbecue lunch, snow cones and beverages. For ticket information and directions to Renwood Farms contact John Smith (johnwsmth@aol.com) or Molly Pugh (mollypugh@cox.net).

The 2007 Virginia Ag Expo is a joint project of the Virginia Corn Growers Association, the Virginia Soybean Association and the Virginia Cooperative Extension Service.

Information/story courtesy of Southeast Farm Press.

Links of the month
by Kurt Lawton, Farm Industy News

Midwest Independent Soil Samplers — Tom McGraw’s newsletters are a MUST READ (knowledge+wisdom+entertainment=excellence in my book)

Sensing Nitrogen Stress in Corn - 2006

Corn Response to Supplemental Nitrogen - 2007

Corn Nitrogen Rate Calculator (Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Wisconsin)

Concepts and Rationale for Regional Nitrogen Rate Guidelines for Corn — 2006

USDA Geospatial Data Gateway – Find maps of your fields. (You will need GIS software to view them.)

“Next up Robots” — Farm Industry News, March 2007