Precision Pays

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and its partners will invest nearly $32 million this year in financial and technical assistance for five water quality and wetlands improvement projects in seven Mississippi River Basin states. When fully implemented, the projects will prevent sediment and nutrients from entering waterways, decrease flooding and improve bird and fish habitat. NRCS estimates that this investment will restore 11,400 acres to wetland habitat.

Landowners interested in applying for funding should contact their local NRCS office. Signup dates may vary based on the individual project.

NRCS provides funding for these new projects through its Wetlands Reserve Enhancement Program, part of the agency’s Wetlands Reserve Program. Since 2010, NRCS has formalized WREP agreements under MRBI with 47 landowners in the Mississippi River Basin, investing $17.8 million in long-term conservation easements and wetland restoration projects.

Note: Chuck will be covering the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) 2012 Conservation in Action Tour thanks to support from CTIC and AGROTAIN.

The U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) has received national recognition for its ground-breaking campaign to help improve the dialogue with consumers about how their food is grown and raised. USFRA, along with its agency partner Ketchum Public Relations, won the prestigious Gold SABRE Award for Excellence in the Associations category. The entry, titled “Since When Did Agriculture Become a Dirty Word?,” highlighted the strategies, execution and messaging used for the public launch of USFRA at the September 2011 Food Dialogues Town Hall.

USFRA’s Communications Advisory Committee and Ketchum began their work together in March of 2011. Since that time they have worked together to create a movement that focuses on bringing the voice of farmers and ranchers to conversations centered on food and food production. Over the past fourteen months USFRA and Ketchum have implemented many successful events and tools to help farmers and ranchers have that conversation, and explain the importance of continually improving today’s agriculture. Today’s news remains filled with stories questioning the integrity of the entire food production chain, and USFRA, in response, has initiated recently the “Grow What You Know” Rapid Response System that allows farmers and ranchers to be alerted of topics in the media that lack a farmer and rancher voice. USFRA will also host two additional Food Dialogue events over the next six months to continue the conversation about how food is grown and raised.

Spring 2012 got off to an unpredictable and unstable start with wind, rain and tornadoes in parts of the Midwest, but after Mother Nature calmed down, farmers had a decent planting season with most of the crops already in the ground or nearing completion. And with planting behind them, growers are now turning to spraying.

Rocky Brown, corn and soybean grower from LaPorte City, Iowa, says he’s used products from Ag Leader for more than 20 years and the DirectCommand system is one he wouldn’t do without.

Not only is he saving time and energy, he’s being a good steward of the land. Rocky lives in an area of Iowa that’s much like neighboring states with hills, terraces and waterways. Rocky says it’s a big change from how he used to spray.

So as the old saying goes, “In like a lion and out like a lamb”, we wait to see what the rest of the growing season has in store. To find out how you can make things more efficient and less stressful for yourself, be sure to visit your Ag Leader dealer to find out what’s right for your growing operation.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

LightSquared announced that it commenced voluntarily reorganization cases under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code to give it time to resolve regulatory issues that have prevented it from building its coast-to-coast integrated satellite 4G wireless network.

The company fully expects to continue normal operations throughout this process. All LightSquared distribution partners and customers, including public safety, emergency response, government and military users of LightSquared’s satellite-based communications services can continue to rely on LightSquared to provide them with mission critical communications services.

LightSquared intends to work with all key constituents to conduct an orderly restructuring process to maximize its asset value and to exit Chapter 11 in the quickest and most efficient manner possible.

Read a previous reaction from agricultural and farm equipment organizations as they urged the Federal Communications Commission to withdraw the conditional waiver granted to LightSquared in 2011 and modify the company’s satellite license to prohibit the building of a ground-based network.

Hemisphere GPS announced the new AgJunction Mobile for iOS, an enhancement to AgJunction, its precision agriculture data services platform.

AgJunction Mobile is an in-field data collection system featuring GPS-enabled boundary mapping and soil sampling. To take advantage of the latest technologies, AgJunction and Cogent3D, maker of PrecisionEarth, have come together to release AgJunction Mobile for iOS. Available for both iPhone and iPad, AgJunction Mobile for iOS is based on the PrecisionEarth platform with the time saving enhancement of being able to directly sync with the AgJunction cloud system.

AgJunction users can download the app from the App Store and enter their AgJunction license key, user name and password. From there, the application will automatically manage the two-way transfer of data between AgJunction Mobile and the AgJunction cloud system, eliminating the need to move data files manually.

With the first release of AgJunction Mobile for iOS, users will be able to synchronize data based on their growers, farms, fields, field boundaries, and directed sample locations. Users can then add new farms and fields as well as map field boundaries and soil sample locations. Recorded field data is automatically synchronized with the AgJunction cloud system for use in the field, back at the office, or through an agriculture service provider.

AgJunction will continue to work with Cogent3D to bring more features and benefits to AgJunction Mobile for iOS in the future. This will include downloading recorded datasets (yield, planting, as-applied, aerial imagery, soil sampling and electrical conductivity, etc.) in the field as background layers for viewing and as a reference for field sampling. Other future updates will include integration with the AgJunction electronic work order system and the AgJunction asset tracking system.

Last month, Ag Leader Software Support Specialist Luke James, traveled to the Willamette Valley in west central Oregon to talk about the value of data. The Willamette Valley is known as the grass seed capital of the world. According to the Oregon Seed Council, about 500,000 acres of the grass seed are grown in Oregon and nearly 90 percent of that is grown in the Willamette Valley.

While in the valley, Luke had the opportunity to interview Patrick Lanz of Ag West Supply. Listen as Patrick describes agriculture in the Willamette Valley.

Like other regions, farmers in the Willamette Valley have been utilizing precision agriculture for several years. Listen as Patrick describes the different types of precision agriculture being used by farmers in the valley.

Luke and our NW Territory manager Sean Ealy, a native Oregonian, discussed the value of data with farmers and ag specialists from the Willamette valley. The meetings were informative and they discussed various items including yield monitoring, guidance, sprayer control, crop sensing using OptRx and analyzing data using the SMS Software.

While in the valley, Luke had the opportunity to interview Jammie Wutzke of Ag West Supply. Listen as Jammie explains how farmers may utilize precision ag data to improve their farms in the Willamette Valley.

Ag West Supply is one of the Ag Leader dealers located in the Willamette Valley. They focus on helping growers learn more about how precision ag can benefit their operation. Listen as Jammie defines the role that precision ag dealers play in helping farmers progress their operation.

To learn more about the SMS Software, click here.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Barcodes may bring to mind the sales tags and scanners found in supermarkets and other stores. But USDA scientists are using “DNA barcodes” to monitor insects that damage crops as diverse as wheat, barley and potatoes, and to make pest management decisions.

In DNA barcoding, scientists sequence a designated part of an organism’s genome and produce a barcode from it for a systematic comparison with the sequenced DNA of other closely related species. DNA barcodes are being developed on a wide range of plants and animals as part of a global effort to catalogue the diversity of life on Earth.

DNA barcodes are now being used in an unconventional way: to identify insect predators best equipped to control the Colorado potato beetle, which is the single most damaging insect pest of potatoes in the Eastern United States.

Read more here.

This summer, Ag Leader will be hosting a series of 13 different informational courses for their network of dealers, beginning June 5 and ending August 17. The sessions aim to prep dealers for a successful summer planting and 2012 harvest and arm them with the knowledge on how to grow and improve on their precision ag businesses.

Training sessions will focus on key Ag Leader product offerings: displays, GPS and steering, SeedCommand, DirectCommand, harvest and SMS software. They also give Ag Leader dealers an opportunity to network and learn from each other.

Kaleb Lindquist, Ag Leader training specialist, says Ag Leader strives to do everything they can to help dealer businesses grow because dealers really are the face of the company. When growers have questions about precision ag, they go to their local dealer, not to the corporate office.

So what does that mean to you, the customer? It means you have the most dedicated, educated, professional network of Ag Leader dealers who can help you decide which product offering is right for your individual needs, and keep you up-to-date on the latest software and upgrades.

Here’s what’s being offered this summer.

And, many dealers extend what they learn by hosting local training sessions, with coursework that mirrors what they learn during these summer training sessions. You should contact your local dealer to find out if training will be available in your area.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Novariant, a leading provider of precision steering products for the agricultural market, announces the appointment of Dave Vaughn as Chief Executive Officer. Novariant’s former CEO, Chris Ragot, will continue in his current role as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Vaughn has over 20 years of senior executive experience in precision guidance and agri-business at companies including Topcon, NovAtel, Magellan and Trimble. He has served on the board of Directors for a number of high tech corporations and has extensive professional experience in that field, including serving in an executive capacity with Apple and Hewlett
Packard. Dave has a Bachelors of Science Degree in Electronics and a MBA Degree in Operations Research from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo.

Over the past two seasons, farmers across the Corn Belt have participated in an online, early warning system tool to monitor above ground pests that could threaten their corn yields. For 2012, this sophisticated program, known as the Insect Forecast tool, has been enhanced to track another economically damaging pest – corn rootworm – as well as to offer farmers expanded online and mobile access.

Farmers can now log onto the site to learn when corn rootworm larvae are hatching in their area, allowing for better timing to scout their fields for potential root damage. The corn rootworm hatch varies by geography, but typically occurs from early- to mid-June in the Corn Belt and often coincides with the first appearance of lightening bugs.

Greater awareness about the annual corn rootworm hatch and migration patterns of corn earworm and western bean cutworm moths can help farmers minimize their impact. This tool can help farmers make strategic decisions about better timing for pesticide applications. It can also help farmers in choosing the right traited corn hybrids to meet their specific needs, such as those containing Monsanto’s Genuity corn traits which protect against insect damage and protect yields.

Farmers in the Corn Belt can sign up to receive e-mail alerts from May through September to learn when these insects pose a risk in their areas.

About 50 years ago, scientists at the USDA devised the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), a formula farmers could use to estimate losses from soil erosion. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists will soon release a version that integrates models generated by cutting-edge computer technology, an updated soils database, and new findings about erosion processes.

Every conservation plan written by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has been based on soil-erosion calculations derived from USLE or its successors, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and version 2 (RUSLE2). Now research leader Seth Dabney, who works at the ARS Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit in Oxford, Miss., is putting the finishing touches on an update of RUSLE2, which uses more intricate combinations of observation- and process-based science to produce soil erosion estimates.

More information about RUSLE2 can be found here.

ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency, and this work supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.

Novozymes and Syngenta announced a global agreement under which Syngenta will work with Novozymes to commercialize JumpStart technology, a seed-applied biological that increases phosphate solubilization in the soil. The two companies will jointly develop the market for JumpStart in combination with Syngenta’s Seed Care portfolio on arable crops, including cereals and corn. The agreement extends the geographical potential of JumpStart, currently sold mainly in North America, to the rest of the world.

Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for the healthy growth of young plants. JumpStart is based on a unique fungus, Penicillium bilaii, which increases phosphate solubilization for uptake into the plant through the root system. The market potential for seed-applied technologies that increase phosphate use efficiency is estimated at over $100 million.

Managing and organizing data is an essential part of any business operation. Data that is not properly organized cannot only be difficult to find, but difficult to work with. In an office setting, you may have different folders in your filing cabinet, or on your computer to organize your information.

Ag Leader’s SMS Advanced users have had the ability to have unlimited projects to help organize data. Think of a project as a filing folder that allows you to have a different Management Tree to separate out your information. If you do any custom fieldwork or custom mapping for anyone, this would provide you the ability to have a project for each person you did custom work for. This makes it much easier to find the information that you’re after, as well as providing privacy on who else you are doing work for in the event that you have a client come over to look over some data with you. Projects are also a great way to work with sample files to try out new tools and features without doing anything with your main projects.

In Version 11.5, Ag Leader made changes that allow SMS Basic users to have up to five projects. SMS Basic and SMS Advanced users both get to take advantage of an updated Projects Dialog and Backup Wizard. To learn more about these updates, please watch the videos below:

Using Projects in SMS Basic

Using Projects in SMS Advanced

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

The UniPilot assisted steering system from TeeJet Technologies offers growers a great, new option to boost in-field productivity and efficiency. Utilizing a rugged electric steering motor and universal mounting bracket, this system can be installed and operational very quickly on a wide range of vehicles. Additionally, the portability of the system allows growers to operate UniPilot across multiple vehicles and field operations to maximize utilization.

UniPilot is used in conjunction with the TeeJet Matrix Pro guidance system which offers an intuitive touch screen interface, field mapping/job planning capability, and video monitoring. A full range of guidance modes is supported, including exclusive NextRow guidance for easy headland turns in row crops. GPS signal options for UniPilot include WAAS, which is standard on the Matrix Pro, along with OminSTAR or RTK solutions, which are provided via the optional TeeJet RX510 or RX610 GNSS receivers. UniPilot is compatible with over 350 vehicle platforms including tractors, sprayers, combines and swathers.

The International Society of Precision Agriculture is pleased to announce the 11th International Conference on Precision Agriculture (ICPA) to be held at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis, Ind., July 15-18, 2012.

The 11th ICPA will highlight significant research and applications in precision agriculture, and will showcase emerging technologies and information management. The conference will offer oral and poster presentations, exhibits, and opportunities for discussion and exchange of information in various aspects of precision agriculture. The dedicated session for practitioners entitled “Precision A to Z Track” will offers practical advice and training from international authorities on key topics of precision agriculture for producers and professionals.