Precision Pays

You’ve heard the saying “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” If you’re a grower during planting season, that means it’s smart to plant several different varieties/hybrids so you can reduce your risk of poor performance by a single seed type. That’s called genetic diversity. But have you ever thought about how switching between one seed type and another might impact your planting operation “in the trenches”?

In many cases, when you switch to a different hybrid or variety, you’re also switching seed size. That may mean you need to adjust your seed meters so you don’t get skips and doubles.

SeedCommand’s Advanced Seed Monitoring feature helps you determine if you need to make adjustments to your meters. Its virtual seed trench lets you see the placement of each seed in a row so you can easily determine if a problem exists in the seed meter or seed tube. And, while monitoring population is great, if your planter monitor doesn’t allow you to see skips and doubles by row unit, you could have the right seed population – but the wrong seed spacing – which can also reduce yield.

Because today’s high-tech seed isn’t cheap, it’s just smart to increase your yield potential by ensuring seed spacing is consistent across your field, row-by-row even after you’ve switched to a different seed type.

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.

Are you interested in getting the latest information about precision ag equipment? If so, here are a few stops you might want to schedule this winter in order to talk with Ag Leader experts:

• Iowa Power Farming Show – Des Moines, IA; Jan. 31-Feb. 2
• Cotton & Rice Conference –Tunica, MS; Jan. 31-Feb. 1
• Southern Farm Show – Raleigh, NC; Feb. 1-3
• Spokane Ag Expo – Spokane, WA; Feb. 7-9
• World Ag Expo – Tulare, CA; Feb. 14-16
• National Farm Machinery Show – Louisville, KY; Feb. 15-18
• Precision Ag 2.0 – Calgary AB; Feb. 22-23
• New York Farm Show – Syracuse, NY; Feb. 23-25
• Western Farm Show – Kansas City, KS; Feb. 24-26
• Hawkeye Farm Show – Cedar Falls, IA; Feb. 28-March 1
• Triumph of Ag Expo – Omaha, NE; Feb. 29-March 1

If you’re on the road next month and have time to visit one of these locations, be sure to find Ag Leader’s staff of experts who will be on hand to talk about the latest in precision technology equipment, enhancements, future products, and much more.

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.

See you at the show!

Last week, we heard from Todd Reed, farmer from Waverly, Neb., who works as a precision ag consultant for his family’s dryland corn and soybean farm. He spends his days writing variable rate planting prescriptions and fertilizer prescriptions using Ag Leader’s SMS Software.

Today’s high-tech seed isn’t cheap. If you’re not controlling where and how much of each type of seed you plant, you’re probably sacrificing yield potential and bottom line performance. Ag Leader’s Integra display features Advanced Seed Monitoring to help growers lower seed cost during planting season and improve yield potential at harvest time. Todd says they run 16-row planters and with seed shut-off, saw a big increase in seed savings. Listen to Reed explain

Todd says they’re trying to be more efficient in everything they do on the farm and nitrogen application is key. Part of his passion is analyzing the data in order to fine-tune each hybrid they plant based on yields and nitrogen application rates from the previous fall. Listen to Reed explain

Continue to check back to the blog prior to planting season for more great tips and information on Advanced Seed Monitoring through the Integra display.

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.

Trimble announced a strategic alliance with Great American Insurance Group to help farmers automate their crop insurance reporting under the USDA Federal Crop Insurance Program. The new recordkeeping system makes it possible for Farm Works™ users to submit their crop insurance records electronically to Great American Insurance Group. The time-saving solution makes it simple for farmers to transfer planting and harvest data directly to the Great American Insurance Group systems from their Farm Works Mapping software.

In 2011 the USDA Federal Crop Insurance Program, administered by the Risk Management Agency, began accepting precision agricultural data which meets the specific requirements listed in RMA’s Crop Insurance Handbook and/or Loss adjustment Manual. The new reporting system will help farmers more quickly, easily and accurately meet USDA requirements related to acreage, planting and harvest. Geo-referenced data may be collected from the tractor or combine cab with a compatible precision farming display such as the Trimble® FmX® integrated display or CFX-750™ touch screen.

Terry Griffin, PhD, has joined CrescoAg LLC as Vice President – Applied Economics. Griffin will join the company focused on developing new products that will help farmers utilize existing data from yield monitors and other precision ag equipment to make better decisions for their operations.

Griffin joins CrescoAg from the University of Arkansas where he was a professor of row crops economics, extension specialist and team coordinator of the Working Group on Precision Agriculture. Terry specialized in utilizing spatial technologies to improve agricultural production systems and quality of farm life. He also served as farm management and spatial technologies specialist for the University of Illinois Extension.

He earned his bachelor’s degree in agronomy and master’s degree in agricultural economics from the University of Arkansas, and his Ph.D. in agricultural economics with emphases in farm management, production economics, and spatial economics from Purdue University. While at Purdue, he coordinated the Top Farmer Crop Workshop and organized the whole-farm linear programming service and introduced the service of yield monitor data analysis to participants.

Griffin is a certified crop advisor (CCA), member of the American Society of Farm Managers and Rural Appraisers, and a charter member of the International Society of Precision Agriculture. He received the 2010 PrecisionAg Awards of Excellence for Researcher/Educator from Meister Media, and was the 2002 National Winner of the NASA GIS and Remote Sensing Decision Support Seminar and the 2003 National Winner of the NASA Excellence Award in Remote Sensing and Precision Agriculture.

A Precision Planting product has won the No-Till Product of the Year award for the third straight year. No-Till Farmer readers selected the 20/20 SeedSense/AirForce system as the best product of 2011, following on the heels of No-Till Product of the Year wins by Precision Planting’s Keeton Seed Firmer in 2009 and 2010.

The 20/20 SeedSense/AirForce system was also voted the top no-till product in the Precision Tools category, and was among 11 finalists entered in the overall Product of the Year voting.

Manufacturers whose products were voted the best in 11 individual categories were recognized before about 750 no-tillers at a special luncheon awards ceremony during the 20th annual National No-Tillage Conference in St. Louis, Mo. They were also recognized in the Winter 2012 issue of No-Till Farmer’s Conservation Tillage Guide.

A call for nominations for the 2012 program, as well as voting, will be announced later this year.

Todd Reed grew up on his family’s turkey farm near Waverly, Neb. He started working part-time during the school year in 1998 and began full-time on the farm with his two second cousins and their fathers in 2005. He studied Mechanized Systems Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to earn his Master’s Degree in the same field with an emphasis on precision agriculture and variable rate systems.

He currently does precision ag consulting for his family’s dryland corn and soybean rotation farm, writing variable rate planting prescriptions and fertilizer prescriptions to yield analysis, using Ag Leader’s SMS Software. Though he doesn’t own or rent any land of his own, he plays a vital role in the farm’s management decisions regarding data analysis and field-level research in terms of breaking down yield by hybrid by soil type, by field, by population, by nitrogen rate – to evaluate the decisions the farm makes.

He explains how they entered the world of precision ag. Listen to Reed explain

Todd says precision agriculture is vital to their operation and explains what kind of return they saw on their investment the first year. Listen to Reed explain

He says the technology allows them to reduce overlap, reduce driver fatigue, reduce injury to the crops and save on chemical application. Tune in again next week as we hear more from Todd about the benefits to precision agriculture products from Ag Leader.

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.

NovAtel Inc. and Stara S.A. Industria de Implementos Agricolas are pleased to announce a new strategic partnership that will see NovAtel’s industry leading Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) positioning technology integrated into Stara’s comprehensive line of precision agricultural products. The convergence of these two world leading manufacturers is expected to deliver a new level of accuracy and reliability to Brazilian farmers, and to other users around the world who already enjoy Stara’s superior precision farming technology.

According to research by the Center for Food Integrity, in 1950, the U.S. population was 154 million, there were 5.6 million farms and one farmer produced enough to feed 30 people. In 2010, the U.S. population was 308 million, there were only 2 million farms and one farmer produced enough to feed 155 people.

Global population increases by 75.4 million annually. In 40 years, the world will need 100 percent more food than we produce today. So how do we feed all 9.3 billion people in the world by 2050? According to Hartwig de Haen/UN FAO, 80 percent of future production growth must come from increased yields or the responsible use of innovation and technology.

“…The world has the technology to feed, on a sustainable basis, 10 billion people. The pertinent question today is whether farmers and ranchers will be permitted to use this technology.”
— Norman Borlaug, 2000

In order to keep up with this growing world, advancements have been made to give farmers and ranchers the technology they need to be sustainable, make a living AND feed the world. Ag Leader Technology is helping farmers use precision farming equipment to boost crop yields, reduce waste and have better seed and production applications, all-the-while leaving a smaller environmental footprint.

Some are suggesting we turn back the clock … that we produce food using farming methods from the “good old days.” But is this the ethical choice? If the U.S. today relied on the farmers of 1950 to produce their food, 151 million people would go hungry. That is the combined populations of the nine largest states in the U.S. (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Georgia).

By the time tomorrow rolls around, global population will have increased the size of another Philadelphia – 206,500 people. Are we really willing to NOT utilize the technology we have in order to feed the world?

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 Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association Conference and Trade Show will be held Feb. 1-2 in Grand Island, Neb.

Many agriculturists contend that variable rate (VR) technologies and techniques are the next significant step in precision agriculture. This symposium offers a collection of VR topics taught by experts from the private and public sector. A fast-paced approach of 30-minute presentations combined with plenty of time for discussion and debate promise to make this a dynamic learning opportunity.

Here are some of the conference highlights:
- Variable Rate Technologies and Techniques Symposium
- Nutrient Management: Now and in the Future
- An Overview of Today’s Precision Agriculture Topics and Issues
- Employing Precision ag Technologies to Attain Record Corn Yields
- A Vision for Nebraska’s Innovation Campus
- LightSquared Impact on the Agricultural Sector
- Clouds on the Horizon: How Developments in iT as-a-serve Technologies Might Impact Rural America

Click here for the full schedule and conference registration form.

This December, Ag Leader hosted a dealer event for their Blue Delta Dealers and mid-level dealers. The session aimed at prepping the dealer network for a successful 2012 season and armed them with the knowledge on how to grow and improve on their precision ag businesses.

Lori Costello, Ag Leader marketing communications manager, says this gives Ag Leader dealers an opportunity to network and learn from each other. Listen more about why this dealer network is so important to Ag Leader.

Costello 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. Listen to more about how Ag Leader is helping dealers position themselves as experts in the business.

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.

It’s that time of year again; you are likely getting equipment stored away for the winter season. By taking a few moments to properly store your Ag Leader equipment, you can help ensure continued trouble-free performance of your displays and operating systems as well as GPS and steering equipment:

• It is true GPS equipment like receivers are designed to be weather resistant, but if your equipment will be stored for an extended period of time it is recommended you remove the hardware from your machinery and take it out of the elements.

• Ag Leader also recommends removing the display as well as the combine grain flow sensor from the combine. This will better protect your touch screen from damage and it will prevent mice from snacking on the potting material on the flow sensor.

Extreme temperatures take a toll on almost everything that surrounds us, and that includes the high-tech electronic equipment found in our tractors, sprayers, spreaders, trucks and combines. Extreme cold will cause parts to shrink and become brittle, as well as allow condensation to form on parts that are not sealed. It’s always a good idea if you’re not using your Ag Leader display to remove it from the vehicle, put it back in its packaging and store in a climate-controlled environment.

• If there is dust or dirt on the screen, first blow it off using non-direct air to remove the dust that could scratch the screen. Then you can use Windex or an electronic cleaner/wipe with a soft, non-abrasive cloth.

• Lastly, the load cell for the flow sensor is surrounded by a protective potting material that can be easily damaged by small rodents. To prevent this, pull the flow sensor off the top of the elevator and store it in the house, shop or a sealable container.
By taking these precautions now, you can help ensure that your equipment will perform properly the next time you use it, and you will also be protecting the investments you have made in your precision agriculture technology.

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.

Over the past year, the National Corn Growers Association has monitored issues surrounding the wireless broadband company LightSquared. While the Federal Communications Commission considers approval of LightSquared’s proposed terrestrial based broadband network, NCGA remains concerned about the effects it would have on precision farming. GPS technology has become an important tool for farmers as they improve their efficiency in seed, fertilizer and fuel usage.

“Strong and speedy Internet access is important to our growers, so NCGA supports the expansion of broadband in rural America,” said Ethan Mathews, manager of Public Policy and Regulatory Affairs for NCGA said. “However it must not come at the expense of high-precision GPS.”

Although LightSquared states that solutions to the interference problem have been developed by several independent companies, the company has yet to provide access to either the test results or the devices. Further, the FCC and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration are continuing their evaluation of theGPS interference issue. NCGA will look to the FCC and NTIA to ensure the issue has been resolved without loss to accuracy and performance.

In addition, NCGA will continue to work closely with John Deere, the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Association of Wheat Growers and the American Soybean Association to ensure the GPS technology remains available to our farmers.

Oh, that’s right, there are no horses in front of this wagon – it’s just for decoration. Every year, my Grandparents pull this wagon out of the shed and into their front yard for Christmas and decorate it with running white lights on the wheels.

Horse-drawn wagons such as this were used to transport anything and everything on the farm. From being used when husking corn to hauling grain to the bin or hauling hogs to the butcher, this wagon was put to work.

One year, the lights were on the wrong way and the wagon was going backward. It was quite comical.

Until our next history lesson …

Choosing how much nitrogen (N) to put on corn fields isn’t something farmers take lightly. Many factors go into the decision, including past experiences, the timing of application, yield goals, and results from soil tests.

That’s where crop sensor products such as OptRX from Ag Leader can help. When the OptRx sensors detect healthy plants, the system will call for less N to be applied. When the OptRx sensors see plants that need some help, the system will recommend more N. According to more than 50 on-farm demonstration projects conducted in Missouri from 2004 to 2008, crop sensors can select N rates for corn that outperform those chosen by farmers. Data from the study shows that sensor-selected rates increased yield by almost 2 bushels per acre, on average, while reducing by 25% the amount of excess N that was applied to fields but not removed in grain. (Read the full abstract study here.)

As concerns about N pollution continue to increase, products such as OptRX offer a way to more efficiently apply fertilizer without hurting yield or profits.

Ag Leader helps answer your questions about variable rate N application 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.