Precision Pays

Precision agriculture products and practices have been enhanced and improved over the past two decades in large part by the work of innovative and driven individuals and organizations. The PrecisionAg Award of Excellence program sheds light on some of the most important people and programs that have helped agriculture realize the full benefits of technology to improve agronomy, efficiency, and stewardship in crop production.

The PrecisionAg Awards of Excellence presents four awards in the following categories:

• Educator/Researcher Of The Year
• Legacy Award
• Crop Adviser/Entrepreneur Of The Year
• Farmer Of The Year

Nominations for these awards are now being accepted. Recipients will be honored at the International Conference On Precision Agriculture in Indianapolis this July.

Click here to submit a nomination.

Growers looking for application flexibility can take advantage of a new Crop Sensor Rate Table available now from Ag Leader Technology. This functionality offered through the DirectCommand system on the INTEGRA display allows producers to utilize the OptRx crop sensors to apply the agrochemicals they need on-the-go at the rates necessary for optimum performance.

Crop Sensor Product Specialist Chad Fick explains, “Many agrochemicals, such as fertilizers, pesticides, defoliants, growth regulators and others, can be more effectively applied if the rates are varied according to crop health.”

OptRx crop sensors work by shining light on the crop canopy and reading the light reflected back to determine the crop health, also known as Vegetative Index. “The new Crop Sensor Rate Table allows growers to choose a Vegetative Index range and assign the recommended rates based on those ranges,” Fick said. Working with agronomists or crop consultants, farmers can use OptRx to improve the application of any agrochemical to any crop that needs a variable rate.

Fick says it’s almost like the plant is telling the grower what it needs.

Growers with the INTEGRA display can take advantage of the Crop Sensor Rate Table by updating their firmware to version 3.3.

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.

Ag Leader will soon be releasing SMS Basic/Advanced v12.0 and SMS Mobile v6.0. Here are a few of the items that will be included in this upcoming release.

Among the updates in SMS Basic/Advanced Version 12.0, updated tools allow growers to work with the latest file formats on the market from the following precision farming companies: Ag Leader, CNH, John Deere, Precision Planting, RDS and Trimble.

Ag Leader has also added a tool that allows for the exporting of information to a grower’s crop insurance provider. This includes information like dates planted, crop planted and acres planted. If growers would like to use the information collected by precision farming displays to help report to a crop insurance agent, contact Ag Leader’s software support team for this free tool unlock after updating to SMS Basic/Advanced v12.0.

Luke James, Ag Leader software sales specialist, says being able to provide specific crop and field information to insurance agents is on the minds of many growers this year.
Listen to James explain

Another function that’s helpful to insurance agents is the “Summary Report” from SMS. Growers can generate this type report by going to File – New – General Report in SMS Basic/Advanced.

As always, if growers have any questions after updating to SMS v12.0, contact Ag Leader’s software support team.

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.

What a spring! With beautiful weather and warming soil temperatures many growers have started to feel the itch to get out and start planting. Ag Leader’s Tech Support wants to take the time to pass along a few helpful pointers to ensure a smooth planting season while using Ag Leader equipment.

Measures taken prior to lowering the planter into the first field should begin with powering up the display to manage data, update firmware, and to create a back-up of the display for the 2012 planting season. Kati Knolting, Ag Leader representative for hardware tech support, gives growers a list of suggested steps to get started.

Ag Leader also is happy to announce the release of the new v3.1 firmware for our INTEGRA and VERSA displays. The new firmware download is only available through your Ag Leader dealer at this time. Growers can find all of the available display firmware here.

With the display ready to go, proceed to check the Ag Leader equipment found on the tractor and planter. Knolting runs growers through the pre-season equipment checklist.

To help with settings, configuration setup and troubleshooting steps, visit the Ag Leader Customer Support site. Ag Leader wishes you all the very best as you begin your spring fieldwork.

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.

According to Isaac Bowers, Ag Leader Software Support and Training Supervisor, common questions during the winter months are, “Where can I go to find soil survey data?” and, “What do I need to do to bring that data into SMS?” In the past, growers had to know which websites had that data, wait to download a county’s worth of information to their local hard drive, and then had to assign each column of data they wanted to import that data.

“As part of Ag Leader’s continued effort to simplify tasks in SMS, we have added a simple wizard in SMS Basic/Advanced Version 11.5 that allows you to download soil survey data,” says Bowers. “SMS can download many attributes such as soil type, soil description, erodibility class, drainage class, up to six horizons of soil information, and many more.”

To access the new wizard in SMS, go to File – Download Soil Survey Data from Internet. Learn more from this video.

After downloading the soil survey information, growers can analyze data using queries, or the Comparison Analysis if they’re using SMS Advanced, and use the results to assist in making better management decisions to make sure they are getting as much out of their field as possible. For example, compare yield values to the different soil types in the field to determine which soil types are the more productive, and then use that information when creating planting and seeding prescriptions.

**Note – This ability is currently only available for U.S. customers. Customers outside of the U.S. can import shapefiles for soil survey data by going to File – Read Files.
**Note – The ability to download this information requires an active internet connection.

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 new AI3070 spray tip from TeeJet Technologies provides thorough plant coverage with minimal spray drift. This spray tip utilizes a patent-pending design that provides two spray patterns at angles of 30º forward and 70º rearward. The leading pattern provides good penetration into the foliage while the trailing pattern provides thorough coverage of the upper crop canopy and grain head. The AI3070 incorporates air induction technology to minimize spray drift, while producing a large percentage of droplets in the medium to coarse category to maximize surface coverage.

The AI3070 was designed specifically for fungicide application in cereal crops making it ideal for controlling fungal diseases. The prevalence of fusarium in wheat and other cereal crops makes this an ideal nozzle for small grain producers. The AI3070 is designed to maximize the efficacy of a grower’s fungicide application which contributes to higher yields and a higher quality grain sample.

The AI3070 is offered in six VisiFlo® color-coded sizes from -015 to -05 capacities. It is constructed of acetal (polymer) with a recommended operating range of 20-90 psi. The AI3070 tips are easily installed on Quick TeeJet® nozzle bodies. The tips are currently available at local TeeJet Authorized Distributors.

University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension and the Nebraska Corn Growers Association are looking for corn growers to participate in a new research project.

There is no fee to join the network and you will gain valuable, useful information for your operation. Be part of a statewide on-farm research program addressing critical farmer production, profitability and natural resources questions.

Learn more here.

Or contact UNL Extension Educators: Keith Glewen at 402-624-8030 or kglewen1@unl.edu or Gary Zoubek at 402-362-5508 or gzoubek1@unl.edu. You can also contact the Nebraska Corn Growers Association at 888-267-6479, 402-438-6459 or info@necga.org. A terrific opportunity for Nebraska farmers to learn the art and science of conducting and interpreting on-farm research.

Leica Geosystems released additional features for its guidance systems Leica mojoMINI and Leica mojo3D to further enhance product usability and compatibility.

The touch screen of the Leica mojoMINI has undertaken several modifications. It offers now two lightbar modes: the traditional cross track only lightbar and the Leica smart lightbar. Furthermore farmers are able to choose the use of WAAS and EGNOS satellites or to deactivate them, if desired.

The added support for kml files gives users of the Leica mojoMINI the ability to export data of the most recent work for viewing in Google Earth or import into a Leica mojo3D.

Now just using the Leica mojo3D and the Leica twist allow steering of all Leica SteerDirect kits which are supported by the Leica mojoXact. To enable these extra steering options a Leica mojo3D SteerDirect kit is required. More updates to the Leica SteerDirect hydraulic solution proceed with two extra kits:
– Claas Lexion Hose Kit (Article Nr. 794531)
– Buhler 2xxx 4WD Hose Kit (Article Nr. 794540)

Like the Leica mojoMINI, the Leica mojo3D now offers the cross track only lightbar as well as the Leica smart lightbar. To further increase the compatibility of the guidance display, the support for kml and shape files has been introduced. This makes it easy to import and export field data and vehicle setups to another Leica mojo3D or different applications.

The use of precision farming products continues to increase. With increasing input costs, producers are often looking for ways to adopt technology to make farming operations more efficient and productive. Guidance systems also reduce overlap in fields which leads to less passes across the field, less fuel and product use (i.e. seed, fertilizer, and herbicide), and fewer operator hours.

And since today’s high-tech seed isn’t cheap, if growers aren’t controlling where and how much of each type of seed they plant, they’re probably sacrificing yield potential and bottom line performance. SeedCommand from Ag Leader helps growers manage all of their planting operations, including seed population, planter performance, hybrid/variety mapping, split planting and variable rates.

“I particularly like being able to monitor my skips and doubles with the Advanced Seed Monitoring,” says Merrill Swanson, grower from Gilbert, Iowa. “When you change hybrids, you usually have a different seed size. When I see that I’m having skips or doubles because of that, I can adjust my seed meters and see that the problem’s fixed on the screen.”

To quantify the amount of overlap that occurs in a typical production setting, Iowa State University researchers partnered with two Iowa producers in 2011 who did not own any precision ag technologies. More than 2,500 acres of field operations were monitored and analyzed to determine typical overlap in central Iowa production systems. Results from these producer tests showed an average 3.3 percent overlap during planting operations. Given these overlap levels, the return on investment by using precision ag products can be directly measured. Read the full analysis here.

The bottom line is: precision technologies such as SeedCommand from Ag Leader can help you lower seed cost during planting season and improve yield potential at harvest time. Contact an Ag Leader dealer today.

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 University of Nebraska-Lincoln is now hiring a full-time, non-tenure leading, faculty position located in the Southeast Research and Extension Center at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. This position will provide strong regional leadership for focused, comprehensive educational programs in Cropping Systems-Agricultural Technologies and Youth Development. This position offices in Fremont and serves the region.

Review of applications will begin on 4/20/2012. Position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found or search is closed. For a detailed job description, additional preferred qualifications and how to apply, click here and search for requisition #120225.

Contact Rick Koelsch at 402-472-3935 or rkoelsch1@unl.edu with questions about this position.

Dakota Micro is proud to announce a new factory install partnership with Kinze Manufacturing. Kinze Customers will now have the ability to purchase planters and grain carts with the AgCam camera as a factory installed option.

AgCam cameras have been engineered to withstand the harshest environments with ease and reliability. Featuring a completely waterproof housing, these cameras can be used in a variety of situations, producing excellent results, day or night. AgCam features a 3 year warranty, auto darkening lens, crimp resistant cables and infrared night vision.

Ag Leader Technology is offering current Case-IH AFS and New Holland PFS desktop software users the opportunity to convert to Ag Leader SMS desktop software. CNH AFS/PFS users that choose to convert will be assured continued SMS software updates and industry leading support directly from Ag Leader. Ag Leader and SMS will continue to support the CNH file formats and changes that occur with new display firmware releases.

This conversion does NOT require a user to re-read their data. Users will be able to restore a backup from AFS/PFS into SMS or direct an SMS install to the location of their AFS/PFS data folder.

Luke James, software sales specialist for Ag Leader, says once users learn how to use a certain software, change can be hard. But this conversion is easy, seamless, and allows for continual updates. Listen to James explain

James says the benefit to growers is that they can convert straight over to SMS right now and they don’t have to learn a new software. Listen to James explain

To learn more and convert from CNH AFS/PFS to Ag Leader SMS, please contact the Ag Leader software support team at 515-232-5363 or SMSsupport@agleader.com.

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.

Ag Leader Technology announces the launch of Insights magazine, a new precision farming publication produced by the Ag Leader team. The debut issue of the quar¬terly magazine reached a circulation of more than 20,000 readers this month, primarily targeting growers and precision farming industry professionals who are looking to get more out of their precision farming tools and to learn about the latest technologies.

Lori Costello, Ag Leader Marketing Communications Manager, says the transition to using precision agriculture can take time. Online articles are very time-sensitive and may expire, but the magazine provides information in a way that can be accessed at the grower’s convenience. Listen to Costello explain

Content of the magazine includes wisdom from renowned agronomists, showcasing how precision farm¬ing technology can and will be used to overcome new challenges caused by changing weather patterns and growing conditions. Profiles of growers explore the innovative ways precision farming technology is being used around the country to reduce waste, increase yields and bolster profits. Additional content takes readers behind the scenes of Ag Leader, where they will learn how to get more value from Ag Leader products and learn about the benefits and features of new precision farming tools coming soon.

Costello says the magazine contains more than just Ag Leader product announcements – it is a tool to help growers understand how precision ag fits into their business model. Listen to Costello explain

Those interested in signing up for a free subscription to Insights magazine are encouraged to visit: www.agleader.com/subscription. The Ag Leader team will be on the constant lookout for interesting story angles, profile subjects and precision farming information, so please email your story tips to Info@agleader.com, subject line: Insights Tip.

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.

This year’s PrecisionAg Give-Away winners were selected at the 2012 Commodity Classic.

Integra from Ag Leader: winner was Bob Metz
DGPS subscriptions from OmniSTAR: winners were Linda Wolfert and Dennis Clarke
Cruizer II from Raven: winner was Darin Anderson
Summit & Stratus With Field PC from SST Software: Cal Dalton

Congratulations to all!

2012 Commodity Classic Photo Album

To integrate water management into its expanding precision farming portfolio, Ag Leader has acquired Soil-Max, manufacturer of the market-leading Gold Digger tile plow, and the assets of Gradient, Inc., a related company which revolutionized the control of tile plows with the Intellislope GPS-based control system. These products allow growers and tiling contractors to solve water management challenges very cost effectively by greatly reducing the technical knowledge, labor and time required to install tile.

The acquisition allows Ag Leader to establish a significant footprint into the fast-growing precision water management market, and will serve as a base for developing additional products for other water management tasks such as land leveling, waterway grading, ditching and levee building.

Soil-Max will operate as an independent subsidiary of Ag Leader under the Soil-Max name, continuing to manufacture Gold Digger tile plows from its current locations in Brazil, Ind. and Sioux Falls, S.D. It will maintain its current dealer distribution system – which will be enhanced by the addition of select Ag Leader dealers.

The Intellislope control system will be transitioned to operate on Ag Leader displays in 2012. Intellislope will continue to be available from Soil-Max on Gold Digger plows, and will be available from either Soil-Max or Ag Leader for use on other brands of tile plows.

Ag Leader’s market-leading SMS desktop software will be enhanced to include water management design and documentation functions.

Find out more about the acquisition in this video:

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.