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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Johnny Park, president and CEO of Spensa and a Purdue research assistant in electrical and computer engineer has created an easier, more efficient way for producers to monitor insect data collected from fields.  This month, Park launched MyTraps.com.

You can subscribe to the Precision Pays Podcast here.

You can learn more at www.MyTraps.com.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

You can subscribe to the Precision Pays Podcast here.

We’ve all heard the scary statistic that the work farmers do every day to provide our nation with the safest, most abundant food supply in the world is also the most dangerous. That’s right: The National Safety Council’s 2009 edition of Injury Facts ranked agriculture as our nation’s most dangerous industry.

Farmers are continually aware of the personal risk they take to put food on America’s dinner tables. However, there are steps that each and every farmer takes to make sure their farm is safe, the environment is safe, and their equipment is safe. And that includes the use of precision technology.

For example, did you know the VERSA and INTEGRA displays from Ag Leader have four camera inputs to aid in visibility? This provides farmers a better view of equipment operation and safety by allowing them to view live video on the display.

And, guidance features in displays, as well as automated and automatic steering systems, help reduce operator fatigue. That means when the busy spring planting time rolls around and farmers are working long hours, precision ag technology allows them to maintain accuracy with less neck strain. Randy Szczpiorski, farmer from New Carlisle, Ind., said, “It’s just unbelievable that I can turn around and see a corn planter operating. Before I always concentrated on straight rows, but now I can turn around and see that the planter is working properly. At the end of the day, I don’t feel I’ve planted half of what I did. The reduced stress on your neck is quite remarkable.”

As U.S. farmers are being asked to do more with less in order to feed a world that will grow to 8 billion people in the next 14 years, they will have to rely on technology. And with this great burden comes risk. What lengths are you taking to make sure your farm equipment is safe? Ask about precision technology from Ag Leader 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.

It’s the Ag Leader Technology VERSA display, which has all of the most popular year-round precision tools – including guidance, auto-steering control, SeedCommand planting control, DirectCommand application control, yield monitoring and mapping – in one small package.

“For growers who are just getting started in precision ag or for growers who need a second monitor, this is definitely a great option,” said Ag Leader’s Russ Morman at last week’s National Farm Machinery Show. It was the first time most farmers at the show had been able to see the monitor, because it is basically brand new. “We introduced it late last year and we actually just started shipping them in the last week or so.”

Russ says response to the new monitor has been very good. “I’ve had numerous guys come by and say “hey, I ordered one of these I just wanted to see what they looked like in person.”

Response to all things Ag Leader has actually been very good from farmers everywhere. “We’ve expanded our presence everywhere,” said Russ, noting that Ag Leader is celebrating its 20th anniversary in precision ag this year. “Canada, the south, east and west – and all over the world, for that matter. We’re actually opening offices overseas right now.”

Find out more about VERSA and Ag Leader in this interview with Russ: Russ Morman Interview

Thanks to Ag Leader Technology for helping us provide coverage of the 2012 NFMS and for their support of the agriculture industry!

2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Ag Leader Technology is excited to announce the INTEGRA™ display will soon feature planter down force monitor and control capability, allowing the display to monitor and adjust down force based on field and soil conditions. Planting seed at the optimum row unit down force is an important factor in good crop germination, and ultimately, yield.

The heart of the system is a hydraulic down force actuator (as compared to other pneumatic airbag systems), engineered by Dawn Equipment. The actuator is the fastest on the market, allowing the INTEGRA display to make quick row unit down force adjustments.

Ag Leader was giving growers a preview of the new system at the National Farm Machinery Show this week, where we spoke with Russ Morman about when it will be available, how it works, and the benefits for growers. “The adjustments we’re going to be able to make to our down pressure will be a lot quicker than the other systems on the market and this being a metal system rather than an air bag it won’t have the risk of puncturing,” said Russ.

Listen to Russ explain the new system here: Interview with Russ Morman

Watch Russ do a little video demo at NFMS here:

2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

So what does this mean to you, the grower? You can now make nearly instantaneous changes to the down force while airbags can take several seconds to make an adjustment. This equates to improved planting because seed will be in the ground at exactly the right place at the right time, since field conditions can vary even just several feet down the line. And seconds can really count.

The INTEGRA is also capable of advanced seed monitoring and controlling In-Furrow and Starter fertilizer applications, variable rate population control and other planting functions.

Some advantages of hydraulics:
1. Instantaneous response time allows the system to react to the constantly changing field conditions much faster than pneumatic systems.
2. The Ag Leader system will have very low hydraulic requirements (3 gallons/minute or less vs. hydraulic driven air compressors that can require 8 gallons/minute.)
3. Durable and rugged cast enclosure, so growers don’t have to worry about failures such as airbags that get punctured or wear out over time.
4. Two channels of control allows the system to tailor the down force on the rows at the center of the planter near all load bearing wheel tracks where more down force is needed due to greater soil compaction, as opposed to the wings of the planter.
5. Competitive systems average the needed amount of down force needed regardless of location of the rows on the planter.

Ag Leader is conducting final product evaluations this spring in real-world conditions. Pricing will be released June 1 and the product will be available for purchase in November.

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 coming-soon INTEGRA™ display with planter down force monitor and control capability (pictured here); the popular “best bang for your buck” VERSA display; SMS Mobile; and OptRx crop sensor

I took a little tour around the Ag Leader booth with Russ Morman to share with those who didn’t make it to the show this year – or if you need some additional motivation to make it to the show before the end at 6:00 pm on Saturday.

2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Corinne says they had a waiting list for the 47th annual show with some companies still trying to get in as of yesterday! This show is the biggest one held in the facility and brings in over $21.5 million to the local community. She says many people make the show part of their vacation. They can get some “work” out of the way during the day and relax and enjoy the tractor pull in the evening.

Listen to or download Chuck’s interview with Corinne here: Interview with Corinne Fetter

We’re collecting photos from this year’s show here: 2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Exhibit Space: Eight interconnected exhibit halls totaling more than 1.2 million square feet of indoor exhibit space and containing more than 850 agricultural displays.

2012 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Ag Leader Technology is proud to announce the release of SMS Basic/Advanced Version 11.6. To update your SMS Basic/Advanced Software, please follow these steps:

• Open the SMS Software
• Create a Backup by clicking on the Services menu and selecting Backup/Restore Project(s)
Ag Leader strongly recommends that you create a backup of SMS before starting the update. This will ensure that if the upgrade process fails you can restore your system back to the point before you installed the update.
• If you are a SMS Advanced user, you will need to verify that all projects are checked-in. To verify this, go to the File menu and select Projects.
• Click on the Help menu and select Check for Updates
The Check for Updates tool will check for and download the most recent version of the SMS Software. This step requires an active internet connection.
• Continue by clicking Next through the wizard that appears
If registered online, the SMS Software will automatically be unlocked after installing the updated version.

For new version details and features see the Maintenance Release Letter for SMS Basic/Advanced Version 11.6.

To download the full Release Notes for SMS Basic/Advanced, click here.

If you have any questions about the update process please contact Technical Support at (515)232-5363 or by email at 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.

The 57th annual show, which is owned and managed by the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association, was the biggest ever and the event can now claim to be the second largest indoor farm show in the United States.

While the big equipment displays take up much of the floor space, technology is really front and center and Ag Leader Technology is one of the sponsors of the show. Iowa farm broadcast legend Ken Root took in some of the Ag Leader technology on display and shared those interviews with us – one with Chad Vick on the OptRx sensor and one with Mark Anderson talking about Integra with advanced seed monitoring.

Listen to or download the Precision Pays Podcast: Precision Pays Podcast from Iowa Power Farming

More photos of Ag Leader Technology at the Iowa Power Farming Show.

You can subscribe to the Precision Pays Podcast here.

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.

The one-day event is designed to provide producers with the latest in precision ag research, technology, equipment and information through presentations and a trade show.

The program will include presentations on Making ‘Cents’ out of Yield Data, Mapping and Interpreting Yield Maps, Precision Ag – Machinery Innovations for the Future, Ag Information Systems of the Future, The Miracle of Modern Agriculture. Concurrent sessions will feature industry updates from a number of companies including Ag Leader Technologies, Raven Applied Technologies, and John Deere/RDO Equipment.

The conference opens at 7:30 a.m. at the Best Western Ramkota Inn with registration and coffee and presentations will begin at 9:00.

Pre-registration cost for the event is $20 before Feb.15. The cost at the door is $25 per person. For more information contact Mark Rosenberg at the SDSU Aberdeen Regional Extension Center – mark.rosenberg@sdstate.edu.

The show is owned and operated by the Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Distributors Association. Andy says the show has a long history and just keeps growing.

Listen to Ken Root’s interview with Andy here: Interview with Andy Goodman

David says that Ag Leader Technology has been sponsoring the show for seven years. It has been a great venue for them to see client and the weather has really cooperated this year. It will be interesting to see what the total attendance is by show end. He says Ag Leader guidance products have been very well received and farmers are looking for equipment that pays back to the bottom line.

Listen to Ken’s interview with David here: Interview with David King

• 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!

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.

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.