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.

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

It’s called “FieldView”, their latest addition to the 20/20 Seed Sense system for planter management.  Sean Arians, education coordinator with Precision Planting, says the application puts the iPad to good use in the cab of the tractor. “Rather than just playing games like Angry Birds on it, now you have the capability to have cellular data available in the tractor,” Sean says, noting that as we look towards sharing and managing data, this can provide the ability to transfer software updates and information from maps into the cap and up to a server where it can later be accessed by a computer in the home or office.

Find out more about “Field View” in this report: Sean Arians on FieldView

Listen in to my interview with Janae here: Interview with Janae Althouse

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

View summary status of all of your bales.

This caught my attention since it is available for the iPhone and Android platforms. Joe gave me a demonstration on his iPhone.

Joe says the app electronically solves the problem of getting harvested cotton module data from the grower to the gin. It’s a two way flow so the grower also gets information back from the gin. A helpful feature is that the app captures data for later transmission if there is no local mobile carrier signal. That’s pretty handy.

Learn more about this new ag app in my interview with Joe here: Interview with Joe Wyrick

2012 Beltwide Cotton Conferences Photo Album

“There was a time not that long ago, when to consider applying a fungicide post-emergence to corn or soybeans was almost unheard of,” said GROWMARK Insect/Plant Disease Technical Manager Kevin Black who notes that the strobilurin class of fungicides have been game changers. “Because they not only have activity against fungi but also seem to have some growth regulation effects, we’ve seen some remarkable results in the field.”

Speaking very generally, Black says they have found that about two-thirds of the benefit from fungicides comes from a VT application and about one-third from a V5 application. “The VT or R1 timing of application typically is much more consistent in providing returns,” he said.

Black says university research and on-farm discovery work continues to look at new ways to use fungicides in combination with insecticides and micro-nutrients in tank mixes, but he believes it’s important to be sure there is a solid benefit before doing so. “If we start to get to the point where we’re just mixing up these soups and saying ‘there’s got to be something in there that’s good’ then I have to part company,” said Black.

Listen to my conversation with Kevin Black here: Kevin Black Interview

The biggest issue they are dealing with right now is the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit program, which National Agricultural Aviation Association executive director Andrew Moore told me just went into effect on Halloween. “It’s kind of a scary regulation,” said Andrew of the regulation which impacts pesticide application near water. “The problem is that it’s duplicative of everything that already exists to protect the environment in regard to pesticide regulation.”

Moore says the NPDES would require a great deal of paper work on the part of applicators. “FIFRA already regulates the safety of pesticides to water, so this is a completely unnecessary burdensome rule.” In addition, he says they are very considered about lawsuits under the new regulation.

So, NPDES was a big topic at the NAAA convention in Las Vegas last week, where workshops were held and applicators were educated about the current status of the federal rule and where it stands at the state level. Andrew says they are also urging aerial applicators – and really anyone in the agriculture industry – to contact their senators about the issue. “Because we’ve been successful in passing legislation that would exempt pesticide applications over water for FIFRA approved pesticides,” said Moore. The measure has been passed by the House and has gone through the Senate Agriculture Committee. “We believe we have the votes in the Senate but it’s not being brought to the floor for a vote,” he added.

Listen to my interview with Andrew Moore here: NAAA executive director Andrew Moore

2011 NAAA Convention Photo Album

Seed treatments have actually been around for decades and it’s reached the point that virtually all of the corn seed planted today is treated with some type of crop protection technology. However, GROWMARK product manager Dave Gentry says that while use of soybean seed treatment is growing, it is not yet as pervasive as corn. “Seed treatments on soybeans have not been quite as accepted until the last 4-5 years,” he said.

Gentry identifies four key reasons for a dramatic increase in the popularity of soybean seed treatments recently. “One is the improved active ingredients,” he said. “They are very effective at a much lower use rate.” The second reason is pushing the planting envelope. “As we’ve become more aggressive in our planting, soybeans are going into soils that are cooler and wetter, there’s more stresses early in the season and so seed treatments can reduce the impact of some of those stresses.”

Gentry says another reason is the value of the seed itself, which makes it worth investing in the treatment to protect it. And finally, the range of products to treat the seeds with has expanded, with additional offerings such as growth stimulants, inoculants, microbials and nematicides.

He notes that about 60% of soybean acres are currently being planted with treated seed, although percentages vary between regions with the east coast and the deep south lower and the eastern corn belt closer to 85%. As for the future, Gentry expects to see most soybean seed treated with products in the pipeline to control Sudden Death Syndrome and soybean cyst nematode. “I think the percentage of treatment will continue to grow and, like corn, start to approach 100%,” he says.

The big difference he sees between corn and soybean seed treatments is that soybeans are moving more to the local dealer level, “allowing them to respond to local situations and local disease and insect pressures.”

Listen to Dave’s thoughts on soybean seed treatment here: Dave Gentry Interview

Find out more about seed treatment options in your specific area at FSSeed.com.

When it comes to the new Raven website Paul says they’ve included a brand new section that provides technical help which you can find at RavenHelp.com. The company is also running a promotion right now where farmers can enter to win a complete RTK system that includes: Cruizer II™ guidance with sub-inch RTK accuracy — delivered by Slingshot® via wireless networks. The company will be exhibiting at a majority of the winter farm shows if you need to see them in person. You can find their schedule here.

Listen to my conversation with Paul and learn more about what’s going on with Raven: Raven Simplified

Jerry Harbour, an agronomist and certified crop specialist with Lincoln Land FS in Illiopolis, says the objective of POMY is to get consistent 300 bushel yields on corn and 100 bushel beans. “We do a lot of corn on corn so that’s another challenge here in central Illinois to get consistently high yields as we grow into continuous corn acres,” he said.

Jerry says when it comes to gathering information, they are using lots more precision farming techniques. “Trying to be more accurate and knowing what we’re doing, instead of flags and pens and paper, we’re trying to document with GPS as well,” he said.

Nitrogen application is a big focus of the POMY trials and this year trials came out very well. “I had about six different trials and they all turned out very positive,” he said. “We did a lot of work this year with impregnated urea for a side dress application for corn – and all of those showed a profit. It seemed like everything we did with nitrogen this year was a win for the grower. Worst case was that they broke even in a couple of cases.”

Jerry says he is blessed with some very progressive farmers in his area who are willing to take some risks to improve their yields and share their knowledge with other growers. Results of this year’s POMY trials will be presented to growers at meetings in February.

Listen to or download my interview with Jerry here: Jerry Harbour Interview

The three dominant GPS differential correction sources available are WAAS, OmniSTAR and RTK. The differences between the three can be substantial.

Matt Pifkin, Ag Leader machine guidance support supervisor, briefly explains all three correction sources.

We also asked Matt how a grower knows what’s right for their operation.

Click here to learn more about Ag Leader GPS receiver products to satisfy your GPS needs at all levels of precision utilization.

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.

I spoke with Don McLean, agronomist for FS PARTNERS and North Wellington Cooperative, about how the trials went this year. “Last year and this year both we had yield increases,” Don said. “This year, we’ll be right around a 30 bushel yield increase on corn, last year we were around 28 bushels, so we are increasing growers’ yields very well.” Average yield for the six POMY sites in the Ontario region was “just shy” of 200 bushels an acre.

Pursuit of Maximum Yields takes a systems approach to farming, considering all possible elements that can affect yield, such as hybrids, nitrogen, tillage and plant populations. Don says they held grower events on site over the summer to explain the goals of the program and the factors they consider. “We talked about nitrogen as a system and how we can best utilize nitrogen,” he said. “We also looked at what we call ‘setting the table’ – cultural practices from planting and tillage.” They also talked about new corn traits, new innovations in energy, fungicides and early weed control.

For those growers who might not have been able to make it to one of the events, Don says they had a new technological tool for anyone who wanted more information about a site to utilize – QR codes on signage at the site. “We had really good feedback on that,” he said. “We had five sites with the QR codes on and we had 414 hits – so we think for the first year that was very successful.”

Don adds that the growers who are hosting the sites are very pleased with being involved because they see the great need to increase yields for the future.

Listen to or download my interview with Don here: Don McLean Interview

The Customer Support hours have been adjusted back to a normal operating schedule: Monday-Friday, 7am to 6pm CDT. During this time, Technical Support will be available to help with any late harvest and fall fertilizer application questions, as well as any pre-spring planting questions.

The weekend schedule is also about to change; Saturday, November 19th will be the last Saturday that they are open for the year. Technical Support will not be open November 24th and 25th, so be sure to get your questions answered before Thanksgiving!

Nathan Tebbe, Ag Leader Technical Support Supervisor, says tech support conducts training in an ongoing effort to better serve their customers.

As part of preparation for the 2012 growing season, the Hardware and GPS Technical Support teams will also be completing several hours of internal staff training. Tebbe says internal staff training days help ensure technicians have the resources and information they need to efficiently assist Ag Leader dealers and customers with technical questions. Listen to Tebbe explain During these training sessions, Technical Support for hardware and GPS products will not be available, so plan ahead to get your questions answered.

And with colder temperatures here and the crops out of the field, fall application will soon be in full swing. Here are some safety tips for fall application. When transitioning from harvest to fall application, there are also a few things to remember to keep your data in order and prevent downtime in the field. Read more here.

Again, you can reach Ag Leader Customer Support at 515-232-5363 or support@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.

AgLeader’s Katie Monroe (center) says they were thrilled to join the companies and organizations who support the NAFB. “It’s a great opportunity to talk about our new products and how precision farming can help growers,” Katie said, noting that one of their main topics was AgLeader’s new Versa display which includes all of the most popular year-round precision tools in one small package.

AgLeader Technology also joined with Alltech to sponsor the NAFB Foundation Auction reception on Thursday night.

Listen to by interview with Katie here: Katie Monroe with AgLeader

2011 NAFB Convention Photo Album

We caught up with Lori Costello, Ag Leader marketing communications manager, at the National Association of Farm Broadcasting meeting in Kansas City. She tells us more about what type of grower can benefit the most from using the VERSA display.

Costello says the VERSA is a good fit for growers with 500 acres or less.

Webster defines versatile as having many uses or applications and Costello says that’s the right description for the VERSA display. It fits every color, every vehicle and growers from those just entering the precision ag field to those who are more well-versed in the technology.

Taking a look at the relevancy and importance of precision ag as it relates to an ever-growing population here in the United States, Costello tells us that precision technology isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity.

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.

Luke James, Ag Leader Software Sales Specialist, highlights the benefits and features of the new software.
Listen to James explain

Highlights of SMS Basic and Advanced Version 11.5 include:
• The ability to download soil type information directly into SMS
• The capability to add project functionality into SMS Basic
• Functionality to allow for multiple data locations

James gives growers a bird’s eye view of some of the benefits to the Mobile software.
Listen to more from James

Mobile Version 5.5 new features include:
• The ability to view a split screen for certain operations
• The ability to transfer settings between SMS mobile projects

Bottom line to growers – what do these upgrades mean? James explains. Listen to James here

James lets growers know how to go about receiving this updated software. Listen to James explain

Click here for an instructional video about SMS Version 11.5 and Mobile Version 5.5.

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 if you could just whip out your smartphone and scan a code that can provide you that information? Well, that is just what FS PARTNERS has developed for customers to access up-to-date information about Pursuit of Maximum Yield corn and soybean plots through the use of QR codes.

“A QR code is a ‘quick response’ code,” said Juli Paladino, FS PARTNERS retail energy administrator in Ontario, who helped develop the use of this communications technology for the program. “So, you’re at a Pursuit of Maximum Yield site, you’re going to scan it and it’s going to take you right to information on our field trials.” That includes seed information, treatments, planting dates and even audio updates tailored specifically to that particular site.

As smartphones become more prevalent, people are becoming more familiar with using QR codes to get information, but Juli says they have actually been around for a while. “Originally they were developed in 1994 by Toyota in Japan to track parts,” she said. “It’s been a very commonplace technology in Japan and Asia.”

While consumers in the United States has been slower to adopt the use of QR codes, Juli says farmers are quicker to pick up on new technology. “Farmers are at a higher rate than the general public to be adopting mobile phone technology. They’ve got the smart phone and they’re ready to use it.”

FS PARTNERS used the QR codes at plots in Ontario this year and Juli expects to see more widespread use of the technology at the Pursuit of Maximum Yield plots in the Corn Belt next year. The Pursuit of Maximum Yield is an FS Green Plan Solutions on-farm discovery program geared toward increasing yield per acre to meet the demands of a growing world population.

Listen to or download my interview with Juli here: Juli Paladino Interview

In his testimony, Greene said, “I began my precision agriculture journey in 1995 when my father purchased one of the first yield monitoring systems with GPS. While at Iowa State University, as accuracy improved, I came to love what precision agriculture can do for farming by preserving the environment, minimizing inputs, and maximizing yield to give our farmers a greater return on their investment.”

Over the years, GPS and technology have evolved exponentially. Efficiency and increased productivity is the key to farmers’ survival in this global market.

Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer with Purdue University did a study in 2004 on a 1,800-acre model farm and found that a farmer will decrease his hours of operation by 17% if they use high accuracy GPS. This decrease includes fuel, maintenance, labor hours, and inputs like seed, pesticides and fertilizer.

The precision agriculture industry has over 400,000 high accuracy receivers valued ~ $13,000 with a replacement cycle of 10 to 15 years and adds approximately $19.9 billion per year of value to the grower.

For MFA alone, more than 700,000 grower acres are in GPS nutrient management, 9.5 million acres covered with high-accuracy RTK correction, and the company has sold almost $20 million dollars of GPS equipment to farmers that will be directly affected by the implementation of LightSquared Ancillary Terrestrial Component (ATC).

GPS technology enables growers to produce more food for a growing population both domestically and internationally. If LightSquared takes away the ability to use GPS systems, growers will be forced back to the days of when analog TV was as good as it gets and you took your corn to town in a horse-drawn wagon. And, the cost of food will go up dramatically. Are consumers willing to pay that price just for high-speed broadband that isn’t much better than what they currently have?

Greene tells us more about the numbers should farmers lose the ability to run high-accuracy GPS systems. And this is only with MFA’s customer base.

According to Greene, LightSquared must not be allowed to broadcast their signal in the upper or lower bands of GPS until a feasible and economical resolution is found.

Greene says, “It is the accuracy of GPS that makes the technology important to agriculture, and farmers should not be expected to accept or live with a disruption in their service as a result of LightSquared’s actions. Ideally, a solution will be found that allows GPS and wireless broadband to co-exist, but LightSquared and GPS providers will have to work together. We believe that farmers, ranchers and GPS companies should not have to bear any additional financial burden in resolving this issue.”

What can growers do to stop LightSquared from proceeding? Greene says it here, short and simple.

Watch Greene’s full Congressional testimony here. And for more information, visit the Coalition to Save Our GPS website.

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.

“If we look at how the crop grows, we have to keep in mind nutrition and so putting all the nitrogen on at one particular time, especially in the fall, may not be the way to go,” Brown says.

Brown uses the acronym “MOM” to explain his approach to nitrogen management. “MOM stands for Maximizing yield, Optimizing nitrogen utilization and Minimizing environmental impact,” he said. “It’s about understanding the nitrogen cycle and what happens to nitrogen when we put it on a field.”‘

He compares nitrogen management to a farmer selling grain incrementally over time to get the best prices. “With nitrogen it’s the same way. If we knew when it was going to rain, we could put it all on at one time but since we don’t, let’s put it on incrementally and then we have a spreading out of our nutrition so the plant has better utilization and we optimize yield.”

Brown recommends a full rate of a nitrogen stabilizer like N-Serve in the fall. “The value of a nitrification inhibitor such as N-Serve allows us to keep that anhydrous ammonia from converting to the form that moves more readily with water for an extended period of time,” he said.

Brown has a lot more to say about nitrogen management in this interview. Take a listen: Howard Brown Interview

FS Green Plan Solutions, an integrated, solutions-based approach designed to help producers enhance farm profitability by providing complete agronomic recommendations from a trusted team of FS specialists.

I asked Jeremy what farmers have been saying to him. He says, “The biggest comment is . . . what’s this crop going to be? How much am I going to make?” He calls that shorthand for “How much do I have to invest in new equipment, new precision ag equipment?” Planter controls are also getting the most attention in terms of the questions and comments he’s been hearing.

You can listen in to my conversation with Jeremy here: Interview with Jeremy Wilson

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

He’s been running precision farming applications for a while starting with yield monitors, moving into guided steering and now he’s adding Integra and ParaDyme to his harvester. Charlie mentioned how the automated steering system reduces some of the stress in the field. He also enjoys the information he collects which helps him make better decisions for the next season.

You can listen in to my conversation with Charlie here: Interview with Charlie Hammer

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Jessica Ahrens, Ag Leader Software Support Specialist, tells growers what kind of data SMS will gather. Listen to Ahrens explain

So now you have the data – what are you going to do with it? Ahrens tells us about the possibilities

Some of the benefits to utilizing this software package include the ability to:
• Analyze harvest data by field area, application records, as planted maps, etc.
• Overlay hybrid/variety maps with harvest maps to determine yield performance
• Review yield performance year-to-year
• Overlay yield maps with other field operations to determine how field activities affected yield across the field

One primary benefit to SMS software is being able to make year-to-year comparisons that impact your bottom line. Ahrens tells us why this is important

Are you right in the middle of harvest or just starting out? It’s not too late to utilize SMS software for this year’s harvest season. Ahrens tells us more

Click here for a blog post about SMS pre-harvest preparations, which includes an instructional 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.

Mark Irvin, Ag Leader technical support representative, says that checking the physical components of the yield monitor is an important step in preparing for this year’s harvest season. Listen more here.

He also says preseason calibrations play an important role in pre-harvest readiness.

Irvin says completing these checklist items will save growers time and money. He also notes that the harvested data is a valuable resource for growers.

Get more about harvest hardware preparation procedures from Irvin here:
Part 1
Part 2

And remember, if you have any questions, visit AgLeader.com or reach out to Ag Leader’s technical support team at 515-232-5363. We wish you a safe and prosperous 2011 harvest!

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 AgLeader.com.

At the 2011 Farm Progress Show, I talked with Neil Eimer, Evergreen FS Crop Specialist in the central Illinois counties of McLean and Livingston, about how he helps farmers maximize every acre. “Green Plan Solutions is basically finding out what the grower’s needs and wants are and we’re going to tailor every recommendation we make according to what they want as an end result,” Neil says. “Essentially, the more bushels, the better.”

The FS crop specialists look at every aspect of the farming operation – seed, chemicals, fertilizer, equipment – to determine how improvements can be made to increase profit potential. “All that put together, just taking it from the large scope and then dialing it in on an area basis and finding what works,” he said.

Listen to my interview with Neil here. Evergreen FS Crop Specialist Neil Eimer

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

The Raven Precision exhibit banners caught my eye so I stopped in for a visit and met Michel St-Georges a precision ag specialist. Michel describes what was on display for farmers who came to their tent. He says AutoBoom is the top thing farmers are asking about.

You can listen to my interview with Michel here: Interview with Michel St-Georges

2011 IFAJ Congress Photo Album

When I spoke with Hans I asked him how important precision ag is to farmers in his region and what they are looking for. He says that in Europe it is needed since farms are very small compared to here in the United States. That makes precision even more important in order to get the most from the land they have. He provides some examples like Dutch tulip fields. But he also has parts of his territory very similar to the U.S. like in eastern Europe and Russia. You can listen in to my conversation with Hans here: Interview with Hans Stiekema

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

That was the job of Evergreen FS this year as the agronomy sponsor for the demo plots, and Seed Marketing Manager Gary Bowen says it was definitely a challenge. “We had a pretty tough year,” he told Chuck Zimmerman at the show. “We started off really wet, we finally did get in and get it planted and then the water shut off and so we’ve been pretty droughty and it has affected our yield, no doubt about it.” Despite the challenges, it was still a decent crop and Gary says it was a good chance to highlight what the FS System can do.

Listen to or download Chuck’s interview with David here. Gary Bowen with Evergreen FS

2011 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

Obstacle #4: A Comparison
Sometimes it helps to have a side-by-side comparison of precision ag equipment. We know that you need to run the numbers, see what the benefits are, and get a feel for what the expected payback will be.

So today we’re talking with Todd Peterson, owner of Peterson Ag Service and Ag Leader dealer from Remington, Ind., about how he approaches the subject of comparing equipment when a new or existing customer comes to him. Peterson says Ag Leader equipment is color-blind, meaning it works with most brands of equipment you might have.

When it comes to making a decision, Peterson says more and more growers want to put numbers on paper so they can see the difference.

And what’s the most important take-away from all of this? Peterson says talking to your local dealer is a must.

As our series of posts about precision ag adoption obstacles comes to a close, we once again encourage you to visit with a trusted Ag Leader dealer about how this technology can help take you and your farming operation to the next level.

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.