Precision Pays

Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology is becoming more important in the global production of food and fiber.

According to GIS software technology firm Esri, the ability of GIS to analyze and visualize agricultural environments and workflows is proving to be very beneficial for farmers in the challenge to feed an ever-growing population.

For example, using GIS tools like Esri’s ArcGIS, can help farmers conduct crop forecasting by collecting georeference samples in cultivated areas and applying a statistical process to the samples. After completing the data, they create a geodatabase that helps farmers make better decisions. This forecasting measure helps them better accurately conduct harvests and save on spoilage, meaning more food gets to people.

Agriculture is one of the fastest-growing GIS customer bases and that means more career opportunities for GIS professionals.

“GIS is crucial in agriculture as it can be used to understand everything from where to better apply fertilizers to mapping various conditions of the soil. The information is processed immediately and indicates to farmers whether they need to adjust their strategy to improve production, which directly impacts revenue, food and products for the world’s population,” says Devon Cancilla, Ph.D., dean, business and technology at Colorado-based American Sentinel University.

Cancilla says American Sentinel offers on-line GIS degree programs to prepare students who like working with software that visualizes data, as opposed to simply reporting it in numbers and charts.

South Dakota State University (SDSU) Extension’s 13th annual Precision Ag Conference is set for Feb. 22 in Aberdeen S.D.

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.

On our sister site, AgWired, my weekly ZimmCast podcast features a conversation you may be interested in hearing. In this week’s program we use the M word, as in Mobile, as in Float Mobile Learning. I just had a conversation with Chad Udell, Managing Director, about mobile learning technology and what that means for today’s agribusiness customers, including in the precision sector.

Float Mobile’s parent company is the Iona Group. Chad says the company has a deep history working with agribusiness companies like GROWMARK, Pioneer and Bayer. He says, “There’s a great amount of demand in the marketplace to put the right information in the right people’s hands at the right time.” He says that when growers need information they’re often away from the computer and out in the field. Examples include working with clients to put mobile and updated information in the hands of sales staff at a farm show. Tablets like an iPad or Android device are very cost effective for this purpose. In fact, Chad says mobile application development is surprisingly affordable. He says these applications are simple and do one or two things very well. Float Mobile uses a S3D Process with their clients which means Strategy, Design, Develop, Deliver. He says they work quickly since the whole mobile device world is changing rapidly today.

To learn more about Float Mobile Learning listen in to this week’s program: Float Mobile Learning

Check out their 2012 predictions for the Mobile Landscape on their blog.

Each month we look at different technologies that make our lives just a little easier.  Sometimes it is great technological advancements is precision technologies… sometimes it’s the latest and greatest app for our smart phone and sometimes it is just making a tedious process a little less cumbersome.  That’s the case this month.  In this Precision Pays Podcast, sponsored by Ag Leader Technology we look at how USDA is streamlining the application process for programs producers utilize more than anyone.  Rebecca Blue is the Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs with USDA – she said they rolled this update to programs out under direction from Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack.

You can subscribe to the Precision Pays Podcast here.

This week I participated in the Conservation Technology Information Center’s Indian Creek Watershed Project field tour. Several bus loads of participants visited Livingston County, IL area farms to see and hear how they are implementing best management practices for things like nutrient management.

One of the people working on the project with CTIC and a presenter is Harold Reetz. I visite with Harold prior to the start of the day’s activities. I’ll see him again next week in Sprinfield, IL for the InfoAg Conference. Since that’s all about precision agriculture and since that is an integral part of the BMP’s being implemented on the tour stops here we decided to call it “precision conservation.”

Harold says the project purpose is to demonstrate different best management practices for nitrogen. It’s a relatively small watershed with mostly corn and soybean crops. So the goal is to come up with practices to improve nitrogen efficiency which will reduce the amount that will get into the ground water. Local farmers have volunteered in this first year of the project to implement suggested practices and it is their farms we visited.

The project is receiving funding from a variety of sources that includes the Illinois EPA. It is a proactive approach to voluntarily manage natural resources without the need to have new regulations. That sure seems like a potentially win win situation for all parties.

You can listen to my interview with Harold here: Harold Reetz Interview

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

Knowing where the bugs are going can help farmers beat them.

The Insect Forecast website is ready to start pest tracking in May with new enhancements for the 2011 growing season to increase farmer awareness about above-ground pests that can threaten their fields. The new features include the tracking of western bean cutworm pressure in the Midwest, in addition to the annual migration of corn earworms from the South to Midwestern corn fields.

Also new this year, starting May 6, farmers can sign-up online at www.insectforecast.com to receive e-mail alerts when these insects pose a risk in their areas.

Developed by climatologist and meteorologist Mike Sandstrom, the Insect Migration Risk Forecast (IMRF) monitors the daily migration of damaging pests, such as corn earworm, from May through September. It analyzes moth trapping data and weather patterns to issue one, two and three-to-five day forecasts.

The IMRF is being sponsored again this season by Monsanto Company and offered to farmers as a tool of its Genuity® trait brand.

Precision ag was the topic of several educational seminars at the Western Farm Show. The presenter was Lucas Haag, Kansas State University Research and Education. The seminar going on in the photo focused on improving profitability. That’s something that any farmer would like to know. I think Lucas continued the discussion with some of the attendees long after it was over.

I spoke with Lucas about the message he had on profitability. He makes a distinction between technologies that have a quick payback and those that have a more long term payback. He says hardware like auto steer and auto swatch are ones that provide a quick payback. But in the longer term the data collection becomes more important. He encourages recording field yield data for example because that type of information helps make farm based decisions that can save money.

Lucas did get in a good plug for K-State and says that they offer opportunities for both students and adults who would like to learn more about using precision ag.

You can listen to my interview with Lucas here: Lucas Haag Interview

2011 Western Farm Show Photo Album

Another week, another farm show. This week I’m attending the Western Farm Show.

My first interview is with fellow exhibitor Oklahoma State University Institute of Technology. I spoke with Steve Doede, Division Chair and Carlos Augusto, Faculty, Precision Ag Technology.

Here at the show they’re enticing students to attend their programs in precision ag and technician training. They’re offering in-state college tuition rates even for out of state students! That’s a big savings. This is being done in conjunction with the Southwestern Association Technician Program. If you’d like to take part then give them a call or stop by their booth here at the show for a tuition waiver note!

Carlos gave me a broad overview of their precision ag program starting with the Kubota utility vehicle in their booth that has been equipped with a sprayer and Trimble and Norac equipment. He says they have developed a curriculum that prepares students of all ages to move into the field prepared to work with any precision equipment. They’ve developed close relationships with all manufacturers and host them in each year to help guide them in terms of class offering.

You can listen to my interview with Steve and Carlos here: OSU Institute of Technology Interview

When it comes to precision agriculture, it’s quite simple to get lost in the technical terms, the acronyms, and the sea of capabilities available. So today, Ag Leader Technology is helping to decipher, in layman’s terms, Real Time Kinematic, or RTK.

The quick answer is: It’s still GPS, it’s just more accurate. It’s a differential correction system capable of sub-inch repeatable and pass-to-pass accuracy. Traditionally, it has required a base station within several miles of your rover.

Now here’s the longer answer:

Maybe Differential GPS (DGPS) isn’t accurate enough for your farming operation. In the past, RTK has been prohibitive for some agricultural applications due to the cost or because the rover has to be fairly close to the base station in order to get a clear signal. But now, by having an Internet connection at your base station, or by using a base station network such as CORS (Continuously Operating Reference Stations), and a cell phone in your rover (with a monthly data plan), you can get a clear RTK signal within 6 miles from your base station (some locations aren’t limited by distance). RTK signals are transmitted via radio, high-speed wireless and Internet.

Here’s what you need:
• A dual frequency GPS receiver. Data is transmitted from the base station to your receiver once per second.
• Your own base station, or there is a network of base stations available for you to use (such as a CORS network)

Here’s what you get:
• Sub-inch accuracy (+/- 1 inch as compared to +/- 6 inches with DGPS)
• Increased profits (get an increased payback through increased area covered per hour, reduced time spent in the field, fuel savings, minimizing labor costs and time savings)
• Increased time-savings
• Reduced skip and overlap
• Reliability, speed and repeatable solutions, meaning you can drive the same row pass-to-pass, year-to-year.

Making the investment in RTK means equipment can be driven more efficiently for longer periods of times with less fatigue.

So what kind of applications can benefit from RTK? Strip tillage and other types of precision fertilizer placement, laying drop irrigation tape, or planting and harvest of high-value crops such as potatoes, peanuts and cotton. And of course, contact your Ag Leader dealer (http://www.agleader.com/dealer-search/) to see what is right for your needs.

Click here for additional information or for a CORS article in Ag Leader’s March 2010 Insights Newsletter.

Clemson University entomologists created a nice visual demo field that shows the value of Bt cotton compared to non-Bt.

The furry-looking insects start their development smaller than the head of a pin, but the caterpillars soon develop an appetite for cotton as big as the crop.

To demonstrate the insects’ destructive power, Clemson University entomologist Jeremy Greene planted two cotton varieties — one genetically modified to provide protection from caterpillars, one not — in a demonstration field at the Edisto Research and Education Center.

The non-protected cotton was planted in a pattern that spelled the word “Tigers.” Aerial photographs taken near harvest show that while the genetically modified crop survived intact, the unprotected plants provided three square meals a day for the crop-hungry herbivores.

The demonstration crop was planted in late May last year and grew through the summer.

“We wanted to show the kind of damage caterpillars can do when they’re allowed to eat unprotected cotton freely,” Greene said.

Cotton is a multimillion dollar crop in the Palmetto State involving hundreds of farms and thousands of jobs.

Nearly all cotton varieties planted in South Carolina contain genes found in the naturally occurring Bacillus thuringiensis, or Bt, that help the plant make its own insecticide.

Bt cotton is genetically modified with specific genes from Bacillus thuringiensis. Think of it as in-plant insecticide, Greene said. This technology has been commercially available since 1996, but improvements over the years have enhanced the control of major pests.

The plant makes the proteins just like the bacterium does. The particular strain of Bacillus thuringiensis available in cotton, which was planted for the demonstration, works only on immature lepidopterans, or caterpillars. Lepidoptera is the insect order for moths and butterflies. The toxic proteins have no ill effects on other organisms.

“During 2010, we had a very high population of bollworm that infested cotton acres at the Edisto research center,” Greene said. “We planted a non-Bt variety where you see the word ‘Tigers’ and a two-gene Bt cotton where you see the fluffy white cotton lint.”

The striking difference in appearance is due to bollworms eating all of the green cotton bolls in the non-Bt variety that did not have protection from the insects.

Greene applied no insecticides to control caterpillars in this field, so the difference between the Bt and non-Bt varieties is illustrated clearly.

A color-coded yield map, produced by precision agriculture specialist Will Henderson at the Edisto center, illustrates the crop after harvest using one of the center’s pickers that is equipped with a yield monitor. The map shows “good” yields in green and “bad” yields in red.

The damage potential of important lepidopteran species, such as bollworm, is not new, Greene said. Moths have flown into fields, laid eggs and hatched as injurious caterpillars for decades.

Transgenic Bt technology and its improvement over the years are relatively recent advances that represent effective, economical and environmentally friendly control of these insects in agriculture, he said.

“We know what they can do to non-Bt cotton versus Bt cotton — the photographs speak for themselves,” Greene said.

During the hundreds of interviews I’ve conducted with farmers over the years for stories on precision farming tools, I’d have to say that every one of them has touched on the value of their local dealer. Without their set up, training and troubleshooting expertise, adoption of this technology would not be where it is today.

To that end, I spoke yesterday with Andy Boyle who is training coordinator at Ag Leader Technology. They are currently holding dealer trainings at “Ag Leader Academy” at their great facility in Ames, Iowa. “Our U.S. and International dealers truly enjoy this meeting, as it keeps them up-to-date on all of our hardware, so they are truly prepared to help educate and serve their customers,” he says.

During these trainings, dealers partake in 100-, 200- and 300-level classes on displays (INTEGRA, EDGE), on applications like DirectCommand and SeedCommand, on the auto steering capabilities of ParaDyme and OnTrac2 and much more.

“Much of our training is hands-on so dealers get the feel for how everything works, and how to troubleshoot issues that can arise,” Boyle says. “Our showroom has a fully-operational sprayer, spinner-spreader and planter so we can actually calibrate and troubleshoot equipment. And we have four tractors equipped with mechanical and hydraulic steering systems so dealers get drive time training as well.”

CUSTOMERS BENEFIT. Thanks to this intensive hands-on training, these dealers take this knowledge and conduct around 40 training sessions to benefit their customers and prospects during February, March and April in Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Michigan, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Canada (see the link below for current list of sessions).

“The dealers focus their customer training on all the how-to information growers need, which is also a great refresher to prepare for the upcoming spring season. They walk through set-up of all equipment to prepare for spring field work, as well as review all operations while in the field,” he adds.

Cost to growers is $25 per session, which includes a meal. To register for a training session (see the link below) call 515-232-5363, ext. 6205.

Visit these links for more information:

Customer Training Sessions
http://www.agleader.com/customer-support/training-sessions/hardware-training/

Ag Leader dealer locator http://www.agleader.com/dealer-search/

FS Green Plan Solutions, part of the Growmark company, sponsored a great conference in Peoria today for about 300 farmers and consultants around Illinois and surrounding states all focused on the pursuit of maximum yields for corn and soybeans.

The event started off with a dynamic presentation by Purdue University economist Dr. Mike Boehlji, who discussed the good news of demand for exports and biofuels, as well as the challenges for meeting that demand.

One of Dr. Boehlji’s main points is that American agriculture is facing increasing competition from other countries, so farmers need to become increasingly efficient by thinking in terms of biological manufacturing. “We’re increasingly thinking about farming the way you think about a manufacturing process,” he said. “We’re using GPS technology to not only monitor what the yield is across the field, but we’re actually using it now to change the rate of application in fertilizer and chemicals. We’re using that technology to find out where the wet spots are. We’re using a lot of information technology, we’re using sensing technology more, we’re using a better nutritional technology.” Process control technologies, like irrigation control, as well as auto steer tractors, and of course improved hybrids all contribute to running agricultural operations more like manufacturing operations.

Hear more in my interview with Dr. Boehlji here: Mike Boehlji 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.

Growers who battle herbicide-resistant weeds can effectively use precision farming technology to make better decisions and save money, according to John Fulton, Auburn University extension biosystems engineer in a recent story by Southeast Farm Press.

Scouting remains an important factor to help insure that a grower is making the most informed decisions possible, says Fulton. “Whether it’s you the grower or a consultant, getting out in the field and collecting additional information is important in making better decisions,” he says.

Tools and technology are available that can help in cost savings, he adds. “Producers need to reduce input costs but also to maximize yields and profits at the end of the year. These are the types of inputs where precision ag technologies can have an impact. Growers are spending a lot of money producing a crop, and the amount increases each year,” he says.

Data collected from trials conducted over the years illustrate the savings that are possible from using precision agriculture technologies, says Fulton. A guidance system alone has been shown to save up to about 12 percent on average, he says.

“You can get a larger savings, and some people don’t do quite that well. Much of it is dependent on the operator and what you were using previously. But 12 percent is a big addition when you look at what you’ll invest to get into guidance,” says Fulton.

Read more here.

An new multi-use DCM-300 modem from Trimble provides access to its VRS RTK signal plus handle wireless data transfer between field and farm or retailer office.

The new modem can be used to access Trimble VRS Now Ag RTK correction service and to enable Connected Farm wireless field data transfer. The DCM-300 modem is also compatible with the new Farm Works Dispatch asset tracking software, an expansion of the Connected Farm solution. Dispatch software uses wireless communications and Global Positioning System (GPS) to manage vehicle movement and productivity.

The DCM-300 modem is available in two models for use on Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) cellular networks, such as AT&T, or Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) cellular networks, such as Verizon. The modem is available with a single data plan subscription, which will be provided by Trimble, offering farmers a cost-saving solution to consolidate data plans under one subscription.

The DCM-300 offers efficient access to both Connected Farm and VRS Now RTK sub-inch accurate correction service. Job orders, coverage maps and A-B lines may be transferred wirelessly to multiple vehicles in different locations for follow-up operations, or within the same field for accurate overlap protection. Farmers can save time without the need to hand-deliver electronic data cards or jump drives from the farm office.

“The DCM-300 is an expansion of Trimble’s goal to continue to develop solutions that simplify a variety of farming applications taking place, often simultaneously,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “The new modem enhances the data transfer and guidance capabilities of the Trimble FmX integrated display as well as the CFX-750 touch screen display, putting the Connected Farm within reach of anyone who has a reliable wireless data carrier signal.”

The Trimble DCM-300 modem is expected to be available in March 2011. Contact a local Trimble dealer at www.trimble.com/locator for more information.

Precision communications pays, too. Learn how to help promote your farm, your agriculture, using social media tools like Facebook and Twitter. These tools can truly help communicate the importance of what we’re doing, and it’s vitally important that we know how to use them, properly and regularly.

Throughout 2011, the National Corn Growers Association will hold a series of hourly webinars – online tutorials – to help our members and others learn how to use some of these tools, such as Facebook and Twitter. This series of monthly webinars is provided free, courtesy the generous support of Pioneer Hi-Bred, a DuPont Business.

These webinars will be held on the following dates:

January 20, 10:30 a.m. CST
February 17
March 17
April 28
May 19
June 16
July 21
August 18
September 15
October 20
November 17
December 15

Times and dates are subject to change. It is important to register to keep informed about changes.

The first three topics are:

January: Review the goals of the series, and why growers should take the time to participate. We will define the objectives and review the “return on investment” of engaging in social media and how it fits within the context of agriculture. We will also review how it is being used successfully by others in the industry to further support reasons to engage. Also, we will discuss how participants can track their personal social media success.

February: This will be a nuts and bolts webinar that offers a checklist of basic skills. We will review how to create profiles on various sites, how to start building a following and social media essentials to move to the next level.

March: Focus on Facebook and how to use it, when to use it, and pitfalls to avoid.

Click here to register for the January webinar.

Click here to sign up for NCGA’s e-mail list, to be notified before each upcoming webinar, so you can register, and to receive important updates throughout the year. Important: Under “Your Interests,” please make sure to select “Social Media Webinars 2011.”

Once these webinars are completed, they will be archived at the NCGA Online Learning Center.

NCGA in Social Media

http://www.facebook.com/corngrowers
www.twitter.com/nationalcorn
www.youtube.com/nationalcorngrowers
www.flickr.com/photos/ncgapictures
www.corncommentary.com

Pioneer Hi-Bred in Social Media

www.facebook.com/pioneerhibred
www.twitter.com/pioneerhibred
www.youtube.com/user/PioneerHB