AFS Connect
Representing the first commercial telematics launch for Case IH, AFS Connect provides wireless connectivity to the Pro 600 and Pro 700 display through cellular data. AFS Connect will provide up-to-date information regarding fleet management, a virtual display of cab monitors in the office, performance analysis, file management received from the field, and two-way messaging, among other key features.

AFS software
The all-new Case IH AFS software suite will greatly expand upon the current capabilities of AFS desktop software, while also interfacing seamlessly with previously collected AFS data. At launch, the Case IH AFS software offering will include five packages designed to work together seamlessly and meet a variety of needs.

AFS AccuControl rate controller
Using the new AFS AccuControl rate controller technology, Case IH AFS Pro 600 and AFS Pro 700 display users can vary sprayer, spreader, planter and seeder rates or turn implement sections, including non-Case IH implements, on and off.

AFS 372 receiver
The new Case IH AFS 372 receiver is a combined GPS and GLONASS integrated receiver/antenna. By combining the functionality of the U.S. GPS and Russian GLONASS (Global Orbiting Navigation Satellite System) systems, the AFS 372 receiver has the capability to include up to 44 satellites in a position solution, resulting in improved uptime during crucial field operations.

Click here for more information.

More than 2,700 exhibitors from 48 countries are at the huge international agricultural show, which is held every two years and organized by DLG – the German Agricultural Society.

The official total is 2,748 companies presenting a vast array of agricultural machinery and equipment – that’s up a whopping 17 percent compared with the last event in 2009. The largest number of exhibitors come from Italy with 322 companies, followed by the Netherlands with 112, France at 92, China at 82, Austria with 76, Turkey has 72, Denmark 59, and the USA with 54.

In addition to the record number of exhibitors, Dr. Reinhard Grandke, Chief Executive Officer of the DLG, says they also expect attendance to top 2009 with its roughly 350,000 visitors. “Agriculture is “in” throughout the world,” says Grandke. “World demand for agricultural commodities is increasing steadily. This development has led to new self-confidence throughout the agricultural sector.”

Agritechnica is also catering to the younger generation, with a separate information program addressing European young farmers and students featuring international panel discussions and job forums. Some 3500 are anticipated to attend the “Young Farmers Party” on Thursday evening.

Agritechnica 2011 runs through Saturday.

The Topcon system is fully integrated into the Pantera sprayer. The System 150 automatic steering and section control are compatible and have been tested with the Pantera to meet exacting AMAZONE standards.

The core of the Topcon System 150 is the AGI-3 GPS receiver. The dual-constellation GNSS receiver utilizes signals from both GPS and GLONASS satellite systems. Topcon GNSS receivers will also be able to receive other satellite constellations (including the European Galileo system) when they become operational.

The AGI-3 is not only a GNSS receiver, it contains inertial sensors and steering controller, plus includes integrated terrain and slope compensation for easy incorporation with existing steering components on the vehicle. With optional RTK-GPS, an accuracy of +/- 2 cm can be achieved.

Vermeer Introduces a New Generation of Rebel Balers — Twelve years ago, Vermeer introduced the first ever hitch ‘n go baler designed to meet the needs and pocketbooks of producers with low horsepower tractors looking to roll their own high-quality round bales. Today marks the launch of the new Rebel Baler generation, this time with two models – the Rebel 5420 and 5520 Balers – and several significant new features incorporated from larger Vermeer models, but still maintaining the user-friendly functionality and meeting the lower horsepower requirements of the popular original.

Vermeer Adds High-Capacity Wheel Rake to VR Series — A new, high-capacity wheel rake capable of raking 28′ (8.5 m) wide passes – yet nimble enough to maneuver like rakes much smaller in size – is now available from Vermeer Corporation. The heavy-duty VR1428 is designed to give operators more capacity and the ability to handle more acres in less time, with fewer maintenance issues. It combines smart, streamlined design and functionality with simple, tool-free adjustments, while incorporating outstanding operator conveniences.

Max Armstrong, Farm Progress Director of Broadcasting, emceed the event at the John Deere exhibit, which drew a huge crowd eager to find out what was hiding under the black tarps. First to be unveiled was the new S-Series combines, which we previewed on AgWired last week.

The S-Series includes five models: S550, S660, S670, S680 – and the one that was unveiled, the S690, which is an all-new Class 9 machine.

Next to come out for the fans was a sample of the new R-Series tractors, the 9560RT. The 9R/9RT Series is a complete lineup of 4WD and Tracked tractors designed to increase more productivity, power and efficiency. An overview of all the R-Series tractors can be found on AgWired.

John Deere also showcased Machine Sync and the newer, faster Gators. We have lots of photos in the John Deere FPS photo album and we will be bringing you video and audio interviews about the new products in the days to come, so stay tuned!

John Deere Farm Progress Show Unveiling Photos

The radio, which is easy to set up and use, teams up with the Machine Sync activation and GreenStar™ 3 2630 Display and StarFire Receiver to create the in-field network to share logistics information.
Machine Sync is a John Deere exclusive system that takes harvest automation to the next level and the first application that uses the Machine Communication Radio hardware.

At this media day preview we got a field demonstration of how Machine Sync work from John Deere’s Bob Dyer. This was a simulated corn harvest demonstration where the combine and tractor/grain cart were “in sync.” I asked Bob to describe how the system works and you can also see the demonstration in the video.

You can listen to my interview with Bob here: Interview with Bob Dyer

2011 John Deere Product Launch Photo Album

As a project more than two years in the making, Kinze performed extensive obstacle detection testing to ensure the accuracy and safety of the autonomous equipment. Beginning in a laboratory environment and then in the field, Kinze engineers simulated real-world scenarios to ensure the equipment would detect objects often encountered in the field, such as fence posts, stand pipes, farm animals and other vehicles.

Similar autonomous technology has been used since the 1990s in many other industries, including mining, construction and the military.

The Kinze Autonomy Project is designed to reduce the need for skilled operators by taking the human element out of the tractor cab. Kinze will market this technology to help growers increase their productivity by allowing them to focus their time and attention elsewhere while performing cursory monitoring of the Kinze autonomous equipment.

AgLeader’s Russ Morman (left) says being at the conference was good for two reasons. “Number one, it’s certainly helped to educate us as to where the peanut industry is going and number two, it’s helped to show the growers in the area that AgLeader is definitely a big power in the precision ag industry and we’re here to help them.”

Listen to my interview with Russ from the SPGC here: Russ Morman, AgLeader

Ag Technologies and Trimble were also at the SPGC, sponsoring the conference blog for the fourth year.

Robbie Tabb of Ag Technologies, pictured here on the far right, says they love coming to the conference and talking to peanut farmers about how they can help them be more efficient. “The southern peanut grower can stand to increase yield by 300-400 pounds per acre simply by having GPS,” he told me. “That’s why we’ve grown so much in the southeast is because of our peanut growers. They’ve really seen an increase in profitability just by having the guidance on the tractor.”

Listen to my interview with Robbie here: Robbie Tabb, Ag Technologies

Both Scott and Robbie say the use of GPS for farming in the southeast has improved dramatically over the last several years, thanks to additional satellite availability and improved technology.

Today’s growers have access to an overwhelming amount of valuable data generated from precision agriculture technologies. However, turning that data into knowledge that can increase productivity and profitability is often a challenge. CrescoAg understands this challenge and provides tools that will make data from precision agriculture more practical, powerful and profitable than ever before.

The company’s products and services utilize data from tools such as field mapping, soil sampling, record keeping, automated crop monitoring and “whole farm” research plots. The data generated by these tools are mapped, stored and easily accessible. CrescoAg will accept data from all major hardware or equipment brands, translate it, store it and make it compatible with other systems. The aggregated data will allow for community analysis and benchmarking at the field and farm enterprise level.

CrescoAg products will primarily be available through retailers and crop consultants throughout the MidSouth and Southeastern U.S. for the 2012 growing season.

Furthermore a High Flow Kit will be released shortly, which covers vehicles that require a higher hydraulic flow (such as 4WD articulated vehicles).

Some of the above-mentioned are available now; the complete line-up will be available by June 29th.

Field demonstrations show these steering systems work together to reduce overlap and allow windrower operation at faster speeds, helping operators cut as much as 7 to 10 percent more hay each day than with manual steering. In fact, at the 2-centimeter accuracy level, which results in virtually no overlap, operators were able to harvest as much as 155 acres in a 10-hour day when using a 16-foot sickle-bar head, resulting in fewer passes across the field, reduced fuel use, and less operator stress and fatigue.

Free System 150 and AES-25 steering system with purchase of new SP windrower
Five popular windrower series may be equipped with the AES-25 and System 150 including Hesston Series 9000 and 9005 self-propelled windrowers from Massey Ferguson and the Challenger SP110, SP115 and SP185 Series machines. Producers considering purchasing new Tier 3-compliant machines from dealer stock and the auto-steering package will want to take advantage of purchase incentives. The offer includes a free System 150, AES-25 electric steering wheel kit and a self-propelled windrower field installation kit with the purchase of a new Challenger self-propelled windrower or Hesston by Massey Ferguson self-propelled windrower between April 1 and June 30, 2011.

During the 2011 Commodity Classic, I had a chance to chat with our friends Malene Conlong and Annette Reichhold with DLG (Deutsche Landwirtschafts-Gesellschaft – German Agricultural Society) who organize the bi-annual Agritechnica. “It is in fact the biggest show,” Malene said. “It’s got 355,000 visitors from all over the world and many of them are from America. In fact, 3-4,000 people come from North America to visit the show and 2,300 exhibitors.”

“It’s not only the largest in the world but it’s the most modern in the world and it’s very well organized,” Annette added, explaining that they have 18 halls under the show roof, structured by topic and interest for farmers who attend.

They also choose a special topic to highlight during each Agritechnica and this year it is “smart farming,” according to Malene. “You guys in America actually started this off with your precision farming and this is something that we’ll be exploring in depth,” she said. “We’ll have interactive displays on things like navigation, GPS, sensor technology and we’ll be focusing specifically on protecting the environment and cost reduction for farmers, how to produce more efficiently.”

Agritechnica has partnered with the AgConnect Expo here in the United States to build up a similar show on this side of the Atlantic on the off years – even though they will technically be held in the same calendar year. Agritechnica 2011 will be held November 15-19.

Listen to or download my interview with Malene and Annette here: 2011 Agritechnica Preview

Thanks to John Deere for sponsorship of our coverage of the 2011 Commodity Classic
2011 Commodity Classic Photo Album

As a small token of our appreciation of our American Service Men and Women who defend our freedom to be the best we can be every day of our lives, we have decided to donate a portion of profits from the OverView camera system to a program called AnySoldier. Please check out their website to see what it’s all about: www.anysoldier.com.

To see how tough these cameras are watch the video:

Bruce Crapo, a grower of 6,000 acres of commercial potatoes and 2,000 acres of seed potatoes in Idaho, is a good example of how the average potato farmer looks at precision agriculture – he uses technology to reduce costs, increase output and improve profits.

Crapo isn’t thrilled at the cost of high-tech equipment such as GPS-guided tractors, but he knows it’s saving him money and there’s no way he can turn back now.

“There is a substantial initial cost involved,” Crapo said. “But I also know it is saving me money. What do you do? Go back to what you were doing before? That’s not an option.”

Crapo, who uses Global Positioning System (GPS) technology on all his planters and harvesters, said the latest precision ag technology has taken farming to a different level.

“It’s light years ahead of what it was when we were doing it by hand,” he said. “We’re not going to go back to not using it, but we are wincing a little at the cost.”

Precision agriculture can loosely be defined as using new technologies such as GPS, sensors, variable rate application equipment and aerial or satellite images to make farming easier and more profitable.

Simply put, precision agriculture can help farmers improve their margins by decreasing their operating costs.

Idaho farmer Robert Blair, owner of PineCreek Precision, says the biggest benefit of precision farming is that it gives producers the ability to manage their farm on a production zone basis rather than a whole field basis. This shift, he said, allows farmers to save time and money and helps them offset the rising cost of chemicals, nutrients, fuel and fertilizer.

Blair uses a wide array of precision agriculture techniques on his 1,500-acre farm and said the technology is saving him tens of thousands of dollars every year.

Read on to learn more…

Steve Tupa of AGCO talks about an advanced version of AGCO’s recently introduced telemetry product called AgCommand. This product provides 25 different messages from fuel use to engine load which can be sent to home computer for observation. It was introduced at Ag Connect Expo, held recently in Atlanta, GA.

Telemetry systems like AgCommand allow navigation, prescription application, location and other data to be transferred easily to and from farm machinery. These systems will grow in importance as farmers seek ways to improve efficiencies on high-priced equipment.

The additional functionality provided by a Dispatch service plan offers farm managers a visual tool for organizing fleet movement to save fuel costs and increase equipment efficiency. Through email alerts and on-screen maps, a farm manager can easily track the location of their equipment including sprayers, spreaders, tender trucks and harvesters.

By integrating Trimble GPS and information management solutions, managers can also be notified if vehicles are stolen or moved into unauthorized non-farm areas. The system is compatible with Connected Farm Sync wireless data management software and Trimble VRS Now Ag cellular Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) GPS correction services.

The Dispatch software works with Trimble’s Sync wireless data management and goes beyond simple vehicle tracking by also allowing the transfer of A-B lines, yield and application maps, work orders and other maps between vehicles and back to the farm office. This creates efficiency during busy production times such as tillage, fertilizing, planting, spraying and harvest.

“Dispatch software was designed to give farm managers an all-in-one solution for tracking the movement and productivity of their machinery fleet,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “With more information at their fingertips, it will be easier for managers to see where additional efficiency can be gained. These capabilities can mean more efficient production, less wear and tear on equipment, or more efficient use of inputs such as fuel, fertilizer and chemicals.”

The Trimble Farm Works Dispatch asset tracking software is expected to be available in March 2011. Contact a local Trimble dealer at www.trimble.com/locator for more information.

This agreement creates an alignment of Valley Irrigation dealers with the latest in agronomic technology to provide growers true precision irrigation with center pivots. Valley Irrigation with VRI Zone Control, and CropMetrics with automated agronomic VRI prescription services, are also proud to announce their AE50 awards for 2011 as a top 50 innovative new product produced in 2010.

“Precision Irrigation starts with building a precise water management plan,” said Craig Malsam, Valmont Irrigation Vice President of Engineering. “Applying the optimum level of water and nutrients through a center pivot is more important than ever. We’re excited to be the first in our industry to supply a whole new dimension of precision irrigation through our agreement with CropMetrics and their optimization service available through our Valley dealers.”

“As our single most valuable natural resource, applying excess water is an unnecessary cost. Apply too little water, and yield potential is now lost as well. Our solution is to optimally apply water specific to soil type,” said Nick Emanuel, CropMetrics President. “We’re excited to work with Valley dealers and offer Valley customers the ability to take Precision Agriculture to the next level with our unique precision agronomic solutions and data services.”

CropMetrics specializes in full-service data collection, processing, and advanced yield analysis. The company supplies all proprietary web-based software and large-scale data processing so agronomists, crop consultants, ag retailers and Precision Ag specialists can focus on providing fast, reliable and profitable Precision Ag programs for variable rate irrigation, nitrogen and seeding.

Valley Irrigation VRI Zone Control provides individual sprinkler or span control and is fully compatible with all new and existing center pivots equipped with the Valley Irrigation Pro2 control panel. The Pro2 panel uses power line communication to remotely manage as many as 30 VRI Zone Control units. This allows each individual control unit to be easily positioned at any point along the pivot span. Because the new VRI Zone Control utilizes the on-board computing power of the Valley Irrigation Pro2 panel in combination with power line communication, the added VRI equipment cost is very reasonable.

“We believe that combining Valley Irrigation control technology with CropMetrics precision services is the future of mechanized irrigation,” said Malsam. “Producers with pivot irrigation have always been able to control how much water is applied to a field. But this technology allows producers to control how much water, fertilizer and other crop management products are variably applied based on precise agronomic data.”

The AE50 awards will be announced during a presentation at the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference (AETC) in Atlanta, Ga. on January 6 as part of the AG CONNECT Expo. Representatives from CropMetrics and Valley Irrigation will be available to demonstrate the new VRI technology in the Valley Irrigation booth at AG CONNECT.

“We’ve said for a few years now that ‘accuracy is addictive.’ Well farmers are proving that as this has been a year driven by higher precision—a move to more RTK accuracy.”

The big deal. Darr cited the widespread nature of expanding RTK networks, both public and privately owned. “These networks are pushing us towards RTK becoming a standard commodity, which will help drive down the costs and give more growers the potential to achieve high-end accuracy. And that is a big deal.”

The CORS network has had a strong run over the past three years. Indiana is now online as the most recent, along with CORS networks in Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and Missouri. “I see this growth slowing down, but we’ll continue to see greater stabilization and improvement in the signals,” Darr says.

In the private sector, we’re seeing greater expansion from Trimble’s VRS network and from John Deere’s StarFire 450 MHz radio system, as well as other smaller companies building systems across the Midwest.

Crop sensing. Another big push is on to figure out how to use active crop sensing to provide financial benefit. “With the addition of Ag Leader’s OptRx system, along with the Greenseeker from Trimble and CropSpec from Topcon, growers have the potential to unlock another area of profitability. It’s not as simple as auto guidance, and it may not work for everyone,” Darr says.

This technology offers a natural fit in wheat, since growers are used to topdressing in the spring. “Anytime you can automate N applications, you’re looking at both economic and environmental benefits. A reduction in the over-application of N is a big deal,” Darr says.

“The challenge for Midwest corn growers is that not every producer uses sidedressed N when corn is 12 to 18 inches tall, which is where this technology needs to be used. So you’re asking growers to change production practices as well as adopt new technology, so these challenges will slow adoption. But it offers huge potential,” he adds.

The future. “If you look back 4 or 5 years, and think about the automation technology that has come out—from auto swath to auto steer—all the easy things, relatively speaking, have been automated. Future automation gets tougher. We now need to circle back to data and press that information into greater knowledge. That’s what we’re after. We must gain knowledge from all this data to improve our operations,” he says.

GPS World offers a look at their top five events in GPS/GNSS for 2010, so check it out, too. http://www.gpsworld.com/survey/top-5-events-gpsgnss-2010-a-year-end-review-10854

Visit these links for more information.

CORS Network
http://www.ngs.noaa.gov/CORS/GoogleMap/CORS.shtml

Learn How CORS Network Can Fit Precision Farming
http://precisionpays.com/2010/01/learn-how-cors-network-can-fit-precision-farming/

Lessons in Differential Correction
http://www.agleader.com/2010/07/02/lessons-in-precision-ag-differential-correction-part-2/

RTK Network Options
http://farmindustrynews.com/precision-guidance/rtk-network-options

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

Automatic section control (ASC) has been one of the most adopted precision ag technologies in recent years. This technology has the ability to save producers on input costs by minimizing application overlap at headlands, point rows, or other odd-shaped areas of fields. Our research suggests a 2% to nearly 30% savings in fields when using ASC and guidance technology. Further, ASC can improve on-farm environmental stewardship by eliminating application in environmentally sensitive areas (e.g. grassed waterways, buffer strips, etc) or outside field boundaries. Frequent comments by those who have adopted ASC is that they want to implement on all their application technology (sprayer, planter, side-dress unit, etc.) and it reduces fatigue over long work days by automating the on and off of sections.

To help producers and others interested in ASC, the Alabama Precision Ag Team has put together 3 publications providing a general overview of ASC, needed components, and company information for planters, sprayers and spinner spreaders. Many times the expense to purchase ASC for a machine is relatively small compared to the savings it provides on crop inputs. We hope this information can help those looking to purchase ASC during this off season. Please let us know if you have any questions or we can assist in anyway.

The following provides direct links to each of these publications.

ASC for Sprayers
ASC for Planters
ASC for Spreaders

For more information, please visit www.alabamaprecisionagonline.com.

As in the past 13 years, the conference is Co-Sponsored the following seven mid-south universities: University of Arkansas, Mississippi State University, University of Missouri, University of Tennessee, LSU Ag Center, Auburn University, and Texas A&M. USDA-NRCS of Washington DC and USDA-ARS centers in the Southern states are co-sponsors as well.

The conference has numerous Corporate Co-Sponsors and will feature a large trade show. Ag-Media Co-Sponsors are Farm Press Publications, Delta and Southwest Farm Press.

This conference, a perennial success, first opened in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1997 and alternated locations in succeeding years between Texas, Mississippi and Louisiana. This year’s conference in Tunica, Mississippi drew a record attendance of farmers who accounted for over 1.5 million acres of agriculture production last year.

“Baton Rouge is an ideal setting for the conference, providing a relaxing environment where farmers can visit with other farmers and researchers,” said John LaRose, Chairman of the Conference Steering Committee.

“This conference is recognized as the leading Southern Agriculture Production Conference mainly because over 40 farmers along with over 40 researchers and numerous crop consultants make presentations during the 90 plus breakout sessions,” stated LaRose. “During a given hour, there are over 20 unique breakout sessions to choose from.”

“This is the only annual conference in the United States where attendees can participate in approximately 40 agriculture production breakout sessions being presented by actual farmers.”

As in the past, two other conferences will be sponsored by the Cotton and Rice Conference and held at the same time and location. The Mid-South Corn and Soybean Conference and the Mid-South Precision Ag Conference are held in conjunction with the Cotton & Rice Conference.

The Cotton and Rice Conference is a must-attend event for all farmers wishing to hone their production methods. The conference offers farmers ways to trim inputs while boosting yields. In recent years both farmers and landlords have found that beyond tillage, there are many other farming resources that can be conserved through a properly designed conservation systems program. The importance of conserving soil moisture, as well as reducing fuel, labor, seed, chemical, fertilizer and other input costs is the key to economic success for all farmers and landowners.

“The main emphasis of the conference is reducing production costs and increasing yields in cotton rice, soybeans and corn through precision agriculture in its many forms,” said LaRose.

Farmers from Mississippi, Texas, Alabama, Louisiana and Tennessee will be able to receive their state pesticide re-certification credits. Certified crop consultants can select from over 40 hours of qualifying sessions to earn CEU’s during the conference.

One such example of precision efforts and communications can be found in Iowa at HTS Precision Ag Solutions, with locations in Harlan and Ames. One look at their website proves this emphasis. From product investment strategies and installation to maintenance, repair and troubleshooting, they do it all. And you can get software training to learn how to use the tools to manage your data, or let their experts do it all for you.

HTS also believes in precision communications to customers and prospects, from monthly electronic newsletters and weekly radio shows to use of social media through Facebook and Twitter. And they have started a classified advertising section for anyone to post precision ag equipment for sale.

Check them out here.

Gary J. Hoff, agricultural economist, University of Illinois, says that legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President on September 27, 2010 will reduce the tax bite for many farmers this year. Here’s a look at one of the provisions of the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010 (SBJA) that may have a major impact on small businesses including farmers, which affects the amount of self-employment tax liability for 2010.

Section 179 Expensing Election. Congress has once again increased the IRC §179 expensing election. Instead of a maximum deduction of $250,000, Congress has increased the deduction to a maximum of $500,000 for tax years beginning in 2010 and 2011 only. The deduction is reduced if qualifying purchases exceed $2 million.

Farm equipment and all of the other assets that qualified for the deduction in the past continue to qualify. SBJA also added three new categories for 2010 and 2011.Two of the new categories do not apply to a farm return; however, one may be applicable.

The expensing election now applies to qualified leasehold improvement property. This is any improvement to an interior portion of a building that is nonresidential real property. Either the lessee or the lessor can make the improvement to the portion of the property included in the lease. The portion must be occupied exclusively by the lessee. The improvement will only qualify if the property has been in service more than three years. Certain improvements do not qualify, such as an enlargement of the building, a structural component benefitting a common area, and an expense attributable to the internal structural framework of the building. In addition, the lease cannot be with a related party.
While the §179 maximum deduction is $500,000, the maximum deduction for the qualified leasehold improvements is limited to $250,000.

50% Bonus Depreciation. The 50% bonus depreciation deduction for qualifying property was set to expire at the end of 2009. However, SBJA extended the deduction for 2010. The qualifying property must be placed into service before January 1, 2011. No change was made to the property qualifying for the 50% bonus.

Visit these links for more information.

University of Illinois ‘the farm gate’ blog: “Income Tax Changes for Farmers: Are You Ready”
http://www.farmgate.illinois.edu/archive/2010/09/income_tax_chan.html

DTN Story: Rev Up Year-End Tax Deductions
http://www.dtnprogressivefarmer.com/dtnag/common/link.do;jsessionid=04AF146BC6F937E0E7A7F190288D8B18.agfreejvm2?symbolicName=/free/news/template1&paneContentId=2003&paneParentId=70104&product=/ag/free/home/quickview&vendorReference=0702DA77

Farm Industry News: 100% equipment tax deduction deadline nears.
http://farmindustrynews.com/farm-recordkeeping/100-equipment-tax-deduction-deadline-nears

Check out DTN online seminars here:
http://about.dtnpf.com/ag/news%5Fevents/

Iowa State University Center for Ag Law and Taxation – Latest Newsletter here:
http://www.calt.iastate.edu/

IRS Publication 225 (2010) – Farmer’s Tax Guide
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p225/index.html

IRS Section 179 Expense Deduction – Farmer’s Tax Guide
http://www.irs.gov/publications/p225/ch07.html#en_US_2010_publink1000218173

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

But, leave it to the Japanese to come up with a robot that might be able to do the job. Last week, the Japanese Agriculture and Food Research Organization debuted a strawberry picking robot that can move along a track in the strawberry, scan the strawberries for ripeness and carefully pluck them off the plants. The robot can reportedly pick a berry every nine seconds, almost twice as fast as human labor. The robot only picks those berries that are at last 80% red colored and can be customized for picking other types of fruits or even vegetables.

Still in the research phase and not ready for the commercial market yet, but you can see a demo here from YouTube.

So when it comes to what’s new with John Deere Dan Hawkins (pictured on right) was ready, willing and able talk. Dan works in the Ag Management Solutions group. He says that John Deere brought three main products to market this year that include JD Link, GreenStar 3 display and StarFire 3000 receiver.

The new JD Link is a wireless communication and information solution for John Deere tractors and self-propelled forage harvesters. It helps you keep tabs on each machine in your operation and makes remote, automated equipment management a reality.

You can listen to my interview with Dan to hear more about their new precision products here: John Deere Interview

Read other agricultural pieces featured in WIRED magazine.

Veris Technologies, a pioneer in this EC technology, offers a look into why researchers and growers are using this technology in more than 40 states and 25 foreign countries.

Also, take a look at several new products they have introduced. The compact Quad EC1000 that can be pulled by an ATV. And the new ATV-mounted PH Detector that can map several hundred acres per day.

McGrath, owner of McGrath Family Farms commented, “On our ranch there are several different soil types. One cropping program does not fit all. With ClimateMinder you get very accurate information about the soil moisture content on any block. I’m irrigating less overall. It’s saving me water, time, and money.”

ClimateMinder’s CEO Bulut Ersavas explained, “By monitoring and controlling to measured conditions, ClimateMinder can alert growers in real-time to conditions that threaten their crops, such as extremes in temperature or moisture, and the need to take corrective action.”

ClimateMinder’s monitoring, management and control platform is provided as an internet-based software-as-a-service (SaaS). The system gathers data using an intelligent, fail-safe mesh network of wireless sensors and controllers that can be installed quickly and cost-effectively throughout an entire field, with a recommended density of one station per 20-40 acres.

Ersavas also added, “Our system ensures that growers have the information to optimize the management of their water, nutrient and chemical supplies, lowering costs and increasing yield and profits. And by maintaining this information in ClimateMinder’s professional database, growers are able to better plan, budget, and organize their crops from season to season.

“We work with our growers from installation to training and on-site support to make sure they utilize the system to the fullest extent. We are also constantly innovating and improving the features of the system with the feedback from our clients.”

While it’s a big relief that the crop is in, make sure your prep work of winding down harvest equipment before winter is completed. Regarding precision farming equipment, I spoke recently with Nathan Tebbe, technical support supervisor with Ag Leader Technology, who provided some tips and reminders.

• Create a data backup before removing your display from the combine/tractor for winter. Put it on a card and then transfer it to your computer hard drive. Make sure the individual log files are on the hard drive. And it’s always wise to pull the data into your SMS software now to work the data while it is still fresh in your mind. “It’s a lot easier to transfer and analyze data now before you forget, compared to doing it in January or February,” Tebbe says.
• Bring your display unit inside for winter to store them. Although these can stay in your equipment, they are too valuable to leave outside.
• Tackle all those little fixes on your equipment that you didn’t have time for in the heat of harvest while you still remember them.
• Clean all equipment to prevent mice damage. Sweep or blow out all the dirt and debris in the nooks and crannies of your combine. “You’d be amazed how often we troubleshoot grower problems, and the culprit turns out to be chewed wires that happen during the winter.”
• Also in combines, remove the mass-flow sensor in the clean-grain elevator because mice like to attack it. And it’s wise to be sure and clean the elevator mount unit, as any type of moist grain or crop residue can easily coat the sensors.
• When removing any equipment, put a cover, rag or plastic bag over the cable ends to keep them clean and dry.
• For GPS equipment, Tebbe advises to remove and store it. That way nothing will happen to it.
• And don’t forget to clean out all hoses, especially on anhydrous bars that applied N-Serve. Winterize all pumps and sprayer boom valves. Blow out all the lines, oil the planter chains, and just give all equipment the once over before stowing it in the far reaches of the shed.

Winter training. Tebbe reminds all Ag Leader customers of upcoming winter training coming to a dealer near you. “Check with your local dealer for days and times, as well as check our Customer Support page on our website (link below) as we’ll be posting dates soon.”

Visit these links for more information.

Tech Support Tips for Organizing Your Data Collection http://www.agleader.com/2010/11/19/tech-support-tips-for-organizing-your-data-collection/

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

Ag Leader Customer Support page
http://support.agleader.com/

SOFTWARE:
SMS Advanced http://www.agleader.com/products/sms-advanced/
SMS Basic http://www.agleader.com/products/sms-basic/

There are great opportunities for this technology in cotton production for varying the application of plant growth regulators, harvest aids, and nitrogen. However, the users must understand the limitations of their equipment and the sensors being used in order to maximize the benefits.

Users should understand the agronomy behind prescriptions and be comfortable with the recommendations. Familiarity with these prescriptions can allow users to fine tune them for their environment or to develop their own prescription algorithms. They should also understand their equipment and know how to tune their controller for optimum response. As with all new technologies, users should seek advice from experts and those who are already implementing sensor–based variable rate application.

Learn more here.

And check out the Oklahoma State University Precision Ag Technology webpages.

Mooney attributes much of the show’s success to their industry supporters. “The show was 30 years in the making so there was a lot of interest and a lot of participation from throughout the industry. So it was a very successful event,” said Mooney.

It’s also the support of the industry that is helping them create an even more educational event for next year. Mooney said this year there are more exhibitors and 35 brand new sessions targeted for growers who want to learn more about precision farming to those who own dairy or beef operations. Several of the educational sessions will cover smartphone technology, wireless technology and irrigation. All the sessions are designed to help growers better manage their farm operations all while increasing profits.

This year, AG CONNECT Expo 2011 will be hosted along side the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meeting. The group will be exhibiting along side AG CONNECT in the pavilion and attendees of both events will have access to all the exhibits. In addition, the event is certified as an international buyer program show by the U.S. Department of Commerce and Mooney said this is advantageous because the event is promoted at their posts throughout the world. Last year, 20 percent of the attendees were from other countries and Mooney expects this number to be much higher at next year’s show.

To learn more about the event, see a list of the dozens of educational programs and to view information about the more than 100 exhibitors, visit www.agconnect.com. You can also register online and those who sign up by December 10, 2010 will receive registration discounts.

You can also learn more about AG CONNECT Expo 2011 in Sara Mooney’s interview. Don't Miss AG CONNECT Expo 2011