Precision Pays

You’ve heard the saying “don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” If you’re a grower during planting season, that means it’s smart to plant several different varieties/hybrids so you can reduce your risk of poor performance by a single seed type. That’s called genetic diversity. But have you ever thought about how switching between one seed type and another might impact your planting operation “in the trenches”?

In many cases, when you switch to a different hybrid or variety, you’re also switching seed size. That may mean you need to adjust your seed meters so you don’t get skips and doubles.

SeedCommand’s Advanced Seed Monitoring feature helps you determine if you need to make adjustments to your meters. Its virtual seed trench lets you see the placement of each seed in a row so you can easily determine if a problem exists in the seed meter or seed tube. And, while monitoring population is great, if your planter monitor doesn’t allow you to see skips and doubles by row unit, you could have the right seed population – but the wrong seed spacing – which can also reduce yield.

Because today’s high-tech seed isn’t cheap, it’s just smart to increase your yield potential by ensuring seed spacing is consistent across your field, row-by-row even after you’ve switched to a different seed type.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Are you interested in getting the latest information about precision ag equipment? If so, here are a few stops you might want to schedule this winter in order to talk with Ag Leader experts:

• Iowa Power Farming Show – Des Moines, IA; Jan. 31-Feb. 2
• Cotton & Rice Conference –Tunica, MS; Jan. 31-Feb. 1
• Southern Farm Show – Raleigh, NC; Feb. 1-3
• Spokane Ag Expo – Spokane, WA; Feb. 7-9
• World Ag Expo – Tulare, CA; Feb. 14-16
• National Farm Machinery Show – Louisville, KY; Feb. 15-18
• Precision Ag 2.0 – Calgary AB; Feb. 22-23
• New York Farm Show – Syracuse, NY; Feb. 23-25
• Western Farm Show – Kansas City, KS; Feb. 24-26
• Hawkeye Farm Show – Cedar Falls, IA; Feb. 28-March 1
• Triumph of Ag Expo – Omaha, NE; Feb. 29-March 1

If you’re on the road next month and have time to visit one of these locations, be sure to find Ag Leader’s staff of experts who will be on hand to talk about the latest in precision technology equipment, enhancements, future products, and much more.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

See you at the show!

Last week, we heard from Todd Reed, farmer from Waverly, Neb., who works as a precision ag consultant for his family’s dryland corn and soybean farm. He spends his days writing variable rate planting prescriptions and fertilizer prescriptions using Ag Leader’s SMS Software.

Today’s high-tech seed isn’t cheap. If you’re not controlling where and how much of each type of seed you plant, you’re probably sacrificing yield potential and bottom line performance. Ag Leader’s Integra display features Advanced Seed Monitoring to help growers lower seed cost during planting season and improve yield potential at harvest time. Todd says they run 16-row planters and with seed shut-off, saw a big increase in seed savings. Listen to Reed explain

Todd says they’re trying to be more efficient in everything they do on the farm and nitrogen application is key. Part of his passion is analyzing the data in order to fine-tune each hybrid they plant based on yields and nitrogen application rates from the previous fall. Listen to Reed explain

Continue to check back to the blog prior to planting season for more great tips and information on Advanced Seed Monitoring through the Integra display.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Todd Reed grew up on his family’s turkey farm near Waverly, Neb. He started working part-time during the school year in 1998 and began full-time on the farm with his two second cousins and their fathers in 2005. He studied Mechanized Systems Management at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and went on to earn his Master’s Degree in the same field with an emphasis on precision agriculture and variable rate systems.

He currently does precision ag consulting for his family’s dryland corn and soybean rotation farm, writing variable rate planting prescriptions and fertilizer prescriptions to yield analysis, using Ag Leader’s SMS Software. Though he doesn’t own or rent any land of his own, he plays a vital role in the farm’s management decisions regarding data analysis and field-level research in terms of breaking down yield by hybrid by soil type, by field, by population, by nitrogen rate – to evaluate the decisions the farm makes.

He explains how they entered the world of precision ag. Listen to Reed explain

Todd says precision agriculture is vital to their operation and explains what kind of return they saw on their investment the first year. Listen to Reed explain

He says the technology allows them to reduce overlap, reduce driver fatigue, reduce injury to the crops and save on chemical application. Tune in again next week as we hear more from Todd about the benefits to precision agriculture products from Ag Leader.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

According to research by the Center for Food Integrity, in 1950, the U.S. population was 154 million, there were 5.6 million farms and one farmer produced enough to feed 30 people. In 2010, the U.S. population was 308 million, there were only 2 million farms and one farmer produced enough to feed 155 people.

Global population increases by 75.4 million annually. In 40 years, the world will need 100 percent more food than we produce today. So how do we feed all 9.3 billion people in the world by 2050? According to Hartwig de Haen/UN FAO, 80 percent of future production growth must come from increased yields or the responsible use of innovation and technology.

“…The world has the technology to feed, on a sustainable basis, 10 billion people. The pertinent question today is whether farmers and ranchers will be permitted to use this technology.”
— Norman Borlaug, 2000

In order to keep up with this growing world, advancements have been made to give farmers and ranchers the technology they need to be sustainable, make a living AND feed the world. Ag Leader Technology is helping farmers use precision farming equipment to boost crop yields, reduce waste and have better seed and production applications, all-the-while leaving a smaller environmental footprint.

Some are suggesting we turn back the clock … that we produce food using farming methods from the “good old days.” But is this the ethical choice? If the U.S. today relied on the farmers of 1950 to produce their food, 151 million people would go hungry. That is the combined populations of the nine largest states in the U.S. (California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Georgia).

By the time tomorrow rolls around, global population will have increased the size of another Philadelphia – 206,500 people. Are we really willing to NOT utilize the technology we have in order to feed the world?

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

This December, Ag Leader hosted a dealer event for their Blue Delta Dealers and mid-level dealers. The session aimed at prepping the dealer network for a successful 2012 season and armed them with the knowledge on how to grow and improve on their precision ag businesses.

Lori Costello, Ag Leader marketing communications manager, says this gives Ag Leader dealers an opportunity to network and learn from each other. Listen more about why this dealer network is so important to Ag Leader.

Costello says Ag Leader strives to do everything they can to help dealer businesses grow because dealers really are the face of the company. When growers have questions about precision ag, they go to their local dealer, not to the corporate office. Listen to more about how Ag Leader is helping dealers position themselves as experts in the business.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

It’s that time of year again; you are likely getting equipment stored away for the winter season. By taking a few moments to properly store your Ag Leader equipment, you can help ensure continued trouble-free performance of your displays and operating systems as well as GPS and steering equipment:

• It is true GPS equipment like receivers are designed to be weather resistant, but if your equipment will be stored for an extended period of time it is recommended you remove the hardware from your machinery and take it out of the elements.

• Ag Leader also recommends removing the display as well as the combine grain flow sensor from the combine. This will better protect your touch screen from damage and it will prevent mice from snacking on the potting material on the flow sensor.

Extreme temperatures take a toll on almost everything that surrounds us, and that includes the high-tech electronic equipment found in our tractors, sprayers, spreaders, trucks and combines. Extreme cold will cause parts to shrink and become brittle, as well as allow condensation to form on parts that are not sealed. It’s always a good idea if you’re not using your Ag Leader display to remove it from the vehicle, put it back in its packaging and store in a climate-controlled environment.

• If there is dust or dirt on the screen, first blow it off using non-direct air to remove the dust that could scratch the screen. Then you can use Windex or an electronic cleaner/wipe with a soft, non-abrasive cloth.

• Lastly, the load cell for the flow sensor is surrounded by a protective potting material that can be easily damaged by small rodents. To prevent this, pull the flow sensor off the top of the elevator and store it in the house, shop or a sealable container.
By taking these precautions now, you can help ensure that your equipment will perform properly the next time you use it, and you will also be protecting the investments you have made in your precision agriculture technology.

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.

Choosing how much nitrogen (N) to put on corn fields isn’t something farmers take lightly. Many factors go into the decision, including past experiences, the timing of application, yield goals, and results from soil tests.

That’s where crop sensor products such as OptRX from Ag Leader can help. When the OptRx sensors detect healthy plants, the system will call for less N to be applied. When the OptRx sensors see plants that need some help, the system will recommend more N. According to more than 50 on-farm demonstration projects conducted in Missouri from 2004 to 2008, crop sensors can select N rates for corn that outperform those chosen by farmers. Data from the study shows that sensor-selected rates increased yield by almost 2 bushels per acre, on average, while reducing by 25% the amount of excess N that was applied to fields but not removed in grain. (Read the full abstract study here.)

As concerns about N pollution continue to increase, products such as OptRX offer a way to more efficiently apply fertilizer without hurting yield or profits.

Ag Leader helps answer your questions about variable rate N application here.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Think about all the insurance options you have: home, auto, life. You’re protecting your investment, your family and your way of life. How many people have insurance? Millions. Now, how many people use precision ag equipment and are you one of them? The choice should be clear when it comes to purchasing precision ag to protect your seed investment just as you do with insurance for other things in life. Think of precision ag as an insurance policy for the future of your farm operation.

Here are three reasons why Ag Leader Technology feels it’s important to invest in precision ag equipment:

1. The first reason that precision ag is important is to protect your annual investment, whether you farm 500 acres or 5,000. We all know we can’t control Mother Nature and in years of extreme drought or flood or any other “natural” disaster, crop insurance companies are going to need data…data collected by precision ag equipment, such as the Ag Leader INTEGRA or VERSA display, to verify acres planted. Combined with the SMS™ software, providing the necessary information to satisfy government reporting needs is easy. Find out more here.

Without precision ag, you have to rely on your paper trail of seed receipts to show what you’d invested in that field. In this case, precision ag can save you time, headache and money.

2. The second reason is it protects your farm from over-spending on crop inputs. Application of fertilizer and pesticides shouldn’t be a guessing game. There are many precision ag products on the market – DirectCommand™ and OptRX™ crop sensors are two examples — that help you apply exactly the right amount in exactly the right place, saving you on input costs and helping you be a better steward of the land. After all, farmers are the world’s best environmentalists, right?

3. When considering precision ag equipment, it comes down to dollars and cents. And as farmers are faced with feeding the world, and an ever-increasing population, they must do more with less. That doesn’t mean you need to be bigger, that just means you need to be more efficient.

So contact your Ag Leader dealer for more information and start protecting your investment today!

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Many times when growers who are new to precision agriculture start to think of how to apply the technologies available on their farms, they struggle with choosing the correct level of precision for their intended use of technology. There are many service options available and depending on what you plan to do with it, this choice will make or break the success you will have with your new purchase.

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.

Are you interested in getting the latest information about precision ag equipment? If so, here are a few stops you might want to schedule this winter in order to talk with Ag Leader experts:

• Amarillo Farm & Ranch Show – Amarillo, Texas
The 27th Annual Amarillo Farm and Ranch Show will take place Nov. 29 – Dec. 1 at the Amarillo Civic Center in Amarillo, Texas. The event encompasses every aspect of farming and ranching, and is a one-stop show for attendees to interact with manufacturers, obtain necessary CEU credits and network with other producers in the region.

• Greater Peoria Farm Show – Peoria, Illinois
The 30th Annual Greater Peoria Farm Show will be open Nov. 29, 30, & Dec. 1, 2011 at the Peoria Civic Center.

• Farm Forum Event – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
The Farm Forum Event takes place Nov. 29 – Dec. 1. The goal is to send every participant home armed with new ideas and knowledge that will help them make wise decisions, achieve greater profitability, and reach their lifestyle goals too.

• Ag Retailers Association – Boca Raton, Florida
The Ag Retailers Association Annual Meeting takes place Nov. 29 – Dec. 1. The 2011 ARA Conference & Expo, Growing a Sustainable Business, examines the major pillars of sustainability— social, economic and environmental—from three unique perspectives including your customers, consumers and the Government.

• Nebraska Power Farming Show – Lincoln, Nebraska
The Nebraska Power Farming Show happens Dec. 6-8. The show is the largest indoor farm show west of the Missouri River and fourth largest in the country.

If you’re on the road this winter and have time to visit one of these locations, be sure to find Ag Leader’s staff of experts who will be on hand to talk about the latest in precision technology equipment, enhancements, future products, and much more.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

See you at the show!

Late November and December are particularly busy months for Ag Leader’s Technical Support department, as they are currently making preparations for Dealer Training 2012. Here’s a head’s up so you can plan ahead.

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.

Ag Leader Technology, Inc. recently introduced the new VERSA™ display which features a large full-color 8.4-inch touchscreen and multiple language options. The new VERSA is a precision farming tool for farmers and growers who want year-round operation control, as well as integrated guidance and steering. Monitoring and application control is also included in the VERSA package.

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.

Ag Leader Technology, Inc., is excited to introduce the latest innovation in precision farming – the new VERSA™ display. It features a large full-color 8.4-inch touchscreen and multiple language options. The new VERSA is a versatile precision farming tool for farmers and growers who want year-round operation control, as well as integrated guidance and steering. Monitoring and application control is also included in the VERSA package.

Click here to watch the tutorial video.

“The VERSA display was designed to be flexible enough to meet the unique needs of different operations,” says Matt Leinen, Product Manager. “The VERSA display’s ability to perform guidance and automated steering control makes it a smart investment for those looking for the versatility of a full-featured precision/guidance system. It’s also a great investment for experienced precision farming operators who need displays for additional vehicles or just want an easy-to-use input cost-saving solution.”

The key features of the VERSA display include compatibility with ISO 11783 (ISOBUS) Virtual Terminal Standard, built-in manual guidance, full-screen mapping, planter and application control, yield monitoring, real-time data logging and automated steering.

“As part of the full-screen mapping package, the VERSA display provides multiple map views allowing the operator to determine the level of detail needed to monitor applications. Implement-specific tabs can be minimized to view more mapping information, if desired,” Matt Leinen added.

The display also features four video camera inputs, providing operators a better view of equipment operation and safety. And like many other Ag Leader products, the VERSA display can be easily moved from vehicle to vehicle.

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Ag Leader Technology recently released Version 11.5 of the SMS Desktop Software, which offers many new features and benefits to help improve the operation and interface of the software. Whether it is data from planting, fertilizing, spraying, harvest or guidance, SMS houses and organizes the data for easy access. Ag Leader has also released Mobile SMS Version 5.5.

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.