Precision Pays

Valley Irrigation, the Leader in Precision Irrigation, has expanded their Valley GPS product line. Valley GPS Guidance for corners and linear irrigation equipment is now compatible with both John Deere® Starfire™ and Trimble® GPS products.

The compatibility with Trimble GPS base stations will make conversions from buried wire to Valley GPS Guidance easier, as it doesn’t require the same labor and maintenance as buried wire. Another advantage of GPS Guidance is that growers can install a corner machine on rented ground without the commitment of a buried wire.

The Valley GPS Guidance options also provide growers opportunities to put more acreage into irrigated production.

For more information about GPS offerings with Valley Irrigation, producers can contact their local Valley dealers.

Valley Irrigation, the leader in precision irrigation, introduced Pivot Cruise Control software, which allows producers to be even more precise with chemigation and fertigation. Cruise Control is the latest Valley Irrigation product that demonstrates the company’s dedication to meeting customers’ needs through innovation.

With the patent pending Cruise Control, available exclusively from Valley Irrigation, producers can program a center pivot irrigation machine equipped with a Pro2 control panel to automatically adjust its speed, based on completing a defined number of degrees in a specific amount of time. This feature will help producers more precisely manage chemigation and fertigation through their center pivot irrigation equipment.

Cruise Control will be standard on all Pro2 panels this spring. Existing Pro2 control panels can be upgraded with Cruise Control software. Interested producers should contact their Valley Irrigation dealer for more information or visit www.ValleyIrrigation.com.

Precision agriculture is playing a much larger role in helping potato growers become more sustainable, according to a recent story in Spudman.

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…

At the recent Holdrege Water Conference in Nebraska, several speakers talked about how precision technology is not only conserving water but saving growers money as well, according to this Nebraska TV report.

It really is a big money-saver,” said UNL Extension Educator Chuck Burr. “Several years ago, we had some irrigators figure out how much it costs them to make a circle, or put an inch of water on 130 acres. That can range from $600 to $1200 every time they apply an inch of water to that field. So if they can reduce a couple applications, you’re talking a couple thousand dollars for every pivot.”

The cost of pumping goes down, and so do labor and gas costs.

“With the new technology, [farmers] can sit at their computers and make sure the pivot is still
working,” Burr said. “If there is a problem, then they can drive specifically to that pivot.”

The experts say, irrigation technology helps more crops grow better. “Let’s say I have a field that has two different types of soil,” said Burr, “those soil types may require more different amount of water applied during the irrigation season.”

“We’re able to vary the speed that they run,” added Thorburn, “so that we can adjust them for different soil types. Sandy soils need more water than heavier soils.”

More efficient use of land and water means a brighter tomorrow. “Apply water just when it’s needed,” Thorburn said, “the better we are able to conserve that resource for the future.”

Click on the camera icon at this link to view the video.

Don’t miss the upcoming February 9-10 NeATA conference in Grand Island, Neb., as it promises a technology extravaganza, along with other valuable topics such as precision Nitrogen management, social media, building consumer trust and much more.

The Nebraska Agricultural Technologies Association (NeATA), founded in 2001 by innovative Nebraska farmers, ranchers, agribusiness representatives and the University of Nebraska Extension, has compiled another great conference.

Need a technology makeover? How about using Nitrogen more wisely? Do you want to learn how to tell your story and share your values with consumers? How about learning a better way to select crop genetics? Check out the upcoming program, and book your trip now.

For Facebook users, find NeATA here and add them as a favorite.

If you irrigate and have not considered wireless sensors, the time is now to save money and improve yields.

The University of Missouri will sponsor three free breakfast workshops on wireless soil-moisture monitoring for timing irrigation. The workshops will feature representatives from six leading manufacturers of wireless sensors.

The workshops will take place Jan. 18 in Kennett, Jan. 19 in Sikeston and Jan. 20 in Columbia.

“The price of wireless technology has decreased so much in recent years that the annual cost for complete wireless systems can be as low as three to six dollars per acre,” said Joe Henggeler of MU’s Commercial Agriculture Program and workshop coordinator. “It won’t take too much extra cotton, corn or soybeans to pay for that investment.”

MU specialists and others will provide information on types of sensors, how far they can transmit signals and their usefulness to farmers. Company representatives will briefly explain their products.
Use of wireless sensors by 500 farmers in Nebraska has shown an average pump savings of $25 per acre for corn and $19 per acre for soybeans. Missouri survey results show that irrigators who use sensors have yields that are much higher than irrigators who do not use the wireless technology, Henggeler said.

Computer workstations linked to Google Earth will be available for use by farmers and company representatives. Farmers will be able to zoom to aerial views of their farms to see where to place sensors, measure the distances involved and observe if there are obstructions that may block signals.

The companies to be represented at the workshops are Campbell Scientific, Decagon Devices, Irrometer Company, John Deere Water, Onset Computer Corporation and Smartfield. Smartfield manufactures an infrared canopy temperature sensor that can determine when a crop needs to be watered.

Data is gathered 24/7 on the crop’s moisture conditions and is displayed on the computer as graphs. Almost all of the products can be set up to text-message an irrigator when a crop needs water.
Henggeler said he is pleased with the companies that will be represented at the workshops and with the personnel they will be sending. “Companies are not just sending regular sales staff but their vice presidents, product managers and other higher-echelon staff. They are eager to meet Midwestern irrigators because they feel they have products that will help them and they want to start partnerships here.”

Workshops are free of charge, but attendees are asked to preregister at http://agebb.missouri.edu/irrigate/bhconf/2011/prereg.htm.
Workshops begin 7 a.m. with a hot breakfast and conclude at 10 a.m. Dealers will be available later in the day to make site visits. Special workshop discounts will be awarded to attendees.

Dates and locations of the workshops:
-Tuesday, Jan. 18: American Legion Building, Kennett, Mo.
-Wednesday, Jan. 19: Clinton Building, Sikeston, Mo.
-Thursday, Jan. 20: MU Bradford Farm, Columbia, Mo.

For more information, see http://agebb.missouri.edu/irrigate/bhconf/2011/agenda.htm, or contact Joe Henggeler at 573- 225-7986 or henggelerj@missouri.edu.

The precision irrigation from Valley has now teamed up with the variable-rate precision data services of CropMetrics.

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.

California organic produce grower Phil McGrath is monitoring his fields from his smartphone to save water, time and money thanks to ClimateMinder technology.

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.”

It’s been nearly a year since the inaugural AG CONNECT Expo happened in Orlando, Florida back in January. A successful first-time event, AG CONNECT Expo 2011 is shaping up to be even better. AgWired reporter Cindy Zimmerman caught up with the show’s director Sara Mooney to learn what is on tap for next year’s event being held at the Georgia World Congress Center in downtown Atlanta, Georgia on January 7-10, 2011.

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

The Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) has named Dr. Harold F. Reetz, Jr. its new executive director. ADMC is dedicated to educating farm, drainage, conservation, and regulatory groups about the latest drainage water management system technologies, which can help benefit crops and reduce nutrient enrichment of surface water. Its members include equipment manufacturers, drainage contractors, and state commodity associations. The coalition recently coordinated a three-year demonstration of controlled drainage management in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota and Ohio.

Reetz is an independent agronomy consultant based in Monticello, Ill., with long experience in research and education, from his role as an extension and research corn specialist at Purdue University to a 28-year post as a regional agronomist with the Potash and Phosphate Institute/International Plant Nutrition Institute. Reetz was one of the founders of the Certified Crop Adviser program, has served as first vice chair of the Conservation Technology Information Center, serves on the Executive Committee of the National Association of Conservation Districts, and is an active member of the American Society of Agronomy, the Crop Science Society of America and the Soil Science Society of America.

“We are delighted to have Harold in the role of ADMC’s executive director,” says ADMC president Charlie Schafer. “He brings a combination of research expertise and on-the-ground practicality that will help the coalition continue to help advance the understanding of drainage water management systems and communicate that knowledge to many audiences. Harold’s interest in high-yield cropping systems and precision agriculture also make an excellent tie-in with the next frontier in crop production and environmental protection – the management of agricultural drainage water.”

ADMC conducts training sessions and serves as a clearinghouse for information on drainage water management systems. The group’s web site, www.admcoalition.com, features cost-benefit analyses of drainage management systems, guidance on drainage regulations, and data from many of the 19 on-farm demonstrations conducted as part of the Midwest project.

Reetz says he is eager to help ADMC develop even more outreach and educational programs.

“Having grown up on a grain and dairy farm in east-central Illinois, I have known the value of a good drainage system all my life, and I am intrigued by the possibilities for managing those systems for better water efficiency for the crops and better control of water quality downstream,” he says.

If your farm operation needs precision farming equipment that can help manage water, check out the new Trimble AG GCS200 system.

Specifically designed for land leveling and drainage applications, it works in conjunction with a laser transmitter to provide automatic machine control of implements such as scrapers and drainage machines, helping farmers to manage water on their fields regardless of crop type or water requirements.

The system is ideal for implements with PT valves, and can use either dual rigid mast control, or single electric mast control. Key components include the LR410 laser receiver and the new CB60 control box, providing a digital elevation display that can be used in both survey and control modes.

The CB60 control box delivers greater flexibility than its predecessors with configuration options for both surveying and grading. Owners of existing control systems can use the CB60 box as a drop-in replacement product, so customers with existing P.A. Laser Grade Control systems do not need any new cables or components.

The AG GCS200 system and the CB60 control box are compatible with English or Metric units and can be used with several types of laser controlled water management and field-leveling products.

“Drainage and leveling professionals have experienced that through the use of laser-guided leveling and drainage equipment, they can substantially improve productivity and accuracy as well as provide the grower with increased crop yields,” said Erik Arvesen, vice president and general manager for Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “Now, the AG GCS200 makes it easier to keep laser-leveling equipment operational and productive on scraper and drainage type implements in the field.”

The AG GCS200 system and the CB60 control box are available now. Contact a local Trimble dealer at: www.trimble.com/locator for more information.

Yes, PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, is working with farmers in Europe by rolling out its i-crop precision farming program.

PepsiCo announced plans to roll-out its new i-crop farming technology on a global basis. The web-based tool, which was developed by PepsiCo in conjunction with Cambridge University, United Kingdom, is a crop management system that will enable PepsiCo’s farmers around the world to monitor, manage and reduce their water use and carbon emissions, while also maximizing potential yield and quality.

Trials of i-crop are currently underway at 22 farms in the U.K., where PepsiCo yesterday announced ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions and water usage by 50 percent across the farming of its core crops in the next five years.

The technology will be rolled-out in Europe in 2011. The company hopes to take it to India, China, Mexico and Australia by 2012.

As one of the world’s largest food and beverage businesses, with brands including Quaker, Tropicana, Gatorade, Pepsi-Cola and Frito-Lay, PepsiCo is a major investor in global farming. In 2010, the company announced 15 global goals and commitments to guide its work to protect the Earth’s natural resources through innovation and more efficient use of land, energy, water and packaging.

In the U.K., the company is the largest purchaser of British potatoes and one of the largest purchasers of British oats and apples, using 100 percent British produce in Walkers crisps, Copella English Apple juice, Quaker Oats, Oatso Simple and Scott’s porage.

Richard Evans, President of PepsiCo U.K. and Ireland said, “Farming is in the DNA of our business – we rely on fresh produce every day. Finding ways to produce more food with less environmental impact is essential to our future.” He added, “i-crop has the potential to revolutionize the way we farm, enabling our farmers to save costs and water and carbon consumption, while at the same time improving their yields. I am immensely proud of this innovation which I hope will also benefit PepsiCo farmers around the world.”

In its first Sustainable Farming Report published yesterday, PepsiCo U.K. outlined how it is working in partnership with its 350 British farmers to reach its aim of ’50 in 5′. Other initiatives announced include trials of new low-carbon fertilizers and plans to replace more than 75 percent of PepsiCo U.K.’s current potato stock with varieties that will significantly improve farmers’ yields and decrease wastage by 2015. A full copy of the report is available for download at www.pepsico.co.uk/farming.

Commenting on the PepsiCo U.K. sustainable farming report, Richard Perkins, Senior Commodities Adviser at WWF said, “The food industry is starting to recognize that in order to fully embed sustainability and biodiversity in its business practices, a large part of the focus must be on the agricultural supply chain. In this respect PepsiCo U.K. has taken a leadership role in recognizing that it is, at its heart, an agricultural business. The focus of the business on improving its key environmental impacts, such as greenhouse gas emissions – in the field and on the farm – is most welcome.”

For further information about i-crop visit: www.i-crop.com

i-crop will be rolled-out to the following markets in 2011:

Holland
France
Germany
Belgium
Spain
Portugal
Turkey

Agricultural engineers Susan O'Shaughnessy and Nolan Clark adjust an infrared thermometer that measures crop canopy temperature as a way of controlling a center pivot irrigation system.

A system that turns irrigation water on and off automatically based on leaf temperature is being developed by Agricultural Research Service (ARS) soil scientist Steven Evett and colleagues in Texas.

Evett, a soil scientist at Bushland, Texas, and cooperators are developing time-temperature threshold (TTT) technology that is based in part on a discovery by Evett’s colleagues at Lubbock, Texas, that plants grow best at certain narrow temperature ranges that vary by crop species.

Later developments by Evett and his colleagues led to invention of an irrigation control system that uses feedback from the crop, in terms of leaf temperatures, to control irrigation and crop water use efficiency.

Evett’s colleague Susan O’Shaughnessy, an agricultural engineer at the ARS Soil and Water Management Research Unit at Bushland, has developed wireless infrared thermometers mounted on center pivot irrigation arms as well as in the field. She is also integrating sensors that can help determine whether to skip watering parts of a field because plants are suffering from disease rather than drought or because no plants have survived in that part of the field.

Ultimately, she and Evett will seek a cooperative research and development agreement with a center pivot manufacturing company that can build the sensors and control system into their equipment.

This research is part of the Ogallala Aquifer Program started in 2004, a partnership between ARS and the Ogallala region’s universities. The Ogallala Aquifer underlies eight states from Texas to South Dakota and is one of the world’s major aquifers. The goal of the Ogallala Aquifer Program is to protect the towns and their livelihoods, including agricultural industries, by stopping the depletion of the aquifer.

Water availability is key to farming in the Ogallala region. Automated irrigation systems are seen as one major way to move towards sustainable use of the aquifer because they can reduce water use while enhancing profitability due to the reduction in pumping costs.

For more details, read on…

Irrigators can now control their Lindsay Zimmatic systems with their smartphone and FieldNET Mobile.

The new feature allows growers to fully control and monitor their irrigation pivots anywhere through the convenience of smartphones.

“FieldNET Mobile provides a labor-saving innovation with the convenience of web-enabled phones,” says Reece Andrews, GrowSmart product manager at Lindsay. “With full control and monitoring from anywhere, growers are more efficient with their time and always know the status of their irrigation systems.”

FieldNET Mobile’s graphical interface supports most industry-leading smartphones, including the iPhone, Droid and BlackBerry, according to Andrews.

FieldNET is an award-winning web-based irrigation management system. With the addition of FieldNET Mobile, growers can view the current status of all their pivots in one list, receive system alerts, arrange pivots by predefined groups, view water usage reports and receive a history of pivot runtimes.

“FieldNET Mobile is very easy to set up and features intuitive color-coded graphics that show growers in-depth pivot information,” Andrews says. “With simple touch navigation, users can quickly control pivot operations over their phone, saving them labor and making irrigation management convenient and easy from virtually anywhere.”

FieldNET Mobile is available as an upgrade in all areas serviced by FieldNET.

For more information, contact your local Zimmatic dealer or visit www.lindsayfieldnet.com.

Water use efficiency is vital for agriculture as our global population continues to grow. To help growers minimize water use while maintaining crop yields, Cermetek offers the new AquaMon Wireless Soil Monitoring Network.

AquaMon allows active monitoring of the soil. Knowledge of soil conditions is essential to achieve high crop yield with less water.  Maintaining the optimal level of moisture in the ground permits crops to flourish.  Doing so with the minimum amount of water requires real-time data on soil conditions. An AquaMon sensor node can support up to six sensors of any variety including soil moisture content, soil temperature, air temperature, humidity, pH sensors, and nitrate sensors.

In addition to monitoring soil conditions digitally controlled outputs can activate external equipment such as flow valves or nutrient injection equipment.  Much as electronic fuel injection permits automobile engines to increase power while reducing fuel consumption and emissions; real-time soil monitoring allows water conservation without impacting crop yield.

The data generated by AquaMon can be viewed in two ways, locally or on-line.  Cermetek created Remote Sensor Viewing Platform (RSVP) software to allow the irrigation decision maker to load the field data on his computer and easily view the data patterns.  The data can also be uploaded onto our server and be viewed in the same format using a standard browser.  Storing the data on-line allows the data to be viewed from anywhere with Internet access and even allows multiple authorized users to view the same data.

AquaMon is expected to be available this spring.  The cost of a single sensor node is expected to start at $300 plus the cost of the sensors.  Cermetek is actively recruiting Irrigation dealers to resell the AquaMon product line.