In-Cab Wifi From Ayrstone

Cindy ZimmermanAgNerd, Agribusiness, Audio, Internet, technology, Tractor

Bill Moffitt AyrstoneNeed wireless productivity on your farm? Ayrstone is here to help. Bill Moffitt, Founder/President, was on hand at the recent Ag Media Summit to talk about their new products, including the new AyrMesh Cab Hub.

BRING YOUR AYRMESH WIFI NETWORK INTO THE CAB OF YOUR VEHICLES

The AyrMesh Cab Hub mounts in the cab of your tractor, sprayer, combine, or truck to connect the devices in the cab to your network. This allows you to use your smartphone, tablet, or laptop in the fields, as well as collect data from your WiFi-enabled cab computers. The custom-built power cable provides power to the hub, and the magnetic-mount antenna provides a durable outdoor antenna to maximize the Hub’s range. The Cab Hub will connect to a Hub up to 2.5 miles away.

Learn more in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/ams/ams-14-moffitt.mp3″ text=”Interview with Bill Moffitt”]

Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Coverage of the Ag Media Summit is sponsored by
Ag Media Summit coverage is sponsored by FMCAg Media Summit coverage is sponsored by New Holland

Inside the New Holland CR Cab

Cindy ZimmermanAgribusiness, Audio, Equipment, New Holland, Video

New Holland CR Combine CabEarlier we showed you the New Holland CR10.90 Combine. Today we take a look inside via ZimmGlass. During the New Holland Media Day Chuck Zimmerman jumped into the cab of a CR combine driven by Brian Faulk.

Chuck says:
The first feeling I had was of being suspended above the machine in a glass bubble. There’s more than 62.3 square feet of glass on this combine which gives the operator a significant amount of visibility including down onto the header that’s in use. You can work with two different displays if you’d like. It comes with an Intelliview IV color display. I like the electric cooler that’s built under the buddy seat! I’m going to stop here and let Brian explain the rest in the video.

Listen to Brian’s presentation here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/new-holland/nh-product-14-cr-cab.mp3″ text=”Inside the New Holland CR Cab”]

2014 New Holland Media Day Photo Album

New Holland Celebrating Major Milestones

Cindy ZimmermanAgribusiness, Audio, Equipment, New Holland, Video

New Holland Abe HughesThe New Holland Guardian Sprayer was on display to agricultural media recently. Here’s Abe Hughes, VP, North America, in front of the monster sprayer. The front-boom sprayers have been introduced with Tier 4B and you can get them with the available 1,600 US/gallon tank and 120-foot boom options to cover more acres faster than ever.

New Holland is hitting several company milestones, including the company’s 120th anniversary next year. Other milestones include the 50th Anniversary of New Holland Speedrower® self-propelled windrowers, 40th Anniversary of New Holland Twin Rotor® combines and 40th Anniversary of New Holland Roll-Belt™ round balers.

Abe also talks about the more than 1,000 New Holland dealers throughout the United States and Canada. Worldwide, there are more than 3,000 New Holland dealers in 160 countries. Abe believes that a smart, comprehensive dealer network helps his customers make smarter decisions on a day-to-day basis.

Learn more in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/new-holland/nh-product-14-hughes.mp3″ text=”Interview with Abe Hughes”]

2014 New Holland Media Day Photo Album

BASF Outlines Fall Burndown Benefits

Cindy ZimmermanBASF, Weed control

basfFall burndown benefits go beyond weed control, according to experts with BASF Crop Protection.

For instance, applying a burndown in the fall helps to provide flexibility in the spring. Often, spring weather can be unpredictable, and there are fewer days for optimal herbicide application in spring than in fall.

“Over the the last two years, many growers have faced a compressed spring because of cold and wet weather, resulting in less time to apply a preplant or burndown herbicide before planting,” said Mark Oostlander, Technical Market Manager, BASF. “A burndown application applied in the fall, when there are more suitable days for fieldwork, provides certainty that an application can be completed.”

Another benefit is temperature control. A recent study conducted by Kevin Bradley, Ph.D., Associate Professor of plant sciences at the University of Missouri, found that fall burndown applications help increase soil temperature. The study found that spring soil temperatures increased by as much as 5 degrees in corn and 8 degrees in soybeans when a residual fall herbicide was applied.

“Controlling winter annual weeds with a fall burndown can also result in greater soil moisture when it comes time for planting,” said Bradley. “With those weeds eliminated, the competition for moisture and other nutrients is also eliminated.”

Finally, burndown in the fall can help with pest control, since winter annual weeds can serve as hosts for other pests that might overwinter in crop fields. Pests like soybean cyst nematode and black cutworm are easier to control in the fall by eliminating winter weeds.

For more weed control tips, visit AdvancedWeedControl.basf.us.

Big Crops in the Fields

Cindy ZimmermanCorn, Cotton, Soybeans, USDA, wheat, yields

A little bit more corn and a lot more soybeans and cotton compared to last year is what USDA is forecasting in the latest report out today.

usda-logoU.S. soybean producers are expected to produce a record 3.82 billion bushels in 2014, up 16 percent from last year according to the Crop Production report issued today by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS). Growing conditions were conducive for corn growers who are also expected to produce a record-high crop at 14.0 billion bushels of corn, up 1 percent from 2013 which was also a record at the time.

Corn yields are expected to average 167.4 bushels per acre, which would be the highest yield ever for the United States. Objective yield data indicate the greatest number of ears on record for the ten largest corn producing states. Soybean yields are also expected to be a record at 45.4 bushels per acre, up 2.1 bushels from last year.

More cotton is also expected in the first production forecast for this year from USDA. Cotton production is forecast at 17.5 million 480-pound bales, up 36 percent from last year’s 12.9 million bales. Area planted to Upland cotton is up 10 percent from last year, while harvested Upland cotton area is expected to be up 37 percent from 2013. Expected harvested area of Pima cotton at 175,900 acres is down 12 percent from last year.

Wheat production is forecast up two percent from the July forecast but down five percent from 2013.

Gutterson Joins DuPont Pioneer Ag Biotech

Cindy Zimmermanbiotechnology, Dupont Pioneer

Dupont PioneerDuPont Pioneer recently announced the appointment of Neal Gutterson, Ph.D., as vice president of Agricultural Biotechnology (ABT), effective July 21. Gutterson joins Pioneer from Mendel Biotechnology where he served most recently as president, chief executive officer and board member.

gutterson“Neal brings extensive biotechnology and business leadership in the seed and crop protection industry to this integral role for DuPont Pioneer,” said Paul E. Schickler, president of DuPont Pioneer. “I am looking forward to working with Neal as he assumes the lead role of all ABT functions, the delivery of the Pioneer transgenic pipeline, and the successful execution of the overall Pioneer research strategy. We are very pleased to have him as part of our team.”

With more than 30 years of experience in plant biotechnology and a named inventor on more than three dozen patents and pending patent applications, Gutterson began his career in 1983 with the biotechnology company AGS to develop genetically improved microbial biocontrol agents. After a merger between AGS and DNA Plant Technology, Gutterson focused on improving produce crops for quality traits, and provided technical leadership on intellectual property strategy before being named vice president, research and development (R&D). Joining Mendel in 2002, he served as vice president for R&D and was named president and COO in 2005. He has been the CEO at Mendel since 2007.

Photo credit: North Carolina Biotechnology Center

ASA and FarmLink Team Launch ‘Operation Benchmark’

Cindy ZimmermanAg Group, Harvesting, Soybeans

trueharvest-farmlinkThe American Soybean Association (ASA) and FarmLink have joined forces to help farmers close the $11 billion gap between what they harvested in 2013 and what they could harvest annually.

The partnership is called “Operation Benchmark” and it gives producers the opportunity to benefit from FarmLink’s benchmarking capability while at the same time supporting ASA and state association grower initiatives. The program is available nationally and will be promoted initially seven leading soybean states – Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Indiana, Nebraska, South Dakota and Missouri.

The service, called TrueHarvest, is a new benchmarking service that for the first time accurately shows farmers the full range of performance potential for fields, down to a 150 square foot micro-field level. This, in turn, allows farmers to determine the true potential of their land and to identify where to invest—or not invest—to optimize productivity and profitability. The TrueHarvest service provides a baseline that supports the farmers’ and their consultants’ and input providers’ expertise, while still respecting the integrity and privacy of a farmer’s data.

“Our members understand that one of the most important tools to increase yields is the application of data to their farming practices,” said ASA Director and Ag Data Working Group Chair Ron Moore, a soybean farmer from Roseville, Ill. “But growers want to make sure their data is applied in such a way to increase their profits and provide greater returns on their investments. We have chosen to partner with FarmLink on this particular initiative because they are independent and completely aligned with growers’ interests.”

Find out more here.

Farmers interested in participating can visit www.farmlink.com/Promotion/ASA for more information.

New Online Tools Help Farmers Use Climate Data

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, climate

Todey and EdwardsTwo new online decision-making tools are available to farmers through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Useful to Usable, or U2U, research project, according to state climatologist and South Dakota State University associate professor Dennis Todey. The project is funded through the Agriculture and Foods Research Initiative.

Corn Growing Degree Days, or GDD, will show producers how their crops are developing in lieu of this year’s planting delays and a cool summer, explained Todey, who is the South Dakota U2U project director. GDDs are a measure of heat accumulation used to predict plant development rates.

Farmers can choose their location, when the corn was planted and the number of days it takes to reach maturity. The program then assesses current development compared to a 30-year average and projects tasseling and maturity dates, according to Todey. The farmer can then compare that with when the first freeze has occurred during any of the last 30 years.

A second tool, the Climate Patterns Viewer, allows farmers to examine the impact global climate patterns, such as El Niño Southern Oscillation and the Arctic Oscillation, have had on the Corn Belt.

“This is very timely, since we’re looking at a pending El Niño,” he added. Farmers can track month by month how these oscillations have influenced temperatures, precipitation and subsequently crop yields.

Farmers are producing crops under more variable conditions, so these tools can be critical to both food safety and the farmers’ economic survival, Todey explained. Two additional tools are under development—one looking at the impact of in-season nitrogen application and another to help farmers decide whether to invest in an irrigation system.

Irrigation Software Migrates to ‘The Cloud’

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Irrigation, Software

Screen Shot 2014-08-11 at 10.55.51 AMA newly launched website will allow people to audit an irrigation system completely from the field using mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets, according to a Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service engineer.

“This is a major upgrade to the current software used for landscape irrigation auditing and producing of irrigation schedules,” said Dr. Guy Fipps, AgriLife Extension irrigation engineer, College Station.

An irrigation audit is part of a systematic process for saving water by measuring the sprinkler systems’ output and scheduling water applications that match the seasonal changes in weather and plant water use, Fipps said.

“However, auditing is not a part of the irrigation licenses,” Fipps said. “The EPA provides a WaterSense Auditor Certification, which is administered in Texas by AgriLife Extension. To become an auditor in Texas, you must take AgriLife Extension’s auditing class and pass the certification exam.”

“Besides licensed irrigators, about 40 percent of the students have been landscape professionals, city conservation personnel, homeowners and Master Gardeners, and most have gone on to become licensed irrigators, irrigation technicians and irrigation inspectors,” he said.

The Texas Landscape Irrigation Auditing program began as simple software designed to run on personal computers. But as the training had to constantly evolve to meet the changing needs of Texas landscape and water-use restrictions, the software has had to expand its horizons as well, he said.

Cloud-based software refers to software designed to be used exclusively from a web browser such as Internet Explorer, Chrome or Firefox, said David Flahive, AgriLife Extension network manager and programmer, College Station. Computing becomes a service the user accesses rather than a program that is bought and loaded on a device such as a desktop or laptop.

For the user, cloud-based means the software can be used anywhere there is web access and with practically any modern brand, make or model computing device, Flahive said. Moreover, screen views adapt to the device being used, whether it be an iPhone with a 2-by-3 inch screen or a large tablet or a desktop monitor.

Fipps said access to the site will only be granted to students who have completed the Landscape Irrigation Auditing training class. However, one needn’t be a commercial irrigation manager to take the auditing class, he noted. The class is open to anyone who wants to learn how to better manage landscape irrigation.

By the end of August or earlier, Fipps and his colleagues plan to produce a similar cloud-irrigation site that will be homeowner friendly as part of the Water My Yard program.

New GROWMARK Agronomy Team Members

Cindy Zimmermanagronomy, Growmark

growmarklogoGROWMARK is pleased to welcome three new members to its Agronomy Services team. These Agronomy Information Services Sales Managers will work with FS companies’ management teams, Ag information specialists, crop specialists and GROWMARK field staff to capitalize on marketplace opportunities with FS Advanced Information Services.

growmark-everettBrandon Everett will serve Wisconsin, northeastern Iowa, and northern Illinois. Brandon grew up on a farm near Albion, Illinois, and graduated from SIU Carbondale with a bachelor’s degree in Ag Business Economics. Since 2005, he has worked at Southern FS, serving as Technology Management Specialist (Precision Farming) and more recently as their Information Technology Manager. While working at Southern FS, he also earned a master’s degree in Information Systems.

growmark-henzeBrian Henze will serve southern and eastern Illinois. Brian has been with the FS System for 24 years working as a certified crop specialist, location manager and credit/ag-finance specialist, and most recently, working for South Central FS in their Precision Farming Department. Brian is a Southern Illinois University graduate in Ag Business Economics. Brian is a Certified Crop Advisor and a CAP Certified Technical Service Provider with the NRCS.

growmark-isleyBrett Isley will serve west-central Illinois and southern Iowa. Born and raised on a farm near Newton, Illinois, he received his bachelor’s degree in Agri-Business Economics from Southern Illinois University. Brett began his career at Effingham-Clay Service Company (South Central FS), working as a certified crop specialist, and then the Crops Division Marketing Manager at Schuyler-Brown FS (Prairieland FS) in Rushville, Illinois. He was then with Monsanto as a Retail sales manager, Traits and Seed Rep. and a Local Field Advisor. Most recently he was an Account Manager for DuPont Pioneer.