Ag Leader’s Luke Bunkers on Water Management

Joanna SchroederAg Leader, Audio, Conservation, Data Collection, IA Power Farming Show

Water management. An ongoing issue for growers across the country and around the world. To learn more about some of the big water management issues in agriculture, I turned to Luke Bunkers with Ag Leader who spent some time with me during the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show.

Luke Bunkers Ag LeaderToday with input costs and costs of fertilizer and seed being as high as they are when you don’t get the crop planted and a good emerged crop with a good stand to it, you don’t get the max benefits out of the crop that you can, explained Bunkers. He noted that too much water is a big proponent of this as well as not enough water and this is where water management comes in.

One of the solutions, said Bunkers, is adding tile to fields. Ag Leader has some precision ag technology, such as the Intellislop tile plow control system, that can raise the success rate of water management. Ag Leader also has software, such as the SMS Advanced Water Management module, that can help develop a tile plan and then analyze the data at any give moment or over time once the plan has been executed.

“The tile plan gives the grower an idea of what the whole system is going to look like including how many feet of tile, what the discharge of that system is going to be, how much water is that system going to be able to handle so Ag Leader encompasses all sides of water management with these two technologies,” explained Bunkers.

Bunkers stressed that every farm is different and tile systems can be put in during the fall or spring. He is going to be participating in some tile clinics during the next few weeks in North and South Dakota put on by Hefty Brothers.

Listen to my full interview with Luke Bunkers: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/agleader/iowapower-bunkers-14.mp3″ text=”Ag Leader’s Luke Bunkers on Water Management”]

Click here to view the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show photo album.

Sponsored by Ag Leader Technology

Entry-Level Display from Ag Leader

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights Weekly ZimmComm’s Joanna Schroeder recently caught up with Ag Leader’s Josh Rasmusson about the Compass display, a simple and affordable precision farming display that offers guidance and virtual terminal capabilities.

Learn more about this new product offering which was just launched in November 2013 in Joanna’s full interview with Josh.

[wpaudio url=”http://agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/iowapower-rasmusson-14.mp3″ text=”Listen to Rasmusson explain”]

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.

Click here to view the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show photo album.

Sponsored by Ag Leader Technology

MapShots Welcomes Customers

Chuck ZimmermanMapShots, Training

MapShots Customer ConferenceIt’s Customer Conference time for MapShots at the Georgia Tech Learning Center in Atlanta. This event brings in MapShots customers as well as third party partners for an intensive couple of days of training sessions and presentations. Today’s pre-conference program includes two sessions:

Getting Started with AgStudio – this session is designed to enhance new users’ experiences with AgStudio and AgStudio Select.

Building Variable Rate Calculators and Scripts – for more advanced users, this session guides you through customizing calculators and scripts to meet your specific needs. Emphasis will be on fertility scripts, but seeding scripts will also be addressed.

To get a preview of the conference I visited with MapShots Tim Taylor, seen conducting one of this afternoon’s sessions. He says the company just wrapped up their largest sales year ever and this conference provides their customers to get up to speed on products like AgStudio.

You can listen to my interview with Tim here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/mapshots/mapshots-14-taylor-preview.mp3″ text=”Interview with Tim Taylor”]

You can find my photos from the event online here: 2014 MapShots Customer Conference Photo Album

Partnership to Enhance Soil Health

Cindy ZimmermanConservation, Corn, Soil

ncgaThe National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), with support from the Walton Family Foundation and Monsanto, is highlighting the importance of soil health for farmers and the environment with a new Science Advisory Council and formation of the Soil Health Partnership.

“The health of a farm depends on the health of its soil, and that’s what makes this new program an important one for our organization,” said NCGA President Martin Barbre, a corn grower from Illinois. “We developed the Soil Health Partnership with our partners to help our growers be the best farmers they can be, and ensure that their farmland remains valuable and productive for future generations.”

The mission of the Soil Health Partnership is to catalyze enhanced agricultural sustainability and productivity by demonstrating and communicating the economic and environmental benefits of improved soil health. The initial objectives of the program include building a network of demonstration research farms in key corn states; developing recommendations to farmers on a variety of soil management practices aimed at improving productivity, profitability and environmental outcomes; increasing adoption of those recommendations beyond the network of demonstration farms; and increasing the visibility and importance of sound soil management.

Find out more here.

Head to the Clouds with Ag Leader’s AgFiniti

Joanna SchroederAg Leader, Agribusiness, Audio, IA Power Farming Show, Internet

The big trend in the data world these days is the “cloud”. The cloud is a way to store your data in a safe, secure place and have access to it anywhere you may be. Ag Leader recently headed to the “clouds” with their new AgFiniti precision technology and to learn more, I spoke with Kaleb Lindquist during the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show.

Ag Leader Kaleb LindquistLindquist explained that AgFiniti is a cloud-based solution, or platform, Ag Leader developed to make the growers, dealers and the agribusiness community’s life easier. “It’s designed to interconnect everybody,” said Lindquist, “whether that be the grower to the dealer, the grower to the agribusiness or vice versa.”

So seriously, what is the cloud? Lindquist explained that it is a metaphorical term for a remote server somewhere. Data is uploaded to the cloud, in other words to a remote, secure server so your data is not housed on your physical desktop. The data is safe, secure and backed up regularly (so if your hard drive in your desktop or laptop computer crashes you still have all the data you stored in AgFiniti).

Here is how it works. Using a wiresless hot spot, a grower can take a file from his or her display (both Integra and Versa) while he’s out in the field, upload it to AgFiniti and bam, it’s there. Then the grower can call his agronomist, tell him or her he’s uploaded a file and the agronomist (with the grower’s permission) can instantaneously pull down the file, review it and then give the grower some recommendations. Is there any more instantaneous way to share data other than having the agronomist with you on the farm? Nope.

I’m waxing lyrical because I’m having fun in AgFiniti’s cloud. You will too once you learn more about this precision ag technology.

Listen to my full interview with Kaleb Lindquist: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/agleader/iowapower-lindquist-14.mp3″ text=”Head to the Clouds with Ag Leader’s AgFiniti”]

Click here to view the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show photo album.

Sponsored by Ag Leader Technology

Let Ag Leader’s Compass Guide You

Joanna SchroederAg Leader, Audio, Displays, IA Power Farming Show

Ag Leader Josh RasmussonAg Leader introduced the Compass display last fall during the Farm Progress Show and in the few months it’s been available, it has seen great success. To learn more about the technology, I spoke with Josh Rasmusson with Ag Leader during the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show.

He explained that the Compass display is their new, high-definition, 7 inch touch screen with a guidance display. He also noted that you can incorporate other Ag Leader precision technologies such as OnTrac2+, GeoSteer or the assisted steering, ParaDyme for your high-end hydraulic system.

Rasmusson told me that nearly 50 percent of farms in the U.S. aren’t using any type of precision technologies but the Compass display is designed for entry-level users – an easy way to ease them into the world of precision ag.

“The Compass display would be a generic lightbar for them to use in a tillage scenario or a spring scenario if they wanted to do coverage mapping,” explained Rasmusson. “There is a built in guidance so they don’t have to use markers, and you can also incorporate the steering into the system.”

In fact, says, Rasmusson, the system is so easy to use a grower can figure it out in around an hour. If not, Ag Leader has 24/7 free technical assistance available.

Listen to my full interview with Josh Rasmusson: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/agleader/iowapower-rasmusson-14.mp3″ text=”Let Ag Leader’s Compass Guide You”]

Click here to view the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show photo album.

Sponsored by Ag Leader Technology

Most Would Use Drones

Chuck ZimmermanAviation, UAV, ZimmPoll

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Could drones (UAV’s) serve a purpose on your operation?”

Well over half of the voters this week said that drones could in fact serve a purpose on their operation. Price is still a factor and may be the reason that some operations would not use them yet. We’re going to see a lot more about this new technology since predictions have been made that eighty percent of the multi-million dollar market will be for agricultural use. Are you ready to get your drone on?

Our poll results:

  • Yes, if affordable – 50%
  • No – 18%
  • Yes, at any price – 14%
  • No, worried about privacy – 14%
  • What are they? – 5%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What’s best in the new farm bill?”

The Senate finally passed its version of a conference bill Jan. 29, and now the farm bill goes to President Obama’s desk. As you can read on Senator Debbie Stabenow’s website: “This isn’t your father’s Farm Bill. It is a bill for our future that grows our agriculture economy, helps provide greater access to healthy Michigan-grown foods, preserves our land and water, and cuts unnecessary spending. The Farm Bill is a rare example of a major bipartisan jobs bill and a bipartisan deficit reduction bill,” Chairwoman Stabenow said. Have you had the chance to review the new bill? Let us know what you think is the best part.

WSS Update Improves Data Delivery, Customer Service

Talia GoesAgribusiness, NRCS, Soil, USDA

12306461954_6bf4bc69a9Data on soils on the nation’s 3,265 soil survey areas are now updated and available free online from USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.

This update, the first since the Web Soil Survey went online in 2005, features:

  • Soils data for the Continental U.S. that flows seamlessly, without gaps, across county lines and other political boundaries;
  • A full complement of national soil survey interpretations that let users analyze interpretations nationally, regionally and in several states at one time;
  • The first set of soil survey Major Land Resource Area update projects; and
  • A subscription feature that forwards updates for specific soil survey areas directly to customers via email.

The NRCS Web Soil Survey now serves more than 180,000 users a month, attracting a large audience that includes landscape architects, community planners, real estate developers, engineers, as well as researchers in universities. Everyday, people in agriculture reference the survey, as do NRCS employees as they help customers with a host of issues and questions, and putting together conservation plans.

Hydraulic Down Force Leads to Up in Production

Joanna SchroederAg Leader, Audio, IA Power Farming Show, Planting

It’s hard to forget the spring of 2013 when growers had more rain then they could handle. For some they lost crops, for others the seed was planted a bit late. But what if there was a way to improve your changes for a better harvest despite too much soil moisture. Well, there is a way to do just that: Ag Leader’s new Hydraulic Down Force System.

Brett Buehler Ag LeaderTo learn more about how this precision technology works, I spoke with Ag Leader’s Brett Buehler during the 2014 Iowa Power Farming show. As explained by Buehler one of the big issues growers face during planting is that the seed is planted at the proper depth. When the seed is not optimally planted, it can negatively impact yield. While there are technologies on the market to help address this, Buehler said that many of them have limitations that the Hydraulic Down Force System overcomes.

For many growers, last year’s crops were planted in wet conditions. (During planting the soil gets compacted and in essence turns in to cement so the roots can’t grow deep enough to access the water and nutrients they need throughout the growing season). “Last year was the perfect storm. We had a wet planting spring and it got dry during the summer. So the guys who used our Hydraulic Down Force System last year had tremendous yield,” said Buehler.

Planters still come from the factory with springs that growers have to adjust and it is hard to determine what the right adjustment is when field conditions can change in less than 50 feet. So unlike the air bag option that some companies have developed, Ag Leader went with a hydraulic actuator that in essence allows the planter to react nearly instantaneously.

“So instead of taking 30 or 40 seconds to compass the air to get the right amount of downforce,” explained Buehler, “we can react within a second with the hydraulic down force.”

The technology, says Buehler, is excellent for the grower who has varying soil types his field.

Listen to my full interview with Brett Buehler: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/agleader/iowapower-buehler-14.mp3″ text=”Hydraulic Down Force Leads to Up in Production”]

Click here to view the 2014 Iowa Power Farming Show photo album.

Sponsored by Ag Leader Technology

UAV Aerial Imagery Solution from MyAgCentral

Cindy ZimmermanAerial Imagery, Data Collection, UAV

my-ag-centralMyAgCentral, a division of DN2K, has announced “the first of its new cloud-based end-to-end solutions for agriculture, which gives growers a simple and affordable way to leverage aerial agronomic imagery.”

DN2K has partnered with three industry-leading entities to offer a fully integrated workflow solution that streamlines the process of flying fields and capturing, storing, processing, viewing and sharing aerial images.

ageagletestwingMyAgCentral partners with AgEagle for UAV hardware, Prime Meridian as a MyAgCentral service provider, and APIS for UAV education and training, to deliver simple, affordable and advanced imagery solutions to support growers, agronomists and agricultural service providers.

“Right now UAVs are a very promising technology in the agriculture community, with numerous companies bringing products to market. But we’re the first group to connect all the dots and provide solutions from beginning to end. It’s the ‘easy button’ that people interested in UAVs and aerial imagery have been waiting for,” said Bret Chilcott, Founder of AgEagle.