New Mobile Farm Manager App

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, Apps, John Deere

To help give producers easier access to important farm and field information through their mobile device, John Deere introduces John Deere Mobile Farm Manager. The application, which can be downloaded free from the Apple Store, is compatible with iPad and iPhone mobile devices and connects to customers’ Apex farm management software.

Mobile Farm Manger has several functions that producers will find useful including field maps, historical reports, GPS tracking, field navigation and soil sampling grids.

In addition, customers with Mobile Farm Manager can share agronomic information with ag service providers, farm managers and other advisors as needed. This streamlines the communications process and helps ensure the accuracy of various applications and production practices.

To activate Mobile Farm Manager, customers should contact their John Deere dealer to purchase and receive their activation code, which they can enter into Apex. The activation allows the transfer of data stored in Apex to the devices with Mobile Farm Manager.

To learn more about Mobile Farm Manager, see your local John Deere dealer or visit them on the web.

What keeps you busy during winter?

Melissa SandfortZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, ” What gadget is on your Christmas wish list?”

Our poll results: Twenty-four percent said other; twenty percent said tablet; ten percent said wide screen TV; seven percent said desktop computer; three percent said smartphone; and three percent said notebook computer.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “With harvest over what are your winter plans?” During the winter months, you may not see farmers out in the field but that doesn’t mean they’re not busy! So what will you be doing until next year’s planting season? Let us know!

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

Deeper Roots, Strong Yield With Drought-Tolerant Corn

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, Corn, Research

A root comparison study conducted this season at Monsanto’s Gothenburg Water Utilization Learning Center in Gothenburg, Neb., provided a dramatic demonstration of just how important a deep, strong root structure is to help corn plants withstand drought conditions.

The research program evaluated the performance of a DEKALB® drought-tolerant corn product versus two competitor products – a Pioneer® Optimum® AQUAmax™ hybrid and a shallow-rooted product. A root dig conducted in mid-September showed that the DEKALB product had a significantly deeper, more evenly spread root structure than the other two products.

The result was healthier ears and a yield advantage for DEKALB of 12 bu./A versus Pioneer Optimum AQUAmax and 15 bu./A versus the shallow-rooted product.

This December DEKALB will continue a tradition of introducing innovative new products with the stewarded introduction of Genuity® DroughtGard™ Hybrids in the Western Great Plains for 2013 planting. These products combine the DEKALB brand’s drought-tolerant genetics, developed through the brand’s industry leading breeding program, with the industry’s first drought-tolerant biotech trait and agronomic practices. The DEKALB DroughtGard Hybrids available for planting in 2013 delivered farmers more than 5 bu./A versus competitor products in field trails this year.

Click here to see time-lapse photos of the root dig and video interviews with the participants.

Meet Bob Haselwood – Precision.AgWired.com Profile

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Audio, Corn, Equipment, FMC, NAFB, Soybeans

Time for another Precision.AgWired.com Profile where we spotlight a farmer who is taking advantage of the technologies in precision agriculture. Meet Bob Haselwood, a crop from Kansas and treasurer for the United Soybean Board. I met Bob at the recent National Association of Farm Broadcasting’s Trade Talk.

“We are using precision agriculture. We started about 2001. The first step we thought we would do was get a yield monitor and work from there. Over in our county the conservation district had some programs to encourage people to use precision based fertilizer. We went in thinking we were going to ease into it using only yield monitors for records. But quickly moved to grid sampling and variable rate application of phosphate in about a years time.”

Bob’s farm was part of the hard hit areas in terms of the drought. He shared how his crop yields were almost cut in half and how they are making it through these tough times.

“We’ve got a corn/soybean operation. We were in an area that was hit pretty hard by the drought. Corn yields were pretty low. Soybeans were lucky catching some late August rains. Soybeans were about 3/4 of a crop and corn 1/4 of a crop.”

Bob said they jumped into the use of new technologies to save money, but he admits he has also saved lots of time and his body has thanked him. He enjoys coming in of an evening without all the aches and pains he was once use to.

Listen to my interview with Bob here: [wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2012/11/precision-farmer-bob-haselwood.mp3″ text=”Bob Haselwood”]

2012 NAFB Convention Photo Album

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New Adjuvant Technology for Greater Drift Control

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, Spraying

Aerial applicators now have an on-target solution when delivering timely and more precise applications of crop protection products. Precision Laboratories, a leading provider of specialized chemistries, recently introduced Volare DC™, a new adjuvant technology for aerial applicators.

Volare DC, briefly known as Avianis DC, delivers improved drift control, deposition and coverage when applied through aerial application equipment. Unlike ordinary drift retardants designed for ground application, Volare DC optimizes droplet size and deposition by “right-sizing” spray droplets to resist wind stream shear that ruptures oversized droplets formed from ordinary drift retardants.

Recent research shows a distinct difference between ground and aerial applications, where ordinary drift retardants can be ineffective for the aerial market. In 2011, Volare DC was validated through research performed at the USDA Agricultural Research Services (ARS) Aerial Application Technology high speed wind tunnel. It reduced drift by over 30% compared to alternatives and provided superior compatibility at a low-use rate.

Career & Technical Education Threatened In Missouri

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Audio, Education, FFA

Last week I shared on AgWired how Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs in the state of Missouri are being threatened by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education’s (DESE) new Missouri School Improvement Program (MSIP 5). MSIP 5 removes the priority for organizations like the FFA from a students high school education.

Bringing attention to this issue has got a lot of people talking about it and what they can do to help preserve vocational programs for the future of Missouri’s youth. The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association has done just that by releasing a Call To Action In Support of FFA.

The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association (MCA) submitted comments on behalf of its members today, Nov. 26, 2012, regarding changes that the DESE have proposed in a new version of the MSIP 5 that will impact CTE courses in high schools. The changes have direct implications on agricultural education and FFA.

The new wording in MSIP 5, in comparison to MSIP 4, does not emphasize CTE and student organizations such as FFA. It is important that the wording be clarified to keep these programs strong in the state of Missouri.

MCA is encouraging all cattlemen and cattlewomen to take action and submit a letter of concern. Comments must be postmarked by Nov. 30, 2012. Send comments to: Margie Vandeven, Assistant Commissioner Office of Quality Schools, Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, P.O. Box 480, Jefferson City, MO

In MCA’s call to action they also included a sample letter for people to use. It includes three key points that DESE needs to consider changing before MSIP 5 is finalized. I also encourage you to share your own personal story as to why career and technical education programs like the FFA have made a difference in your life.

This morning I spoke with Mike Deering, Executive Vice President of the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association, about their support for the Missouri FFA and the importance of representatives in Jefferson City to listen to those directly affected by the changes in MSIP 5.

Listen to my interview with Mike here: [wpaudio url=”http://agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/mca-mike-deering.mp3″ text=”Mike Deering – MCA”]

Partial Corn Stover Removal Reduces Management Challenges

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, Corn, Harvesting

Corn residue increases proportionally with corn yields, creating management challenges for growers. To help address those, agronomists and scientists from DuPont Pioneer and DuPont Industrial Biosciences teamed up to conduct research on the impact of residue removal on the long-term agronomic and environmental integrity of fields. Stover is also evaluated for cellulosic ethanol production, which has benefits for both farmers and biofuel producers.

In fields where partial stover removal is an option, a sustainable stover harvest program provides value to the grower without negatively impacting the health and productivity of the soil.

Individual field evaluation is necessary as stover removal is not an option for every field. In some highly productive systems, residue may even be excessive as a result of increased yields, improved stalk quality and reduced tillage practices. Highly productive, relatively flat, continuous corn fields are best suited for stover removal and tend to see the greatest agronomic benefits. In these fields, corn stover production generally exceeds the minimum amount needed to maintain soil health and productivity, making sustainable stover harvest a viable option.

In high yielding areas of the Corn Belt, many growers are chopping stalks, increasing tillage or using a combination of these two methods to further stalk decomposition. In areas where residue management is a critical factor in production decisions, partial stover harvest could expand rotation and farming options. For example, reducing excess residue could allow increased flexibility in managing corn following corn, particularly in the northern Corn Belt where residue decomposition tends to be slower. Stover removal also may eliminate tillage operations and other practices used primarily for residue management, resulting in substantial production cost savings.

GROWMARK Cookbook Supports Farmers Feeding the World

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Growmark

Sales of a GROWMARK system employee cookbook raised $1500 for Farmers Feeding the World..

“We wanted to do something special this year to promote the International Year of Cooperatives and GROWMARK’s 85th anniversary,” said Karen Jones, GROWMARK’s Publications and News Specialist, who explained that they came up with the idea for the cookbook as a way to allow everyone in the system to participate. “We decided it would be really neat if we could sponsor a charity with the proceeds from the cookbook and we decided on Farmers Feeding the World.”

There are over 1100 recipes in the cookbook, which was sold for $20 each. Jones says there are no plans at the moment to do a second printing of the sold out cookbook, but the recipes are being made available through social media. “On our FS Pintrest boards, we do have a recipe board and we are posting recipes on there occasionally, so even if you didn’t get a chance to buy a book you can still get a few of the best recipes that way,” she said. To find those recipes, go to Pinterest.com/FSservices.

Listen to an interview with Karen here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/growmark/gmk-karen-cookbook.mp3″ text=”GROWMARK’s Karen Jones”]

New Beginnings at Ag Leader Academy

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Ag Leader Academy had an extremely successful year in 2012. It housed nearly 140 Dealer Trainings this year covering 13 different courses! Dealers came from around the world to learn more about Ag Leader products so they could provide their customers the best support possible.

Ag Leaders addition of Hydraulic Down Force and Intellislope has opened up new opportunities at Ag Leader Academy. Ag Leader dealers will now have 15 courses to choose from for 2013. With a rapidly growing product line and the world becoming ever busier it can be difficult for dealers to keep up on latest product functionalities. For 2013 Ag Leader Academy is trying harder than ever to make it more ergonomic for dealers to attend training. Ag Leader dealers will be able to register and attend courses through webinar, self paced training modules and at Ag Leader Academy in Ames. Ag Leader Academy has is excited to launch its new online dealer training platform for 2013. Below is a sneak peak of what Ag Leader dealers have to look forward too! Happy Holidays from the Ag Leader training Team!

Have a Sweet Thanksgiving!

Cindy ZimmermanCompany Announcement, General

Of the many foods we have to be thankful for in this nation, I’ll bet there are lots of people who are thankful every day for the gift of chocolate! Oh yeah!

This is an image of our sweet Thanksgiving greetings sent this year to some of our clients. Hopefully most received them before leaving for the holiday, but if not, it will be waiting for you at your desk on Monday. Some other clients will be receiving a sweet bag of Florida citrus next week. We want you to know how much we appreciate not only your business, but your friendship as well.

We also are very grateful for the hundreds of other business associates and Precision.AgWired.com readers that we count as our friends. Wish we could send everyone a whole bushel of Florida citrus and sweet chocolate to let you know how much we appreciate you! You are all in our prayers of gratitude this holiday and we wish you the sweetest joys of the season!