Precision Education Sessions at AG CONNECT

Cindy ZimmermanAg Connect Expo

There are lots of precision agriculture and technology sessions on tap for the second AG CONNECT Expo that starts Friday at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta.

There will be a lot more people at this second event than there were at the inaugural event in Orlando last year and there will be even more educational opportunities – including breakout sessions, the Progressive Farmer Innovations Theater, new Town Hall forums, and Farm Journal Media presents.

Breakout sessions that might be of interest to the precision-minded farmer on Friday include Sustainability at 9:30 am and Implementing an On-Farm Research Program for Your Farm by Harold Reetz at 1:30 pm.

Saturday sessions include The Economics of Irrigation Efficiency, Is RTK Right for My Operation? and Balancing Crop Nutrient Needs, Economics and Environmental Concerns -all from 8-9 am; Smartphone Technology: Unleashing Agriculture at 9:30; and The Benefits of Center Pivot Irrigation at 1:30. Sunday highlights The Benefits of Drip Irrigation at 9:30 am, and sessions on Making Your Farm Wireless and No Till, both at 1:30. Two final sessions on Monday morning will answer the questions How Does Your Farm Measure Up? and When Is the Best Time to Buy Your Fertilizer?

Precision technology topics featured in the Innovations Theater line-up inclued Vision for 2020: Does Precision Farming Pay? featuring a panel of farmers who are making precision ag pay in their operations at 1 pm on Friday and The Best of All Around the Farm: How to Save Time, Money and Labor on Sunday at 2:30 pm.

There is so much more I can’t get it all in one post – check out the list of educational sessions here or use the handy search function on the AG CONNECT website to create a customized agenda based on your own personal interests.

ZimmPoll Shows Weather As Most Influential

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think will have the biggest influence on ag in 2011?” Here are the results. Most respondents (40%) think weather patterns will have the biggest influence. Other responses include: general U.S. economy (24%); new Republican leadership in House (13%); farm bill (10%); other (10%) and company consolidation (3%). So if you selected other as an answer or have another choice to answer this please submit it in comments.

The new poll is now live and the question is, “What do you think will happen with biofuels policy this year?” The lame duck session of Congress passed a one year extension of the ethanol and biodiesel tax credits. How do you think this will fare with a new Congress? We look forward to your responses.

Remember, you can submit your questions for us to pose and add your feedback anytime by using the comment feature.

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

Variable-rate Irrigation Teams with Prescription Service

Kurt LawtonCompany Announcement, Conservation, Equipment, Fertilizer, Irrigation, Variable rate

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.

Dealer Goes Mobile With Precision Farming Education

Kurt LawtonDealers, Education, Events, Retailers

Educating growers on efficient use of precision agriculture technology was the idea behind a mobile classroom that is hitting the road for Hoober farm equipment dealership, according to a recent story in Lancaster Farming.

Hoober Inc., a farm equipment dealer with stores in Pennsylvania and Delaware, recently completed work on a precision ag training center that will go on the road to provide farmers with knowledge and training.

“Instead of farmers having to come to us, we’re going to the farmers,” said Scott Hoober, product support manager. “What we have done is create a mobile classroom to help farmers understand how to get the most from precision farming technology.

“The use of this technology has just exploded the past several years and it’s reached the point where training is needed to effectively operate the equipment,” Hoober said. “There’s so much this technology can do that many farmers may not fully understand the complete capabilities of their precision ag equipment.”

The climate controlled mobile education center provides a comfortable classroom setting that Hoober believes will enable farmers to feel more comfortable and confident with the technology.

“We believe this kind of essential training is going to help our customers save time because they will then be familiar with the equipment and will be able to, in many cases, make adjustments and corrections when needed themselves,” Hoober said. “That helps them be more productive, and that’s what matters most.”

Read more…

How Does This Thing Work?

Melissa SandfortAgricultural Anthropology

Item #48 on our wedding registry: automatic can opener, a.k.a. item #8 that still sits on the pantry shelf and has never been used. I guess I shouldn’t say never. I think my husband used it once or twice.

Raise your hand if you still use the old-fashioned kind where you have to manually turn the knob. I know, there are hundreds of people out there who complain of wrist pain and arthritis and are looking for a scapegoat, but from the show of hands, I’d say technology may not have won this one.

This is a photo of an old bottle cap lifter and can opener from my grandmother’s collection of antiques. Her mother and grandmother both used it, and to give you an idea, her grandmother was born in 1860 and married at the age of 31. I’m thinking she was using the bottle opener then. In 1891, I doubt they worried about smooth edges on the lid.

So, item #48 will remain on the shelf. Maybe my son will write about it as “one of mom’s antiques” some day.

Until our next history lesson …

Happy New Year Survey Winner

Cindy ZimmermanCompany Announcement

The new year is starting off a little greener for the latest winner in our ZimmComm publication survey drawing.

The winner for December is Michelle Stahlhut, an Agwired reader and crop farmer from Indiana. Michelle actually filled out her survey in November and since we put all the entries back in the pot for the next month, she was the lucky pick today and will be receiving a check for $250 from us.

Here are a few interesting notes about our Precision.AgWired.com readers that we have learned so far from the survey:

Occupation –
30% Farmers – mostly corn and soybeans, also wheat, cotton and peanuts
15% each – Educators, Equipment and Services, Advertising/Marketing/Sales

30% follow Precision.AgWired.com on Twitter

Topics of most interest –
75% General Precision Ag
65% Farming
60% Equipment

The survey continues through January, so please fill it out before the end of the month, if you haven’t done so yet. All entries received so far will be entered to win in the last drawing for $250, which will be held on February 1.

Precision.AgWired.com Survey

Best of 2010 on Precision.AgWired.com

Cindy ZimmermanCompany Announcement, General

More eyeballs were on Precision.AgWired.com in 2010. Readership increased this year by a whopping 66% to 48,000 unique visitors!

Our Precision.AgWired.com reporters were busy in 2010, posting a total of 308 stories, including 54 with audio interviews or podcasts and 15 YouTube videos. The most popular YouTube video of the year was the unveiling of the Chip Foose designed John Deere tractor at Commodity Classic, which has been viewed nearly 13,000 times. Other top videos of the year including the unveiling of the New Holland T8 & T9 Tractors, Opening Day at National Farm Machinery Show, AG CONNECT Expo Preview, and AgLeader at AG CONNECT Expo.

According to page views, the most popular stories of the year on Precision.AgWired.com were:

John Deere Unveils Chip Foose Tractor
Slingshot from Raven at AG CONNECT Expo
How CORS Network Can Fit Precision Farming
John Deere Launches New Precision Technologies
New AgLeader Vacuum Planter Electric Row Shutoff

Thanks to our readers, our sponsors and clients, our freelancers and other friends for making 2010 great! Best wishes to all for a healthy, happy, prosperous and blessed 2011!

Syngenta Talks QuiltXcel With Aerial Applicators

Chuck ZimmermanAerial Application, Audio, NAAA

Jason Beissenherz, Syngenta, (not pictured) brought me up to date on the latest from Syngenta during the recent National Agricultural Aviation Association convention.

Jason works out of Grand Island, NE with a focus on the Syngenta fungicide lineup. He says they’re talking about their new QuiltXcel launch. It was in limited release last year and went into full release this year. He says it’s a great fit for aerial applicators.

Quilt Xcel™ is the next evolution of elite systemic fungicides containing the Power of Two™ active ingredients to provide both curative and preventive disease control to optimize Plant Performance™. This powerful new formulation provides long-lasting residual control of a broad-spectrum of diseases to maximize yield and quality.

You can listen to my interview with Jason here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/naaa/naaa-10-syngenta.mp3″ text=”NAAA Syngenta Interview”]

2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

New Herbicides From Dupont

Chuck ZimmermanAerial Application, Audio, NAAA

During the recent National Agricultural Aviation Association convention I learned what’s new with Dupont.

I spoke with Craig Alford (pictured center) who told me the aerial applicators are very interested in their new Pastora herbicide for Bermudagrass pasture weed control. They also have several other non crop herbicides in the works too.

You can listen to my interview with Craig here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/naaa/naaa-10-dupont.mp3″ text=”NAAA Dupont Interview”]

2010 NAAA Convention Photo Album

Precision.AgWired.com Survey Deadline

Cindy ZimmermanCompany Announcement

Today is the last day of 2010 and the last chance to enter and win $250 in the ZimmComm web publication survey contest this month.

Filling out the survey allows you to have a voice in what we cover here on Precision.AgWired.com in 2011, and the chance to start the new year with a little extra green in your pocket. After we ring in the new year, we will be taking the names of everyone who has filled out an on-line survey in the past two months and putting them all in the hat to draw one winner for the month of December. Everyone, that is, except our lucky winner from last month Jamie Wilson with the Corn Marketing Program of Michigan. She already got her $250.

Right now you have about a 1-500 chance of winning – not bad odds at all! Start out the new year right – with an extra $250 in your pocket – or at least the satisfaction of helping to make Precision.AgWired.com the best agricultural technology news source it can be!

Precision.AgWired.com survey link