Advanced Biological Marketing (ABM) has filed an application with US patent office for a Trichoderma strain that may mean new things for agriculture. ABM currently uses other Trichoderma strains in their ag products, including the SabrEx line. This new strain is uniquely versatile in its capabilities and provides new and enhanced properties to ABM’s previously patented Trichoderma products. The benefits … Read More
Precision Ag Bytes
Compass Minerals is welcoming Vatren Jurin on board to expand the company’s specialty liquid micronutrient products for agriculture. Jurin is a plant nutrition veteran, with more than 25 years of experience in the industry. The 19th edition of Farm Estate and Business Planning by Dr. Neil Harl is now available in print or pdf format. The 510 page book offers guidance … Read More
Ag Technology Plows Ahead
Market prices and a generally “down” farm economy have most farmers tucking away the checkbook, expect, it seems, when it comes to new technologies. In a recent report from Caledonia Solutions, a research and consulting firm in Minneapolis, as many as 1 out of every 4 large farmers are actually planning to increase spending on data and equipment technology. Agriculture … Read More
EPA Approves Varisto Herbicide from BASF
The EPA has given the go-ahead to BASF‘s Varisto herbicide. The product may be used on clover grown for seed, dry beans, dry peas, English peas, lima beans (succulent), snap beans and soybeans. The herbicide offers a wide spectrum of broadleaf and grass weed control. “Varisto herbicide offers multiple sites of action for excellent weed control and resistance management in … Read More
NAS Reaffirms Safety and Benefits of GMOs
The National Academy of Sciences has released (yet another) report reaffirming the safety and benefits of GMO crops. Not surprisingly this report has lead to a flurry of reactions across multiple social media platforms, both positive and negative. Agricultural groups are also responding. From the American Soybean Association and the National Corn Growers Association to the Coalition for Safe and Affordable Food, … Read More
USDA Offers Research Funding for Water Problems
The USDA is making $10.7 million available to fund research for water problems in rural and agricultural watersheds in the U.S. The funding is available through the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) and administered by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). “Finding solutions for dealing water scarcity as well as maintaining water quality is critical for communities … Read More
ISPA Award Nominations Closing Soon
The International Society for Precision Agriculture is extending the deadline for two award nominations to Friday, June 10, 2016, but that date is quickly approaching! Now is the time to nominate a scientists or professional for the Pierre C. Robert Precision Agriculture Award and a student for the Graduate Student Award. Pierre C. Robert Precision Agriculture Award(s): The Pierre C. … Read More
Kubota to Purchase Great Plains Manufacturing
Kubota Corporation has announced plans to purchase Great Plains Manufacturing, Inc., based in Salina, Kansas. The purchase will expand the current partnership with Land Pride and includes all five Great Plains divisions, their multiple facilities in Kansas and a manufacturing plant in England. “This acquisition aligns with our long-term strategic vision to continue our market expansion and provide high-quality products … Read More
Southern States Cooperative Offers Precision Program
Southern States Cooperative is debuting their new precision agriculture program with options for beginner, intermediate and advanced-level farm data management. The program offers three tiered packages, Discovery, Evaluation and Analysis. The Discovery option lets growers get started with a basic package. It features a season-long program to help provide information that allows the user to make better informed decisions with … Read More
New Discovery A Boon for Plant Breeders
The idea of “dark matter” may send your mind to astronomy (or at least science fiction), but plant scientists have discovered what they’re terming “dark matter” in the maize genome. This new discovery is a tiny percentage of regulatory DNA, and accounts for approximately half of the variations in observable traits that occur in corn. Cornell University and Florida State … Read More