Save Chemical Input Cost with Precision Farming Technology

Kurt LawtonConservation, Fertilizer, Guidance, Harvesting, Planting, seed, Spraying, Variable rate

In the North Dakota Farm Business Management Program, coordinator Steve Metzger says producers are telling him they are using far less chemicals, saving money and the environment thanks to the tools of precision agriculture, according to a recent story in Farm & Ranch Guide. “We talk to each producer that we work with, and they are the ones telling us … Read More

Early Registration Begins for 2011 Commodity Classic

Kurt LawtonCommodity Classic, Education, Equipment, Farmers, Industry News, Resources

Set sail for Tampa, Fla., March 3-5, 2011 to attend the annual gathering of soybean, corn, wheat and sorghum growers at the 2011 Commodity Classic. Sign up before January 20 and save bushels of value on your registration fees. This year’s Commodity Classic will feature high-energy discussions at more than 30 educational sessions. Explore a trade show floor packed with … Read More

New Control For Air Cart Seeding and Fertilizer Application

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Company Announcement, Fertilizer, Planting, seed, Variable rate

Grower who want precision control of their air carts will soon be available from Ag Leader Technology to control seeding and granular fertilizer application. This new functionality enables control of up to three channels of granular product or a combination of one channel of seed and two channels of granular product. The new Air Cart support provides the benefits of … Read More

Powerful Software and Good Data Drives Better Decisions

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Data Collection, Fertilizer, Insights Weekly, Research, Retailers, Software, Variable rate

What if you had good solid data that could be correlated and optimized for fertility, seeding rate, hybrid/variety type, and crop inputs—all by different management zones—for every field you farm? To that end, I spoke today with John McGuire, owner and tech guru of Simplified Technology Services in Montpelier, Oh., who is helping growers in northwest Ohio figure out their … Read More

Precision VR Manure Application Trials Promising

Kurt LawtonFertilizer, Variable rate

A recent Canadian demonstration project to determine if variable rate (VR) fertilizer techniques work for manure was featured in the recent National Hog Farmer magazine. Producers were impressed with the concept, but found current manure application technology fell short of the challenge. The potential agronomic/economic benefit would be increased yields in more productive areas of the field by applying more nutrients … Read More

How to Choose GPS/GNSS Accuracy

Kurt LawtonGPS, Guidance, Satellite, University

If you’re just starting to look at more advanced precision agriculture practices on your farm such as auto steer, take a look at your operation to see which signal is right for you. Jonathan Hall, a grad assistant at Auburn University, offers some tips on the Precision Ag Blog. After exploring all of the equipment that can be purchased, you … Read More

Just What the Heck is ISO 11783 and Why Should I Care?

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Displays, Insights Weekly, Standards, sustainability

If you’re not a tech head, ISOBUS talk may just be a flyover term that causes one’s eyes to glaze over. In reality, it’s a great technology standard that is working toward having all electronics of all implement brands and colors speak the same language. In brief, ISO 11783 is an international standard of ‘electronic language’ that is specific to … Read More

Soil Test Service Tests SMS Mobile PC Software

Kurt LawtonAg Leader, Dealers, Insights Weekly, Software, Variable rate

The advent of handheld computers with valuable ag software has been great to collect more in-field data whether it’s recording such things as pest/weed locations, soil sample locations and much more. But if you’re a constant user day after day, that tiny screen can get tough on the eyes. That is exactly the challenge that John Gullidge and their 20 … Read More

Ag Drainage Mgmt Coalition Names Reetz Exec Director

Kurt LawtonAg Group, Company Announcement, Conservation, Irrigation, sustainability

The Agricultural Drainage Management Coalition (ADMC) has named Dr. Harold F. Reetz, Jr. its new executive director. ADMC is dedicated to educating farm, drainage, conservation, and regulatory groups about the latest drainage water management system technologies, which can help benefit crops and reduce nutrient enrichment of surface water. Its members include equipment manufacturers, drainage contractors, and state commodity associations. The … Read More