Ten years of research by Dr. Raj Khosla and his precision agriculture grad students at Colorado State University has produced a soil color based management zone technique that accurately optimizes Nitrogen use efficiency within and across zones in given corn fields. “Once farmers realize the value of varying N rates based on field productivity zones, most want to add more … Read More
New Prescription N Application Sensor
At this week’s InfoAg 2009 conference, precision.agwired.com caught up with Ag Leader Technology’s Roger Zielke to discuss a new sensor-driven product designed to help growers apply prescription Nitrogen rates by measuring the health of the growing crop. Zielke, who heads up new business development for Ag Leader, describes how this Holland Scientific light sensor reads light reflectance of the growing … Read More
Plan Now For Better Fall Fertilizer Control
With corn tassels popping rapidly across the Corn Belt, growers continue scouting and are beginning to think about harvest prep work as well as fall fertilization strategies. While attending this week’s InfoAg 2009 conference, precision.agwired.com caught up with Ag Leader Technology’s Jeff Bentley to gain more insight into grower use of accurate fertilizer control. In this interview, Bentley, who heads … Read More
InfoAg Speaker Promotes Fertilizer BMP Needs
Encouraging all farmers, not just the technology adopters, to use precision fertilizer Best Management Practices (BMPs) was the theme of an opening session talk by Clyde Graham, VP of Strategy and Alliances with the Canadian Fertilizer Institute. Speaking at the bi-annual precision agriculture InfoAg conference in Springfield, Ill., today, Graham cited the importance of a global 4Rs BMP effort with … Read More
Precision Agriculture Benefits Presented at United Nations
“Technology has reduced the amount of herbicides and pesticides needed, requiring less energy per bushel produced, thus reducing our carbon footprint.” That was one of many precision farming efficiency messages delivered by Rob Korff last week at a United Nations food security meeting. Korff, Missouri family farmer and chairman of the National Corn Growers Association Biotechnology Working Group, explained how … Read More
Precision Farming In India
Part of India’s National Agriculture Development Program (NADP) promotes a precision farming technique that is gaining popularity, according to a recent story in India’s national newspaper, The Hindu. Over the past two years, precision farming techniques have been promoted in 900 hectares across the district in various crops including sugarcane, maize, brinjal, tomato, onion, tapioca, sunflower and groundnut. With installation of … Read More
Farmer Succeeds With Variable Rate Precision Tools
On variable soils, Indiana farmer Eric Wappel has found precision agriculture success by varying fertilizer and seeding rates, according to a recent story in Indiana Prairie Farmer magazine. “We use variable rate application to spread phosphorus, potassium and ag lime,” he notes. “What we put where depends upon soil sample results. Soil sampling comes first. We use hybrids, but also … Read More
Southern Growers Find Precision Farming Pays
Using GPS guidance and precise metering systems to cut P and K rates 40 to 50% while maintaining good yields is catching on in the south, according to a recent piece in Delta Farm Press magazine. Glenn and Rodney Mast who farm near Columbus, Miss., say precision farming technology is helping them achieve such efficiencies. “When you put the fertilizer into … Read More
Precision Air Seeding From Raven & Seed Hawk
This fall, a new line of precision application and planter section control will be offered on the Canadian Seed Hawk line of seeders, controlled by Raven’s Viper Pro, thanks to a collaboration by the two companies. The first of these solutions combines fertilizer and seed section control from Raven with patent-pending seeder technology from Seed Hawk. Known as Sectional Control … Read More
Trimble Acquires NTech & GreenSeeker Technology
Trimble expands its precision agriculture solutions offering by acquiring NTech, a leading provider of crop-sensing technology GreenSeeker and WeedSeeker. NTech products use optical sensing and variable rate application to apply only the inputs needed to maximize crop yield. The GreenSeeker nitrogen application system determines the health of a plant in real time and delivers the optimum amount of nitrogen. The … Read More