Farmers know that planter skips and doubles are costly, especially given current grain prices. Fortunately some of today’s monitors can really help pinpoint when a specific row unit causes an error—and that information can lead to quicker and more efficient troubleshooting and repairs. I spoke with Will Cannon today, SeedCommand product specialist with Ag Leader Technology, to learn about how … Read More
Precision Farming Hardware Training Builds Happy Customers
During the hundreds of interviews I’ve conducted with farmers over the years for stories on precision farming tools, I’d have to say that every one of them has touched on the value of their local dealer. Without their set up, training and troubleshooting expertise, adoption of this technology would not be where it is today. To that end, I spoke … Read More
Can’t Beat Personal Precision Farming Software Training
Had the pleasure this week of talking to a great guy, George Ropp of RCMS Consulting, who is 74 years young and still helping farmers—use computer software, no less. Ropp, of Van Wert, Ohio, decided to get into GPS work after retiring from the county extension service in the early 1990s. “I started grid soil sampling fields for the local … Read More
Iowa Power Farming Show Ready for 56th Year
The fourth largest indoor farm show in the country is prepping for it’s 56th annual show in Des Moines, Ia., on February 1-3. It continues to break attendance records now for seven years in a row, with around 19,000 attendees spread out among six floors in the three buildings that comprise the Iowa Events Center (Hy-Vee Exhibit Hall, Wells Fargo … Read More
The Year in Precision Farming – 2010 Recap
This past week, I caught up with Matt Darr, Iowa State University ag engineer and precision farming guru, to chat with him about this past year in precision agriculture. “We’ve said for a few years now that ‘accuracy is addictive.’ Well farmers are proving that as this has been a year driven by higher precision—a move to more RTK accuracy.” … Read More
Year-End Tax Deductions on Equipment Buys
With the end of the year upon us, it’s always wise to check with your tax professional to discuss possible year-end investment strategies on equipment purchases. Gary J. Hoff, agricultural economist, University of Illinois, says that legislation passed by Congress and signed by the President on September 27, 2010 will reduce the tax bite for many farmers this year. Here’s … Read More
Nitrogen Sensor Unplanned Test Convinces Grower of Value
You know how sometimes things happen in farm fields that are either out of your control, or perhaps something known as operator error. Well, some of those oops provide valuable learning experiences, don’t they?! Such was the case with central Nebraska farmer Kurt Kroeger. Now Kroeger is a fairly advanced precision ag aficionado, playing with many things on his 1,250 … Read More
Post Harvest Precision Farming Projects
Many growers across the Midwest report one of the best weather harvests in a long time. I know my brother and cousin in central Iowa finished their shared harvest duties earlier than anyone in the family can remember. And the nice thing about that—more fall field work was completed. While it’s a big relief that the crop is in, make … Read More
Powerful Software and Good Data Drives Better Decisions
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
Just What the Heck is ISO 11783 and Why Should I Care?
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