Designing field terraces will soon become easier thanks to a new Internet-based terrace design tool under development at the University of Missouri. Allen Thompson, Associate Professor of Biological and Agricultural Engineering, says his computer-assisted tool can upload GPS-based topographical data to facilitate design and installation on complex fields. Another benefit, aside from cutting the terrace development process in half, is … Read More
Add Precision Farming Promotion To Your Chore List
One important item on your list of daily chores should be to help educate our customer, the consumer. To that end, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) has a site called Corn Farmers Coalition. Not only does it highlight growers using precision agriculture tools that help reduce environmental impact (see “Farmer Innovations” tab), it also features excellent corn facts. It was … Read More
Precision Farming Advances in Popular Science
Popular Science magazine did a nice job providing readers with a glimpse into the precision agriculture research that is needed to grow twice as much food by 2050. The writer talked about how this challenge is everyone’s problem, but scientists are hard at work fomenting a second green revolution. Here are the research projects that the magazine chose: 1. Sahara … Read More
Precision Ag Retailer Blogs To Customers And Fans
Does your precision technology provider deliver good information to you in methods beyond direct contact or a Website? A good lesson regarding customer service and expanded ways to connect with customers comes from precision agriculture solutions provider HTS Precision Ag, based in Harlan, Iowa. For example, check out their blog called “Precision Ag Explained,” where Adam Gittins posts weekly insights … Read More
New USDA Satellite Images of Ag Land
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) just released new satellite images of agricultural land cover for the 2008 crop year. The images, referred to as the Cropland Data Layer (CDL), identify geospatial crop locations in three U.S. regions: the Mid-Atlantic and, for the first time, the Southwest and Southeast. The CDL information is a useful tool for projects ranging from … Read More
Virtual Weather Technology Helps Agronomic Decisions
At this week’s InfoAg 2009 precision farming conference, National Corn Grower Association yield champion David Hula of Renwood Farms in eastern Virginia gave a presentation on technology and productivity. As a seed producer, he likes to keep his customers informed on proper planting dates. One technology he uses to do this is Skybit.com. Hula says this virtual weather station accurately … Read More
New Precision Weather Growing Degree Days Tool
Track your current and past Growing Degree Days (GDD) to help with crop scouting for pests using a new tool developed through the joint efforts of Monsanto and The Weather Channel. Since the January launch of The Weather Channel’s ‘Agriculture News & Forecast’ web page, growers who used the site requested the addition of a GDD calculator. To access the … Read More
Promote Precision Ag Benefits Beyond The Choir
As efficient farmers–using precision agriculture tools to apply less fertilizer, herbicides, insecticides, et. al.–you know your technology ROI is helping your bottom line. But do the people we feed know the improvements–in crops as well as livestock? Sadly, no they don’t. It’s time we all make a greater effort to use some precision social media tools (Twitter and Facebook, along … Read More
Get Precision Answers From University Experts
Got any burning questions in the geospatial technology realm? How about simply reading good Q&A about everything and anything related to GPS-based technology? You can do both thanks to an ask the experts page in the new website being started by knowledge and experts from 74 land grant institutions. For example, here is one recent Q&A… QUESTION: If the GPS … Read More
How To Think About Variable Rate
With fertilizer costs and 2009 cropping plans being top-of-mind right now, variable-rate (VR) application is an option you should explore to improve efficiency. But where does one begin their thought process to understand the value of VR? The story of Durango Farms in Lacombe, Alberta is a story worth reading because it walks you through their thinking. This presentation was part … Read More