Top 10 Ag Technologies from 2010 by Farm Progress

Kurt LawtonCorn, Guidance, Harvesting, Industry News, Planting, Raven, seed, Software, Soybeans, Tillage, Variable rate

Take a look at a story in Indiana Prairie Farmer that selected ten different agricultural technologies of interest this year. They listed: – Raven Sling Shot system – Connected Farm concept – GSI Binspector – Grain entrapment rescue tubes – Votivo nematicide seed treatment – SmartStax corn – Agrisure Viptera trait – Surveillance sunglasses – Vertical till revolution – Kixor … Read More

Why Advanced Technology is Needed in Farming

Kurt LawtonConservation, Education, Fertilizer, sustainability, Variable rate

Urban Lehner, head of editorial for DTN/The Progressive Farmer, wrote an opinion piece this week that talks about the need for precision farming technology to help balance high-yield production with environmental needs. In the piece he writes… “But, for the foreseeable future, technology will be the key to boosting yields and avoiding billions of acres of forests and grasslands morphing … Read More

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

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

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

PepsiCo Unveils Global Precision Farming Plans

Kurt LawtonCompany Announcement, Farmers, Fertilizer, GPS, International, Irrigation, sustainability, Variable rate

Yes, PepsiCo, one of the world’s largest food and beverage companies, is working with farmers in Europe by rolling out its i-crop precision farming program. PepsiCo announced plans to roll-out its new i-crop farming technology on a global basis. The web-based tool, which was developed by PepsiCo in conjunction with Cambridge University, United Kingdom, is a crop management system that … Read More

New European TalkingFields Service Offers Real Advice

Kurt LawtonAerial Imagery, Fertilizer, GPS, International, Remote sensing, Satellite, Variable rate

A European Space Agency (ESA) project , TalkingFields, aims to takes satellite observations of fields and provide actionable advice to farmers throughout the growing season. The TalkingFields initiative is now showing how to combine satellite observation with satellite navigation to benefit European farmers. Sustainable food production and food security are critical challenges. TalkingFields will help by using precision farming methods … Read More