Weather Outlook from #NFMS17

Kelly Marshallclimate, National Farm Machinery Show, weather

Bryce Anderson, Senior Ag Meteorologist at DTN/The Progressive Farmer, spoke to attendees of the recent National Farm Machinery Show about his predictions for the coming growing season.

On the weather side of things he says the corn belt is looking good. The Pacific Ocean has moved from a weak La Nina weather pattern to more average temperatures, and may even warm up to a weak El Nino pattern during the heart of the growing season instead.

“This is important because when El Nino is in effect during the growing season it is a benign player for our corn belt conditions,” Anderson says. “We have had some of our best yielding years when El Nino has been going on. So the message that I’m giving to growers here is that I think we are in line for at least trend-line yields again for the coming year.”

Growers face a lot of uncertainty, weather being only one, but this year scientists find themselves in a similar position, Anderson notes. The Trump administration’s positions on matters like climate change may affect programs like The National Weather Service, but there’s a chance current philosophies will be moderated by the time they make it into action. It’s a time to be alert, Anderson advises. This is a game of watching and waiting and monitoring.

To listen to Chuck’s full interview with Anderson, listen here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nfms17-dtn-anderson.mp3″ text=”Interview with Bryce Anderson, DTN/The Progressive Farmer”]

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC

Bayer Aims to Support Pollinator Projects in 50 States

Kelly MarshallBayer CropScience, Bees, pollinators

The Feed a Bee program has planted more than 2 billion wildflowers with the help of 900,000 individuals and 117 partner organizations in the past three years, but Bayer says it’s not stopping there. The company recently requested proposals to establish pollinator forage in all 50 states by 2018, hoping to build upon their success and move the needle forward.

The Feed a Bee Steering Committee, made up of Feed a Bee partners and representatives from the Bayer Bee Care Program, will be contributing $500,000 for research and additional forage over the course of the next two years.

“We convened the steering committee to address an extreme need, now more than ever, to invest in forage and planting initiatives across the country,” said Dr. Becky Langer, project manager, North American Bee Health, Crop Science, a division of Bayer. “Today’s announcement represents a collaborative effort of some of the leading bee health stakeholders who are making it our mission to support the expansion of these programs and make sure organizations in every state in the U.S. have the opportunity to bring their pollinator initiatives to life.”

The committee is requesting forage initiative proposals that will promote pollinator health and help provide a tangible solution to the current lack of forage. Organizations including, but not limited to, nonprofits, growers (individual and trade groups), beekeepers (individual and associations), businesses, schools, clubs, gardening groups, government agencies, etc. are encouraged to submit a proposal.

DuPont Receives Registration for FeXapan Herbicide

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Dupont Crop Protection, EPA, Herbicides

The EPA has granted approval for DuPont‘s FeXapan herbicide plus Vapor Grip Technology on Roundup Ready 2 Xtend soybeans and cotton. The herbicide offers weed control that can be used in-crop over soybean and cotton varieties tolerant to dicamba and glyphosate. The product will be available this year to control kochia, marestail and amaranth species.

“There is a critical need among growers to find effective solutions for controlling herbicide-resistant weeds and protecting soybean yield,” said James Hay, business director, North America, DuPont Crop Protection. “We’re pleased to introduce a complete solution for success that includes FeXapan™ herbicide plus VaporGrip™ Technology and high-yielding genetics with the Roundup Ready 2 Xtend® trait to address those concerns while making best long-term use of crop production technologies. FeXapan™ is a strong addition to the innovative DuPont portfolio of weed-, disease- and insect-control solutions.”

FeXapan™ employs a new formulation of dicamba that offers a significant reduction in volatility potential compared with conventional dicamba herbicides, which helps minimize off-target movement when used according to label guidelines.

#NFMS17 Enjoys John Deere’s New 5R Tractors

Kelly MarshallAudio, John Deere, National Farm Machinery Show, Tractor

Chris Lammie is pretty excited about his job with John Deere small tractors– especially the brand new 5R Series being shown at the National Farm Machinery Show. The 5R series features incredible maneuverability with a 12.1 foot turning radius, a comfortable cab, brand new loader, improved visibility and a fully electronic clutch.

It also comes with a fantastic lighting package, combined with the panoramic cab roof and interactive display now on the righthand post that mean the user can see everywhere at a glance.

“And it’s incredibly comfortable” Lammie told Chuck Zimmerman at NFMS. “All day I’ve been watching people climb up in it. They sit down in the seat and you see them smile, and whoever they’re with they say ‘Oh yeah, this is good.'”

The 5R was also designed to go with the John Deere 540R Loader. The loader’s automatic mast latch, single-point hydraulic connection, remote implement latch and slide-slung self-leveling links provide an integrated loader experience for the 5R Tractor operator. Removal or installation of the loader can be accomplished with a single trip out of the cab, thanks to a latch system that automatically connects the loader once contact is made between the loader boom and mounting frames, simplifying the connection process.

Listen to Chuck’s full interview with Lammie here to learn about availability and other features of the 5R series:[wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nfms17-deere-lammie.mp3″ text=”Interview with Chris Lammie, John Deere”]

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC

Precision Ag Bytes

Kelly MarshallPrecision Ag Bytes

  • Geographic Farm has withstood the comprehensive vetting process and is now an Approved Supplier of real estate media services for RE/MAX’s network of affiliates, agents and brokers, meaning the company may now offer its high-return ad-optimization, lead-generation, conversion, and marketing services to RE/MAX.
  • BASF has supported students experimenting with plant cuttings in zero gravity with research know-how, scientific consultancy, materials and equipment.  Now that trial has launched into space for a stay at the International Space Station.  If cuttings can be used to grow food in space it will be a significant advance for long-term space missions.
  • Tomorrow will kick off the PrecisionAg Professional Innovation Series Conference in St. Louis, Missouri. Ag retailers, cooperatives, agronomic and precision consultants, extension specialists, and equipment dealers will attend to discover the latest technologies.

Regional Conservation Legacy Awards Announced

Kelly MarshallAg Group, ASA, Award, Soybeans

The American Soybean Association offers congratulations to Andy Bendsend of Dallas, Wisconsin (Midwest Region), Keith Masser from Sacramento, Pennsylvania (Northeast Region) and Matt Griggs hailing from Humboldt, Tennessee (South Region) as regional winners of this year’s Conservation Legacy Awards.

The three winners will be honored at the ASA Awards Banquet at Commodity Classic on March 3. At that time one of the three will be announced as the national winner.

The Conservation Legacy Awards program was created to recognize the efforts and achievements of soybean farmers to improve the environment and produce more sustainable soybeans. Winners are selected by a national committee that evaluates each candidate’s environmental and economic program. Sponsors for the award are: ASA, BASF, Monsanto, Corn & Soybean Digest, the United Soybean Board/Soybean Checkoff and Valent.

Camso Launches AG 2500 Series Tracks at #NFMS17

Kelly MarshallAudio, Camso, National Farm Machinery Show

“There are a lot of reasons why you should be running a track system, but yield is what it all boils down to,” Eric Blondeau Executive Director of Tracks and Wheels at Camso told Chuck Zimmerman.

For growers already familiar with the track’s benefits of being able to work in the fields whenever they like without compromising the soil, Camso has a new product they’re debuting at the National Farm Machinery Show. The AG 2500 series was designed to match what a grower might be getting from his competitor, but with Camso’s quality and unique compounds that make it available at 15% less. “When it’s time to change, you’ll be very happy with our product,” Blondeau says, “and your pocket will be even happier.”

The AG 2500 series tracks are available for all friction-drive tractors, including the John Deere 8RT and 9RT tractors as well as the AGCO MT700 and MT800 platforms.

For more information about the AG 2500 series listen to Chuck’s full interview with Blondeau here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nfms17-camso-eric.mp3″ text=”Interview with Eric Blondeau, Camso”]

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC

Land O’ Lakes Inc. Issues Drone Challenge

Kelly MarshallAward, Contest, drone, Land O'Lakes

Land O’Lakes, Inc. has issued the Drone Challenge, to urge developers to create solutions for precision agriculture. A $140,000 grand prize will be awarded, along with two $5,000 runner-up awards.

“We’re offering the Land O’Lakes Prize to accelerate the development of drones for the ag industry. We believe with a few more years of work and the direction we’re providing, backed by insights from our network of 300,000 farmers, we can create a marketplace for drones that ultimately creates better solutions for the farming community,” said Mike Macrie, chief information officer for Land O’Lakes.

As a farmer-owned cooperative, Land O’Lakes offers its member-owners a rich Ag Tech portfolio through its Geosys and WinField® United businesses, including tools like R7® by WinField. Combining this world class imagery and existing precision agriculture tools with an automated, scalable drone solution has the potential to provide even more valuable decision making data to farmers.

FMC Talks Weed Technologies at #NFMS17

Kelly MarshallAudio, FMC, National Farm Machinery Show, Weed control

Technologies used to control weeds today took perhaps decades to come online, Nick Hustedde of FMC told Chuck Zimmerman at the National Farm Machinery Show. That’s why it’s so important to preserve what we have and make it last as long as we can; looking down the line the technologies available to us today will need to last for the next ten years.

We need multiple, effective modes of action to really preserve those technologies, Hustedde says.  Pre-Emergence is important not just for yield potential, but also to limit the number of weeds exposed to the post-emerge treatment.

“When we think about just a general principle in weed science, one in one billion of any given weeds can be resistant to any given herbicide. That’s just how they adapt in nature, so if we’ve got a solid pre-treatment out, we’re minimizing the number of individuals exposed, we’re really doing a better job of stewarding those post technologies.”

Growers need to think about weed management as a long term process, Hustedde emphasizes. Listen to Chuck’s full interview with him here to learn about FMC’s trials in evaluating weed resistance: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/nfms17-fmc-hustedde-herbicides.mp3″ text=”Interview with Nick Hustedde, FMC”]

2017 National Farm Machinery Show Photo Album

Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by
Coverage of the National Farm Machinery Show is sponsored by FMC

Monarch Collaborative Urges Farmers to Build on Progress

Kelly MarshallGovernment, pollinators

We’ve seen progress on behalf of promoting the conservation of monarch butterflies and expanding their habitat, but improvement still needs to be made, says the Monarch Collaborative. The 2016-2017 overwintering population estimates done by the World Wildlife Fund and the Mexican National Commission of Protected Natural Areas show a decline of nearly 27 percent in the number of eastern monarch butterflies migrating to Mexico compared to last year.

“Farmers and agricultural producers are stewards of the land across much of the eastern monarch butterfly’s habitat — placing them in a unique position to support sustainable monarch populations,” said Ethan Mathews, Director of Public Policy for the National Corn Growers Association. “These new population numbers underscore the challenges the eastern monarch butterfly population faces — as well as the unique role agricultural stakeholders can play.”Read More