Precision | Page 151 | News and reviews from the precision agriculture industry

Accurate Yield Forecasts from Descartes Labs

Kelly MarshallSeptember 13, 2016Agribusiness, Corn, Soybeans, yields

Fields in Humbolt County, Iowa. Green is soy and yellow is corn. Descartes Labs machine learning uses satellite imagery to find fields and then differentiate among different groups.

In August Descartes Labs offered their first 2016 U.S. Corn Yield Forecast and now they’re adding soybeans to the weekly forecast as well.

The forecast is significant because the company is using satellites and weather data to analyze spectral signatures for corn, offering information about crop health and relative productivity. Using a petabyte of data, 30,000 computers and 16 hours to process data, Descartes Labs creates an extremely accurate prediction. In fact, in an 11 year back test the predictions made from this model had a lower rate of error than the USDA’s at every point in the growing season.

This first soybean outlook was projected at 47.89 bushels per acre and 3.98 billion bushels. The newest numbers for this week are 48.3 bushels per acre. The USDA, by contrast, is calculating a total production of 4.20 billion bushels.

The Descartes Labs soy yield is lower than USDA’s. We believe that many other forecast models haven’t captured the effect of August’s mixed weather and its potentially negative impact on “fill,” i.e. the seeds in the soybean pods growing to maturity. Nonetheless, we project 14% of counties to have record soybean production and about two-thirds of counties to be better than their 11 year averages.

The company has also made the numbers available to the public on their website. Each week the latest numbers are published. You can sign up for the newsletter, or download an app as well.

USDA Designates $26 Million For Ag Innovation

Kelly MarshallSeptember 13, 2016Conservation, Government, USDA

The USDA is investing $26.6 million in 45 projects across the country. These projects were selected to encourage conservation initiatives in rural and urban areas. The investment will be matched by public and private entities, making the grand total $59 million.

The investment will go through the USDA’s Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) program. As of 2009 CIG has funded 414 national projects and invested $173 million. The 45 new projects just announced will support the approach of attracting private capital for conservation on working lands.

“The Conservation Innovation Grant program is a highly competitive conservation grant program that helps put the very best conservation tools to work on privately held farms and forests, for maximum environmental impact,” said Vilsack. “This investment will offer farmers, ranchers and forest landowners new ways to protect their natural resources and new revenue streams to keep their operations viable, building on the record amount of conservation work that has already been done under this Administration. Demand for this type of support outpaces what USDA can provide alone, but outside partners are willing to make additional investments because they see the good it can do for the environment and for their communities.”

The selected projects focus on diverse areas. Issues covered include: pollinators; sage-grouse conservation; forest, carbon and corporate chain sustainability; and organic farming.

Bayer Cares for Bees at #FarmProgressShow

Kelly MarshallSeptember 13, 2016Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer CropScience, Bees, Farm Progress Show

Bayer is no stranger to Bee Care. Through the years they’ve offered a variety of programs to support these important pollinators and at the Farm Progress Show I had the opportunity to talk with Becky Langer about their newest initiatives.

Healthy Hives was launched last year, with a focus on researching four key areas relating to bee health: pests and disease, hive management, digital sensors and technology for hives, and bee genetics. Bayer received 20 proposals for projects to study these issues and this June the first seven of those projects was funded. It’s exciting, she told me, that results that should soon be coming in.

“Bees have captured the heart of Americans and are at the forefront of people’s minds. However, bees are without a doubt part of agriculture, so we have to have those innovations to keep our pollinators healthy as well,” Langer said about the recent uptick in innovation for bee care.

The Feed a Bee program was also kick-started last year, with success beyond what the Bayer team had hoped. The initiative anticipated providing 50 million flowers to plant nation wide. They’re now up to 155 million and counting. They’ve also exceeded expectations in terms of partnerships for this program. Initial conjectures were for 50 partners. That number has climbed to 115, with an exciting relationship with the Wildlife Society that will result in 4 national plantings of wildflowers this fall.

“We want everyone to plant flowers. They can all do their part and provide habitat for the bees,” Langer reminds listeners. “And always follow label directions if you are using anything on your farm fields or around your own home.”

Listen to the full interview here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/FPS16-Bayer-Langer.mp3″ text=”Interview with Becky Langer, Bayer Bee Care”]

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Bayer CropScience

GROWMARK Sustainability Efforts Focused on Farmers

Lizzy SchultzSeptember 13, 2016Agribusiness, Audio, Crop Protection, Growmark, sustainability

GROWMARK’s commitment to sustainability was made evident during the 2016 GROWMARK Annual Meeting & Agribusiness Symposium, and Mark Orr, GROWMARK’s Vice President of Agronomy, sat down with AgWired during this year’s event to discuss the ways that the company is working directly with farmers to implement sustainable practices that will improve the long term profitability and success of their farms.

“We really want to focus on profitability at the farm gate. We believe sustainability in the long term has to be profitable for the farmer, and with that being said, we are focusing not only on the agronomic piece of sustainability but the social piece of it, which is also key to remaining sustainable in the long haul,” said Orr.

Orr explained that one of the major sustainability initiatives GROWMARK has brought forward this year is the 4R Sustainability Advocate Program.

“We really want to recognize the crop specialists that are working with the producer on the 4R stewardship practices that are in place throughout their territory,” he said.

GROWMARK is also putting major effort into working with their member farmers on updating some best management practices, especially related to nitrogen management, that will improve the long-term, profitable sustainability on their operations.

Learn more in Lizzy’s full interview with Mark here:
[wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/growmark-16-orr.mp3″ text=”Interview with Mark Orr, GROWMARK”]

Jack McCormick, one of GROWMARK’s Board Members and a corn, wheat, and soybean grower from southern Illinois, is one of GROWMARK’s farmer-owners that has been prioritizing sustainable practices for years. McCormick’s operation utilizes a comprehensive nutrient management system, and the family has been practicing no-till planting since 1970.

“Like anything, you start with the practices, you refine it, and you start doing practices that make sense for the environment and for your operation,” said McCormick in an interview during the Annual Meeting. “The practices that we think make a difference to the public have to do with keeping our water as clean as we can and using practices to keep crop protection products on the field as long as we can. I would like to see everybody embrace as many practices as they can.”

Listen to all of Jack’s thoughts on sustainability in his full interview here:
[wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/growmark-16-mccormick.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jack McCormick, GROWMARK”]

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 GROWMARK Annual Meeting & Agribusiness Symposium Photo Album

Agrivisor Offers Marketing Solutions for Growers

Lizzy SchultzSeptember 12, 2016Ag Group, Agribusiness, Audio, Growmark

Low corn and soybean prices are still placing pressure on growers across the nation, especially with the record yields expected to come out of this year’s harvest season. Cory Winstead, GROWMARK’s Division Manager for Grain Risk, spoke with AgWired during the 2016 GROWMARK Annual Meeting & Agribusiness Symposium last week to discuss ways GROWMARK is helping farmers continue to manage risk and maximize profitability during challenging state of the economy.

“One of the things you really need to look at is putting a plan together, and having that plan put together early. Know where your breakeven is, know what’s profitable and what’s not, and then trying to put forth the tools that will get you there,” he said in an interview during the annual meeting.

Along with his work at GROWMARK, Winstead is a manager at Agrivisor, a joint venture between GROWMARK and the Illinois Farm Bureau, a full service agricultural advisory firm that provides growers with a unique, comprehensive set of risk management tools and marketing services that can help set them up for success.

“We offer marketing solutions, and our products can give you some more premium,” said Winstead. “They’re managed bushel products, so instead of trying to price grain on your own, we allow you to commit on a cash grain contract and select an analyst to price the grain for you over a time period.”

Learn more about AgriVisor in his full interview here:
[wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/growmark-16-winstead.mp3″ text=”Interview with Cory Winstead, GROWMARK/Agrivisor”]

View and download photos from the event here: 2016 GROWMARK Annual Meeting & Agribusiness Symposium Photo Album

Ag Leader Still Leading the Way

Kelly MarshallSeptember 12, 2016Ag Leader, Agribusiness, Farm Progress Show

The Farm Progress Show is a great place to be, Jeff Dickens of Ag Leader told AgWired. Not only is it an opportunity to meet with current customers and talk to potential ones, it’s also about getting feedback to take back to the office, or maybe even getting that next big idea.

Ag Leader is no stranger to big ideas. The company began in 1992 with an idea that is now common place in its usefulness- the yield monitor. While that one big idea put them on the map, Ag Leader is still out there, bringing the best to their customers. At the Farm Progress Show they announced the development of DisplayCast, a real-time, display-to-display communication to InCommand 1200 and InCommand 800.

The new DisplayCast offers maps and guidance lines synced across fields, activities, and equipment, providing a seamless solution for communication.

To hear more about Ag Leader, listen to Clint’s interview here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/FPS16-AgLeader-Dickens.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jeff Dickens, Ag Leader”]

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

NCGA Urges Comments on EPA Atrazine Findings

Kelly MarshallSeptember 12, 2016Ag Group, EPA, Farm Progress Show, Herbicides, NCGA

It’s ironic, reports the National Corn Growers Association, that the EPA would be critical of a product that helps reduce erosion and runoff and protects our soil and water. But the fact of the matter is that the EPA has released a risk assent for atrazine, effectively banning the product.

NCGA First VP elect Kevin Skunes from North Dakota talked about the issue during the 2016 Farm Progress Show. Back in June of this year, EPA released its draft ecological risk assessment for atrazine as part of the herbicide’s re-registration process. Skunes says that if the assessment stands, then atrazine will effectively be banned from use. This is a big negative for the ag industry, because, says Skunes, the herbicide plays an important role in conservation cropping systems that help reduce soil erosion.

In addition, says Skunes, there are no other herbicides that do what atrazine does in relation to combating weed resistance. Regarding EPA’s recommendation to limit the use of atrazine, Skunes, says, “It’s just a horrible decision on their part in my opinion because they are not basing their decision on sound science. There are over 7,000 studies out there that show atrazine is safe as an effective crop protection tool.” He noted that even the World Health Organization has studies showing atrazine is safe.

The NCGA is asking farmers to make their voices heard at wwww.ncga.com/atz. The deadline for comments in October 4. Learn more about EPA’s atrazine assessment by listening to my interview with Kevin Skunes: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps-16-skunes.mp3″ text=”Interview with Kevin Skunes, NCGA”]

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Agricen Announces Operation in Australia

Kelly MarshallSeptember 12, 2016Agribusiness, Company Announcement

The plant health technology company, Agricen is now operating in Australia. Using the name Agricen Australia the company is producing sustainable fertilizer biocatalyst products under the brands Basis and Foundation. Products are natural and locally sourced and are manufactured at a newly constructed plant in Dandenong.

“This is an important milestone for Agricen’s growth into new international markets as well as for Australian agriculture, which now has access to a new generation of sustainable plant health technologies,” says Michael Totora, President and CEO of Agricen.

Basis and Foundation LM are agricultural biostimulants derived from diverse, naturally occurring microbial communities and designed to work with a grower’s existing crop fertility program to increase nutrient availability and improve overall plant performance. Basis is specifically formulated for use with granular fertilizers, while Foundation LM is formulated for use with spray applications, including liquid fertilizers, ground-applied herbicides and broadacre sprays. Since the initiation of production in Australia over the past year, Basis and Foundation LM have been tested across Australia and used to improve the health and productivity of crops that include canola, wheat, pulses and fresh produce/horticultural crops such as strawberries, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Chinese cabbage (wombok) and sugar cane.

“With the new operation in Australia, our products are now being distributed across three continents: North America, South America and Australia,” reports Totora. “We are excited by the momentum and interest in Agricen’s technologies—and their positive contribution to growers’ cropping programs and sustainability efforts.”

Bayer Talks Fungicides at #FarmProgressShow

Kelly MarshallSeptember 12, 2016Agribusiness, Bayer CropScience, Farm Progress Show, Fungicides

Thorsten Schwindt is the product manager for corn and soybean fungicides, representing Bayer‘s brands like Stratego. He knows farmers are facing more than just low commodity prices– both this year and last growers have been dealing with high disease pressure as well. At the Farm Progress Show I got to talk with Schwindt about what Bayer is doing on that front.

Anthracnose is especially noticeable this time of year as black powder coats the combine and dings the yield during harvest. The good news is there’s an easy fix. An early application (between V4 to V7) done with a post emergent herbicide is something growers do anyway and isn’t a high-end investment. The early application means protection from the start, protecting the crop from yield drag.

Also on Schwindt’s radar is their new brand, Absolute Maxx. It’s value for disease control is mainly in the High Plains in Nebraska and Kansas, where farmers are growing both corn and wheat.

“In geographies where you are more on a corn/wheat rotation Absolute Max really fits the needs of the grower like a glove because it’s a great brand at tassel time in corn and at the same time I think its about the best brand we’ve seen in terms of stripe rust in the field this year,” Schwindt told me.

To learn more about Bayer’s fungicide lineup, listen to the full interview here: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/FPS16-Bayer-Schwindt.mp3″ text=”Interview with Thorsten Schwindt, Bayer”]

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

Agrible at #FarmProgressShow

Cindy ZimmermanSeptember 12, 2016Audio, Farm Progress Show, technology

Agrible was showcasing its “alien technology” at the 2016 Farm Progress Show.

“It really is so far ahead and so foreign to a lot of people that it just seems alien,” said Agrible sales director Jason Little.

Among Agrible’s alien technology products is the free Find My Seed™ tool which combines searchable data from over 300,000 third-party seed trial plots covering 23,000 different seed varieties. “It’s an independent seed trial aggregator,” said Little. “Based on the criteria, it will search the data base and come back with the hybrids that have the highest yield advantage.”

Agrible just expanded Find My Seed™ to include five additional crop types. In addition to corn and soybeans, Find My Seed now includes thousands of varieties of wheat, barley, peanuts, oats, and cotton.

Learn more about Agrible in this interview: [wpaudio url=”http://traffic.libsyn.com/zimmcomm/fps16-agrible.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jason Little, Agrible”]

2016 Farm Progress Show Photos

Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by

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