Airless Radial Tire Recognized

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Award

turf-2The MICHELIN X TWEEL TURF, Michelin’s highly advanced airless radial tire, has been awarded Honorable Mention in the Create the Future Design Contest.  Chosen from more than 1, 150 new product submissions from 60 countries, the tire was one of 22 winners and honorable mentions selected for their innovation, manufacturability and marketability.

“Michelin is extremely honored by this recognition from such an esteemed group of judges from the engineering community,” said Olivier Brauen, head of Michelin Tweel Technologies.

Launched in October 2014, the MICHELIN X TWEEL TURF is Michelin’s highly advanced airless radial tire that is currently being sold in the marketplace for use on John Deere zero turn radius commercial mowers used in the turf and landscaping industries. This non-pneumatic tire uses traditional radial tire technology but requires no air, thereby eliminating the risk of a “flat tire”. The MICHELIN X TWEEL TURF is the first airless radial tire that is globally available for mowing equipment. Operators experience greater performance versus a pneumatic tire, including increased uptime, enhanced hillside stability, reduced operator fatigue and improved productivity, resulting in a lower total cost of ownership.

The MICHELIN X TWEEL has received many honors in recent years, including the 2015 John Deere “Innovation of the Year Award,”  2014 Manufacturing Leadership Award by Frost and Sullivan’s Manufacturing Leadership Council, and 2014 top 25 Newsmakers of the Year by Engineering News-Record, among others.

How Will TPP Impact US Agriculture?

Jamie JohansenZimmPoll

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Where or how do you hunt?”

I won’t lie. I was a bit surprised we had so many non-hunters out there. I personally don’t hunt, but have many friends and family that do. I don’t hunt simply because I don’t think I could actually sit still and quiet long enough to not scare away my target. But those that do hunt seem to focus their efforts on their own property. You may not know this, but Chuck is an avid hunter. If you have time to kill just ask him about Crystal Pig Hunt Club.

Here are the poll results:

  • Own property – 33%
  • Private property – 14%
  • Public property – 0%
  • Organized hunt – 0%
  • Don’t hunt – 53%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, Is TPP good for US agriculture?

Trade talks in Atlanta are a wrap, but we will continue to talk about the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) and it’s impact on agriculture. And it seems like everyone has something to say about the agreement. What do you have to say? Is it good for all of agriculture, parts or bad news for everyone?

NCGA Asks for WOTUS Guidance

Kelly MarshallAg Group, EPA, NCGA, water

NCGA-Logo-3On September 17th a closed webinar was held between the EPA and the Army Corps of Engineers to address questions regarding the final WOTUS ruling.  NCGA and 15 other ag groups are now requesting that the answers to the questions be made available to the public.

“It’s unfair to communicate to regulators on how to identify a WOTUS under the new rule, but not also share that information with the farmers and ranchers who are being regulated, and who bear all the risks and liabilities that come with it,” said NCGA President Chip Bowling.

“From the beginning, we have been asking for clarity and certainty about farmers’ obligations under the Clean Water Act. It only makes sense that farmers should receive the same guidance as EPA and Corps staff. We ask the agencies to provide the answers to these 27 questions, as well as future answers to questions about the rule, so that farmers can make more informed business decisions about their operations.”

You can read the letter here.

Corn Growers Call for Uniform Labeling

Cindy ZimmermanCorn, Food, GMO, Government, NCGA

NCGA-Logo-3Representatives of the National Corn Growers Association were on Capitol Hill this week to support a uniform national labeling standard for foods made with genetically modified organisms.

The fly-in, organized by the Coalition for Safe Affordable Food, included 125 representatives from the entirety of the nation’s food supply chain, from farmers to food companies. Farmers and state staffers from the Indiana Corn Growers Association, Minnesota Corn Growers Association, and Ohio Corn and Wheat Growers Association joined NCGA in the effort.

“With farming such a vital piece of Minnesota’s economy, I was excited by the opportunity to discuss why a uniform, national food labeling standard makes sense for Minnesota farmers today,” said Anna Boroff, public policy director for the Minnesota Corn Growers Association. “There is enough unpredictability involved in farming, we certainly don’t need more. Unfortunately, if Congress doesn’t act soon, that’s exactly what will happen. It’s time for the Senate to pass reasonable legislation that gives farmers and consumers a consistent, transparent labeling standard.”

The corn growers urged Senators to quickly take up and pass the national standard which was passed by the House in July by a significant, bipartisan majority.

Deere, DN2K Form Joint Venture

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Data, John Deere, Software

john_deere_logo_3623Deere & Company and DN2K are working together to form SageInsights, a joint venture to further develop DN2K’s existing cloud software.  The goal is to enhance the software, called MyAgCentral, to provide consulting services to growers.      and others who provide consulting services to growers.

“Through this initiative, John Deere expands its products and services for precision agriculture,” said John May, President, Agricultural Solutions and Chief Information Officer at Deere. “DN2K is uniquely positioned to help advisers and consultants use information from multiple sources to better serve growers.”

DN2K, Greenwood Village, Colorado, developed the MyAgCentral platform to help agriculture advisers collect, organize, and analyze machine-to -machine information and use it along with insights from other resources to help improve decision-making. Deere & Company is the world’s largest manufacturer of agricultural equipment and a leader in precision agriculture.

“The agriculture industry has significant opportunities to increase productivity by understanding and leveraging the operational intelligence that is already available,” said Susan Lambert, President and CEO of DN2K. “Creating SageInsights allows us to serve a broader range of the agricultural community.”

The partnership will involve integrating MyAgCentral with John Deere Operations Center and using the Deere API.  This This development will allowed the data management systems of both platforms to be available to producers and their advisors to enhance decision making.

“John Deere customers are faced with the challenge of feeding an increasing world population,” said May. “This joint venture aligns with our efforts to connect people, equipment, technology and insights to help farmers meet that challenge.” The creation of SageInsights, he added, allows for a nimble response to market needs and a continuation of DN2K’s innovative spirit in developing customer solutions.

The future could include applications for the construction industry and possibly other industries like energy, oil, gas and healthcare.

DuPont and Caribou Biosciences Create Alliance

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, bioproducts, biotechnology, Dupont Crop Protection

Dupont PioneerA strategic alliance has been announced between DuPont and Caribou Biosciences, a leading developer of CRISPR-Cas technologies for genome editing.  The two companies will share respective patent portfolios; DuPont will have exclusive intellectual property rights to technology for row crops and non-exclusive right for other ag and bioscience applications.

The partnership will also include a multi-year research agreement with scientists from other organizations.  DuPont has made a minority investment to strengthen the working relationship by focusing on enhancing the CRISPR-Cas portfolio.

Caribou Biosciences“DuPont intends to lead in the application of CRISPR-Cas technology to improve agricultural productivity and enhance food security. Our alliance with Caribou is now at the forefront of this emerging science and will speed our development of this important platform to create long-term value for our company and our customers,” said James C. Borel, executive vice president, DuPont. “Specifically, we believe CRISPR-Cas has significant potential to advance plant breeding and expand the range of agricultural solutions available to farmers. We look forward to bringing related products to market in the next five to 10 years.”

CRISPR-Cas technology is capable of making exact changes to the DNA of most organisms. In plants, this editing capability can be applied to promote drought tolerance and disease resistance to protect plant health and increase crop yields. It also can provide direct consumer benefits like the removal of food allergens and the improvement of the nutrient composition of plant-derived oils.

“We are delighted to work with DuPont on what we believe will be a truly groundbreaking collaboration,” said Rachel Haurwitz, Ph.D., president and chief executive officer and co-founder of Caribou Biosciences. “DuPont has been responsible for numerous breakthroughs in CRISPR biology and we are excited to gain access to their impressive knowledge and expertise in developing and applying Cas-mediated genome editing technologies in promising commercial areas. This initiative will serve as a vital accelerator to our advancement of new applications for CRISPR-Cas gene editing that will help bring the tremendous promise this technology holds for patients and consumers to reality.”

This most recent license and collaboration agreement completed by DuPont represents a cornerstone of its strategy as an early adopter and leader in the CRISPR-Cas field. It complements DuPont’s own estate of related patent applications, and adds to the previously announced licensing and collaboration agreements with Vilnius University.

MachineryLink is Now MachineryLink Solutions

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Equipment, FarmLink, Machinery, Website

MachineryLink SolutionsMachineryLink continues to better serve growers with new products and services.  Now they are announcing the addition of MachineryLink Sharing to that list.  The site is agriculture’s first peer-2-peer online sharing community.  Growers, retailers, and professionals can list their equipment for use during its idle-time and see what others are sharing when they need assistance.

“People helping people is what MachineryLink Sharing is all about,” they tell us.

Leading industry and non-industry news agencies, such as Farm Futures and Bloomberg Business News, recognize the enormous value the peer-2-peer sharing economy brings to the agricultural industry. The MachineryLink Sharing community goes live soon!

MachineryLink Combine Leasing will continue to operate has it has for the past 16 years.  Farmers can utilize a combine from the fleet of high-quality, meticulously maintained machines rather than handle the headaches of ownership.

FarmLink is committed to helping farmers and retailers be more profitable and productive by making data technology a reality in their businesses.  MachineryLink Solutions is an exciting new way to do that.

Clariant Opens Biotech Research Center

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Biodiesel, bioproducts, biotechnology, Company Announcement, Research

ClariantA new Group Biotechnology Research Center has been opened near Munich.  Clariant, a leader in specialty chemicals, hosted a ceremony in which the key to the facility was symbolically handed over to CEO Hariolf Kottmann and the Head of Clariant’s Group Biotechonology Andre Koltermann.

“Alongside the Clariant Innovation Center (CIC) in Frankfurt, the new Clariant Biotech Center (CBC) is another important global research facility for our company”, emphasized Hariolf Kottmann in an address delivered to over 100 representatives from the worlds of politics and business. He went on to outline the importance of Bavaria, and in particular the greater Munich area, as a leading research and development powerhouse in the field of biotechnology.

“Industrial biotechnology is one of the key industries of the 21st century. With Clariant located in Bavaria, we may claim to be home for one of the most outstanding international companies in this sector. The inauguration of this new Biotechnology Center in Planegg is visible testimony to the importance of Bavaria as a center of research,” says Ilse Aigner, the Bavarian Minister for Economic Affairs

The new facility comes as a result of recent expansion in the company’s activities.  They will now employ approximately 100 staff members working in over 6000 square meters of space created for research work.

“Establishing a dedicated research center for biotechnology in its own building right at the heart of one of Europe’s biggest biotech hubs is doing far more than just sending out a clear statement – it underpins Clariant’s commitment to innovation, sustainability and profitable growth”, explains André Koltermann.

Since 2006, the Group Biotechnology has successfully been involved with renewable raw materials. They maintain a strong focus on the development of sustainable bio- based products and processes in the field of chemicals and biofuels.

iPhone 6S Plus – AgNerd Precision Tool

Chuck ZimmermanAgNerd, Apps, Gadgets, technology

iPhone 6S PlusIn keeping with tradition, I have a new iPhone. Partially because I need one, but mostly because I want one.

This iPhone 6S Plus agriblogging tool just continues to get better. I use mine for work, how about you? Is the screen big enough to supplant using an iPad on the farm?

This is not meant to be a complete review of the device. You can find those here and here. However, I have been using it for a few days and have some initial thoughts to share.

When I bought my “old” iPhone 6 I chose the smaller size thinking that the Plus would not be easy to handle because of its size. But after sitting next to people on planes, trains and automobiles using the Plus form and watching them use their big phones I changed my mind. I can still one hand text although I prefer using two when I can. The force touch feature provides shortcuts on a lot of apps that I use like Messages. I’m sure that developers are in high gear updating their apps to take advantage of new features.

I know a lot of farmers with big hands and this phone will fit them just fine. If you want to look at maps and see more real estate this screen will give it to you. I am loving the cameras. Both front and back are better and IMO the iPhone 6 had the best cameras of any phone. You’ll be seeing a lot of tweet photos from this iPhone starting with next week’s IFAJ Congress in New Zealand. More on that later.

I can see this Plus size iPhone becoming a very good option to an iPad in the cab. How about you ag app developers? What do you think about the new iPhone 6S Plus?

I added a Sena Lugano Wallet leather case with a couple slots to carry a credit card or some cash. That’s iPhone styling!

First National Wheat Yield Contest in 20 Years

Kelly MarshallAg Group, Contest, wheat, yields

National wheat FoundationThe National Wheat Foundation has unveiled the first National Wheat Yield Contest in over 20 years.  The rules and registration have just opened on their website and you can submit your entry today!  The contest has been looked forward to with great anticipation since it was announced at the 2015 Commodity Classic.  BASF Crop Protection, Monsanto Seed, John Deere, and Winfield have contributed generous support to make the contest possible.

“We have been eagerly awaiting the launch of the National Wheat Yield Contest and look forward to U.S. wheat farmers competing with the best available technology to demonstrate how they can increase productivity, drive innovation and enable knowledge transfer between growers,” said NWF Chairman Dusty Tallman, a wheat grower from Brandon, Colo.

Wheat growers can compete in two primary contest categories – winter wheat and spring wheat. There will be two sub-categories for each category, respectively, for dry land and irrigated wheat production. Entrants must be a producer, at least 14 years of age, and member of their recognized state wheat grower association, or if from a state without a recognized state wheat grower organization, a member of the National Association of Wheat Growers (NAWG). All contest entries must use certified or branded, and currently commercially available, wheat seed.

To register for winter wheat is April 1 and spring wheat is June 15.  After these date the registration fee increases from $100 to $125 per entry.  Final deadlines are May 1 for winter wheat and August 1 for spring wheat.

“It’s an exciting time to be involved with wheat and Monsanto is proud to be a sponsor,” said Dr. Jeff Koscelny, Wheat Commercial Lead at Monsanto. “This national yield contest provides a great platform for U.S. wheat farmers to showcase the genetic potential of today’s wheat seed and the innovative farm management practices and technologies being deployed.”

Five winners will be honored from each category.  These winners will be recognized at the 2017 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas.