Precision Means Speed and Sustainability

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Corn, NCGA, Planting, Soil, sustainability

martin-barbreCorn farmers made planting progress last week that was unimaginable even just a decade ago.

Martin Barbre, Chairman of the National Corn Growers Association, says he is close to 75% planted on his farm in Carmi, Illinois. “We’ve got guys all the way from 50 percent to 100 percent done,” he said. “Things are really rolling good.”

Barbre adds that the latest precision farming technology helps farmers take advantage of the weather windows when they happen quickly. “We have better control of what we’re putting in the ground as far as seed population and seed depth,” he said. “A lot of it is the simple size of the equipment we use but if you didn’t have the technology you couldn’t handle the bigger equipment.”

Not only does the technology help farmers be more efficient, but Barbre says it makes them more sustainable as well. “It lets us keep track of where our nutrient levels are in the soils better, how we manage the soil,” he said.

Listen to my interview with Martin here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/ncga/barbre-5-5-15.mp3″ text=”Interview with NCGA Chairman Martin Barbre of Illinois”]

Conklin Pro Grower Day Events for 2015

Kelly MarshallAgribusiness, Corn, Events, Soybeans

conklinConklin Pro Grower Day events have been scheduled for various locations across the country this spring and summer.  Key speakers include Kip Cullers, world-record holder for soybean yield, along with Jerry Cox, 24-time National Corn Growers Association winner.  Cullers and Cox will provide attendees insights on new ag technologies and recommendations for the current growing year.

Conklin AgroVantage is one of the most advanced and proven crop management systems on the market today. Developed through more than three decades of field trials and national research, Certified Crop Advisors and progressive producers recommend and use Conklin’s AgroVantage System—and that number continues to grow.

“Improving yields is something every farmer aims to do year after year. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of insanity. I’m not afraid to try new things as well as new products to help me continue to take my yields to the next level,” said Cullers. “I’m teaming up with Conklin to try to improve yields for every farmer in America. At these Conklin Pro Grower Day events, you can learn how Conklin’s AgroVantage System will benefit your farming operation for years to come.”

“By following Conklin’s AgroVantage recommendations, our input costs aren’t skyrocketing the way they would with a conventional program,” added Cox, who has captured the most national wins through NCGA of anyone today. “Using the AgroVantage System, we’ve seen our overall farm average corn yields increase by 95 bushel per acre (BPA) from 2001 through 2014. My highest contest yield implementing the AgroVantage System has increased 100 BPA, from 249 BPA to 349 BPA!”

Top producers and guest speakers will share how Conklin’s AgroVantage System can boost the genetic potential of crops, increase yields and maximize return on investment. Regional Field Days allow growers to see firsthand the benefits of the AgroVantage System through test plots and hear from local growers as well as award-winning farmers. 

The 2015 Conklin Pro Grower Day events:

· May 19 – Platteville, Wis.
· May 20 – Hastings, Neb.
· May 28 – Emporia, Va.
· May 30 – Geneseo, Ill.
· June 2 – Plymouth, Ind.
· June 3 – Plain City, Ohio
· June 10 – Milton, Pa.
· June 12 – Fargo, N.D.

 

NRGene Maps Maize Genome in Just 34 Hours

John DavisAgribusiness, Corn, Genetics, International, Research, University

NRGeneAn Israeli company specializing in big data genomic analysis has mapped the maize W22’s genome in just 34 hours. NRGene‘s speed and accuracy contributed to the entire mapping process being done exceptionally cost effectively.

“NRGene’s expertise in both plant genomics and IT allows us to create tools that deliver practical, useful results for scientists,” said Dr. Gil Ronen, CEO, NRGene. “With our unprecedented speeds and data accuracy, researchers and commercial seed and animal breeders can accelerate development of the most necessary key traits to achieve global food targets.”

NRGene’s DeNovoMAGICTM built the W22 genome by assembling 2 billion short DNA sequences into 367 very long and perfectly ordered sequences to create a maize reference genome in less than a day and a half.

The system used raw data from x180 short Illumina reads of the plant itself. It was assembled to an accuracy level of N50>8.2 million bp and N90>590 kbp, with unfilled gaps of less than 5 percent. 90 percent of the maize genome is presented by only 367 scaffolds. An N50 greater than 1 million translates into highly accurate, useable data.

The analysis was created in cooperation with an academic consortium including the Danforth Plant Science Center in St. Louis; Cornell University; Iowa State University; University of Florida; Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; and Boyce Thompson Institute.

FAA Announces UAS Development Program

Kelly MarshallAudio, Aviation, Government, UAS, UAV

faa-pathfinderThe U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) today announced new partnerships with industries, including agriculture, to explore the next steps in unmanned aircraft operations beyond the type of operations the agency proposed in the draft small unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) rule it published in February.

FAA Administrator Michael Huerta announced the initiative today at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International Unmanned Systems 2015 conference in Atlanta. “We’re calling it the Pathfinder Program,” said Huerta. “We’re partnering with three leading U.S. companies who have committed extensive resources to perform research that will help us determine if and how we can safely expand unmanned aircraft operations in the United States.”[wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/government/faa-pathfinder.mp3″ text=”Comments from FAA administrator Michael Huerta on Pathfinder”]

One of the three is Raleigh-based PrecisionHawk, which will be surveying crops in rural areas using unmanned aircraft flying outside of the pilot’s direct vision.

The partnership will leverage PrecisionHawk’s extensive work in the global agriculture landscape to formulate a framework for various types of UAVs, fixed wing and multi-rotor, to operate in the areas of agriculture, forestry and other rural industries. Beyond this use case focus, PrecisionHawk will also test LATAS (Low Altitude Tracking and Avoidance System) its traffic management system for UAVs. Testing will include on-aircraft transponders as well as LATAS traffic management ground-based hardware and software. By introducing an operational tracking system that works with any UAV platform, the FAA and PrecisionHawk can safely test operations beyond visual line of sight in low risk, ‘non-populated’ areas, such as farmland.

PrecisionHawkAccording to PrecisionHawk founder and president Ernest Earon, they will be working with the FAA to develop standards and operational procedures to allow for safe integration of drones in the National Airspace System. “This is something we’ve been working on for a very long time,” said Earon in an interview with Precision.AgWired after the announcement. “Our goal is to really push forward the regulations and the use cases so we can as an industry take advantage of this technology and move it forward.”

In this interview Earon discusses the new partnership with FAA and what he sees as the future of unmanned aircraft in agriculture: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/precision/precisionhawk-pathfinder.mp3″ text=”Interview with Ernest Earon, PrecisionHawk”]

Trimble Partners with UAS Manufacturer

Cindy ZimmermanAerial Imagery, Trimble, UAS, UAV

trimbleTrimble is partnering with leading unmanned aircraft system (UAS) manufacturer MULTIROTOR service-drone, GmbH in an effort to expand its existing portfolio to provide customers with additional solutions for aerial imaging needs.

multirotorMULTIROTOR service-drone, based in Germany, is a leading manufacturer of multirotor systems known for innovation and technology leadership. Trimble will be MULTIROTOR service-drone’s exclusive provider of multirotor vehicles for aerial mapping use in surveying, construction, mining, agriculture, oil and gas, and utilities. The combination of MULTIROTOR service-drone’s stable and reliable platforms with Trimble’s industry-leading sensor technology and workflow efficiencies will provide customers with best-in-class solutions for aerial data capture.

Bayer to Help Pollinators and Wildlife

John DavisAgribusiness, Bayer CropScience, Bees, pollinators

BeeOnMilkweed1Bayer CropScience is putting more than $100,000 into improving pollinator and wildlife habitats on public sites in eight states. Partnering with Integrated Vegetation Management Partners, Inc., (IVM Partners), the deal will improve and expand these habitats on public rights-of-way through integrated vegetation management.

The project aims to improve habitats for pollinators, birds and other wildlife in upland and wetland ecosystems in sites across eight states: Alabama, Arkansas, California, Florida, Oregon, North Carolina, Tennessee and Texas.

“Bayer’s investment in this project will bring together efforts to improve pollinator and wildlife habitat, safety and aesthetics on utility and highway rights-of-way,” said Jim Blome, president and CEO of Bayer CropScience LP. “Our collaboration with IVM Partners is a model for how public-private partnerships can benefit the environment through research and implementation of best practices.”

Implementing integrated vegetation management practices includes: reducing or eliminating mowing, applying selective herbicides to encourage low-growing vegetation, controlling invasive and undesirable plant species, protecting watersheds, optimizing habitat for pollinators and other wildlife, reducing carbon footprint, and reducing overall costs.

“With funding from Bayer, we will be able to expand integrated vegetation management research on diverse ecosystems across the country that correspond to migration routes of birds and Monarchs and increase and improve habitats for pollinators, birds and other wildlife,” said Rick Johnstone, president and founder of IVM Partners. “These sites can be used to educate utilities, agencies and the public on how we can partner using IVM best practices to control invasive plants, reduce erosion and sedimentation of waterways, and lower the risk of wildfires.”

IVM Partners is a nonprofit organization that is a liaison for industry, agency and conservation that develops programs and provides education on vegetation management and conservation best practices. The organization will work with Bayer on case study sites managed by utility or transportation rights-of-way.

Hearing on Grain Standards Act

Cindy ZimmermanASA, Government, Grain, Soybeans

The Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry held a hearing Tuesday to review the U.S. Grain Standards Act, which has provisions that expire this year. The act authorizes USDA’s Federal Grain Inspection Service to establish marketing standards for a variety of grains and oilseeds and was last reauthorized in 2005.

roberts-hearing“Predictability and transparency are key to maintaining a global success story for farmers and ranchers in Kansas and across the country. Needless to say, the valuable role that our trading partners play in the agriculture economy cannot be overstated,” said Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS).

Testimony was presented at the hearing by American Soybean Association board member Bill Gordon of Minnesota, American Association of Grain Inspection and Weighing Agencies President David Ayers, National Grain and Feed Association representative Tim Paurus and North American Export Grain Association vice chairman Steve Campbell.

“Our industry and our foreign customers are highly dependent on having a reliable and transparent export inspection and marketing system,” said Gordon in his testimony. “It is critical that the requirement for mandatory official inspection of exported grains and oilseeds under the Grain Standards Act be maintained. In addition, there must be no question that, in the event of a disruption of services, FGIS will continue to be required to step in to ensure the reliability and reputation of the U.S. inspection and weighing system.”

Watch the hearing video here.

Bayer CropScience Teams with Flagship Ventures

Cindy ZimmermanAgribusiness, Bayer CropScience

bayer-200Bayer CropScience has partnered with venture capital firm Flagship Ventures to invest in leading-edge agriculture companies and technologies. The partnership also includes an investment in Flagship Ventures Fund V, a $537 million venture capital fund that closed in March 2015.

“Emerging challenges in agriculture are leading the industry in new and exciting directions,” said Liam Condon, chief executive officer of Bayer CropScience. “With growing pest pressures, weather volatility and changes in consumer tastes, growers need and are counting on new solutions to increase yields on the farm. Bayer is committed to providing them with new innovations. We look forward to working with Flagship Ventures to bring exciting, breakthrough companies to market.”

flagship“Partnering with Bayer CropScience will help us realize the emerging opportunity we see for the development of game-changing technologies in agriculture,” said Dr. Noubar Afeyan, senior managing partner and chief executive officer of Flagship Ventures. “Collectively we are dedicated to making sustainable, positive impacts on global farm operations and the global food supply.”

Bayer CropScience joins AstraZeneca and Nestlé Health Science as strategic innovation partners in Flagship Ventures Fund V. The fund will focus on innovations in healthcare and sustainability in the energy, water, agriculture and nutrition sectors.

#Planting15 and Technology

Jamie JohansenZimmPoll

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How will high path avian flu impact industry?”

The number of outbreaks grows by the day and I am afraid the worst is yet to come. Just yesterday, Iowa announced four more cases. It looks like the majority feel exports will be greatly impacted and many agree that we haven’t seen the worst of it.

Here are the poll results:

  • No major impact – 13%
  • Big export impact – 38%
  • Higher prices – 6%
  • Worse for turkey producers – 13%
  • Worse yet to come – 25%
  • Will recover quickly – 5%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, What technology is most responsible for rapid planting progress?

Up until last week, planting progress was running behind normal. But in just one week farmers were able to plant more than one third of the corn acres – including 54% in Iowa alone! What do you think is most responsible for the ability to make such tremendous progress in such a short time?

CTIC Praises CNH for Sustainability

Cindy ZimmermanCase IH, Conservation, CTIC, New Holland, sustainability

ctic-logoCNH Industrial, manufacturer of Case and New Holland farm machinery, recently released its 2014 Sustainability Report detailing sustainability in the company’s day-to-day business and plans for the future.

CNH, through its Case IH division, has been a long-time member and active supporter of the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC). “Working with Case IH on projects ranging from conservation tillage demonstrations to watershed protection to the upcoming Conservation in Action Tour of southern Minnesota, it’s clear that the company and its people are deeply committed to sustainability,” says CTIC executive director Karen Scanlon.

“What is especially exciting about this report is seeing how CNH integrates sustainability into every aspect of its operation, from how it sources its raw materials to how it treats its people, and ultimately, to what happens at the end of a machine’s lifetime,” Scanlon added. “It’s an inspiring, holistic approach to sustainability, giving us a look beyond our efforts to improve soil, water and air quality through conservation.”
Read the report here.