Trimble Launches New TMX-2050 Display

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Apps, technology, Trimble

Screen Shot 2015-02-10 at 8.46.41 AMTrimble announced that it has launched an Android™-based operating environment with a suite of mobile applications on its TMX-2050™ display—allowing growers greater flexibility to customize the display for their farming operations. Streamlined workflows and new mobile applications can increase operator productivity while leveraging powerful Connected Farm™ solutions that offer valuable farm management functionality through an operating system that is designed for connectivity. Growers will also have access to third-party mobile applications on the TMX-2050 display, providing them with localized solutions for their specific farming tasks, and all without ever leaving the tractor cab.

“The TMX-2050 display provides growers with an environment they are already familiar with since it uses the same Android-based platform used by many mobile devices today,” said Erik Ehn, Smart Machines business area director of Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “The display’s intuitive and familiar workflows enable users to more efficiently complete their tasks, while also providing a choice of applications so they can select the one that best meets their work needs. Growers are able to customize the display screen with applications that are most important to their workflow, which provides further ease of use and convenience.”

Operators can choose the display application that addresses their requirements best—Trimble FmX® Plus or the Precision-IQ™ application. FmX Plus leverages the same familiar workflows and menus of the Trimble® FmX integrated display, while taking advantage of the latest advancements in hardware, processing speed and field connectivity of the TMX-2050 display. Precision-IQ provides a graphics-rich and intuitive workflow designed specially on the TMX-2050 display for today’s leading grower.

The display also includes Trimble’s Connected Farm Scout, Fleet, Productivity, Operator, and Irrigate applications for conducting field scouting and mapping activities, managing a machine fleet, determining operator and vehicle productivity, or monitoring and controlling irrigators from inside the tractor cab. Also available on the display is the Connected Farm dashboard, which provides easy access in one central location to key information impacting farming operations such as rainfall totals, weather forecasts, commodity tracking, planting coverage, aerial imaging, irrigation monitoring and control, and more. Some of these Connected Farm applications require additional purchases of hardware, data plans and service subscriptions.

Cotton Plantings Expected to Drop

John DavisAg Group, Agribusiness, Cotton, Planting

cottoncouncil1A new survey says fewer acres of cotton will be planted this year. This news release from the National Cotton Council cites the group’s 32nd Annual Early Season Planting Intentions Survey that shows U.S. cotton producers intend to plant 9.4 million acres of cotton this spring, down 14.6 percent from 2014.

Upland cotton intentions are 9.2 million acres, down 15.2 percent from 2014, while extra-long staple (ELS) intentions of 236,000 acres represent a 22.8 percent increase. The survey results were announced at the NCC’s 2015 Annual Meeting in Memphis last week.

Dr. Gary Adams, the NCC’s vice president Economics & Policy Analysis, said, “Planted acreage is just one of the factors that will determine supplies of cotton and cottonseed. Ultimately, weather, insect pressures and agronomic conditions play a significant role in determining crop size.”

He said that with average abandonment for the United States at 12.8 percent, Cotton Belt harvested area totals 8.2 million acres. Weighting individual state yields by 2015 area generates a U.S. average yield per harvested acre of 817 pounds. Applying each state’s yield to its 2015 projected harvested acres generates a cotton crop of 14.0 million bales, with 13.3 million bales of upland and 694,000 bales of ELS.

The group went on to say that low futures prices are driving the downturn in acres to be planted.

Agricen to Host Soybean Starter Webinar

John DavisAgribusiness, Soybeans

agricen1Plant health technology company Agricen will host an upcoming free webinar for soybean growers. This company news release says the “Soybean StartUp: Plant Health Benefits from Emergence through Yield” webinar, held on Wednesday, February 25th at 7 am and 11 am CT, will introduce benefits of industry’s first seedling-safe starter program for soybean plants.

The webinar will focus on the industry’s first non-salt starter program for soybean plants, which combines two of Loveland Products’ innovative plant health technologies—Accomplish LM and Radiate*—to improve early soybean emergence, increase plant vigor, and reduce plant stress for season-long benefits that optimize yield potential.

Webinar participants will:

– Find out why a starter program can make sense for soybean growers
– Discover how a Soybean StartUp program helps optimize soybean yield potential by getting soybean plants off to an improved start at planting and reducing plant stress throughout the growing season
– Learn how to use Accomplish LM and Radiate as complementary technologies in a soybean starter program

“Soybean growers have different plant nutrition needs than other growers, but they share the need for tools that can help them improve plant health and yields. Although starter fertilizers are used for a variety of crops, one of the
drawbacks of using a traditional starter program in soybean is that fertilizer salts can damage the seedlings,” said Michael Totora, President and CEO of Agricen. “Accomplish LM and Radiate are plant health products that contain no salt and provide a cost effective way for growers to increase plant vigor, reduce plant stress and enhance productivity. With an early application of these plant health technologies, we can improve the health of soybean plants from emergence through yield.”

Soybean growers, crop consultants and others interested in soybean health and productivity can register for this free webinar here: info.agricen.com/starter-2015.

USDA: Honey Bee Diseases Not Just in Spring

John DavisAgribusiness, Bees

beesNew research from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) shows that diseases in honey bees aren’t just limited to the spring. This article from USDA says information from Ryan Schwarz and Jay Evans, entomologists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) in Maryland, shows that two pathogens causing mysterious honey bee ailments might pose a threat year-round.

Schwarz and Evans, based at the ARS Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, and their colleagues at the Brazilian Honey Bee Laboratory in São Paulo analyzed the DNA of bees in Beltsville and Brazil between 2011 and 2013. Bees were collected from 11 states in Brazil and 2 areas in Beltsville. Schwarz had recently developed genetic markers that allow researchers to distinguish S. apis from other bacteria in bees. They used those markers and another recently developed set of S. melliferum markers to determine the year-round prevalence of the two pathogens.

As expected, the researchers found that both pathogens were prevalent in the spring. But they also found that they were common at other times of the year as well and that their prevalence rates varied depending on the location. In Beltsville, the pathogens were more prevalent in the spring, while in Brazil they were more prevalent in the fall. The results also showed that S. melliferum was the more prevalent of the two and that the presence of one pathogen made bees more susceptible to the other.

The researchers say this information should help beekeepers and scientists monitor the health of honey bees by raising awareness about the year-round nature of the threat the pathogens might pose.

USDA to Strengthen 1890 Land-Grant Universities

John DavisEducation, Research, University, USDA

usda-logoMore than $18 million in funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is being made available to 19 historically black land-grant colleges and universities. This news release says the money will go to strengthen the research, teaching and extension capabilities at the schools.

“This support for the 1890 land-grant universities is an example of the Obama Administration and Secretary Vilsack’s commitment to the 1890 Institutions,” [USDA’s Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights Joe] Leonard said. “This funding will continue to positively impact students, professors, and institutions for future generations.”

The funding is being made available through the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA) 1890 Institution Research, Extension, and Teaching Capacity Building Grants (CBG) Program. NIFA provides support to historically black colleges and universities that were designated at as land-grant universities in the Second Morrill Act in 1890. Grants to these 1890 universities support research, extension and teaching in the food and agricultural sciences by building the institutional capacities of these schools.

The 1890 CBG Program strengthens the linkages among the 1890 universities, other colleges and universities, USDA, and private industry. It focuses on strengthening research and extension programs at the 1890 institutions and advancing cultural diversity in the scientific and professional workforce by attracting and educating more students from underrepresented groups.

Full applications for the 1890 CBG program are due March 26, 2015.

USDA Gives $30 Mil to Fight Citrus Disease

John DavisAgribusiness, USDA

usda-logoThe U.S. Department of Agriculture is pledging $30 million to fight citrus disease. This news release from the agency says the funding will cover 22 projects to help citrus producers combat Huanglongbing (HLB), also known as citrus greening, a devastating citrus disease that threatens U.S. citrus production, getting money to near-term and long-term solutions.

“Our HLB Multi-Agency Coordination Group has worked closely with the citrus industry to select and fund projects that we think will make a real difference for growers against HLB,” said [Agriculture Secretary Tom] Vilsack. “Funding these projects through cooperative agreements puts us one step closer to putting real tools to fight this disease into the hands of citrus growers.” Vilsack continued, “Through the CDRE research we are announcing today, we are also investing in long-term solutions to diseases that threaten the long-term survival of the citrus industry.”

USDA’s HLB Multi-Agency Coordination Group funded fifteen projects that support thermotherapy, best management practices, early detection, and pest control efforts for a total of more than $7 million.

Another area that will benefit from the funding is a project that will produce and release the insect Diaphorencyrtus aligarhensis as a second biological control agent in California.

New Soybean Varieties from Bayer CropScience

Cindy ZimmermanBayer CropScience, Soybeans, Weed control

bayer-200Bayer CropScience today announced the introduction of 12 new CredenzTM soybean varieties featuring the LibertyLink® trait.

The new varieties are specifically tailored for growers in the Mid-South, Mid-Atlantic and Southern U.S. regions and are available immediately for the 2015 growing season to help growers maximize performance and fight glyphosate-resistant weeds.

The new varieties represent relief for growers in the south where there are limited options for combatting glyphosate resistant weeds. Through the new line-up of Credenz varieties, LibertyLink® will now be more widely available to southern growers in more maturity groups than previously available.

Launched in 2014, Credenz is Bayer CropScience’s first global soybean seed brand and integrates smart genetics and traits to help soybeans grow stronger and heartier under a wide variety of growing conditions. Over the next few years, Bayer CropScience will invest more than $1 billion in R&D annually, helping to fuel the company’s well-filled product pipeline to continue to bring growers new, innovative products to meet their challenges.

“As weed resistance continues to spread, it is more important than ever to ensure growers have a wide range of options in their arsenal to ensure a long-term sustainable approach to integrated weed management on their farm,” said Diego Angelo, global soybean seed marketing manager, Bayer CropScience. “Bayer is committed to driving innovation in the ever-expanding U.S. soybean market, and our smart genetics and traits help soybeans grow stronger under a wide variety of growing conditions.”

Read more from Bayer here.

Recruiting Earns State Cattlemen New Holland Leases

John DavisAg Group, Agribusiness, New Holland

ncba-200Two state cattlemen groups have recruited their way to the free use of some New Holland equipment over the next year. The Missouri Cattlemen’s Association and the Alabama Cattlemen’s Association each earned use of their choice of a one-year lease on a New Holland Roll-Belt™ 560 Specialty Crop round baler or a one-year lease on a New Holland T6 175 tractor for their outstanding efforts to recruit new members to the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association. The prizes were handed out during the recent 2015 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio, Texas.

Recruiting 243 new members, the Missouri Cattlemen’s Association automatically earned one of these leases for the most recruits for the contest period, which lasted from Oct. 1, 2014 to Dec. 31, 2014.

“New Holland is proud to support state and national membership efforts in cattle industry organizations,” said Michael Cornman, Dairy & Livestock Marketing Segment Manager for New Holland North America. “We know that it takes all of us working together to keep the cattle industry strong and viable for future generations of farmers and ranchers, and are honored to work with NCBA and its state partners on this important campaign to build a strong voice for beef producers in the United States.”

The Alabama Cattlemen’s Association was the winner of the drawing of 19 qualifying affiliates.

Vital Force Technology Study on Infusion

John DavisAgribusiness, agronomy

vitalforcetech2A new study from Vital Force Technology shows that infusion can significantly increase both seed germination and plant development. The company says that while old seeds tend to lose vitality and have declining germination rates, this process can be reversed using the Vital Force Technology infusion process, potentially benefiting various agricultural markets with healthier plants that have stronger root systems, stronger stems and more resilient germination over time.

Conducted the Pinelandiea Biophysics Lab by Dr. W.C Levengood, tests were done to determine the benefits of infusion technology offered to the growing agricultural industry by Vital Force Technology. Specifically focused on the improvement of plant vitality and the germination of older wheat seeds whose vigor has been reduced due to age, water infused with specific VFT energy pattern was used to determine possible improvements to the seed and ultimately the plants in the study. The nine day study concluded that seed vitality of seven year old wheat seeds can increase by as much as 83% while development of the seeds can increase by as much as 77%. These numbers offer positive potential for plant health and longevity which can benefit a variety of growers within the agricultural markets.

Vital Force Technology officials go on to say that additional studies conducted in the same lab using pinto bean seedlings and energy infused watering showed strong increases in plant height and seed development, growing 75 percent of seedlings to 30cm in just 7 days.

Cover Crops in the Midwest Can Cut Nitrate Runoff

John DavisAgribusiness, agronomy, Corn, Nutrient Management, Soybeans

winterryeIowaCover crops between corn and soybeans in the Midwest could significantly cut nitrate load runoff through subsurface drains. This article from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) says this reduction would support national efforts to reduce nitrate loads and protect water quality in the Gulf of Mexico.

Excess water laden with nitrates in many Midwestern crop fields drains into subsurface perforated pipes and then flows into surface streams and rivers. The nutrient-rich field drainage reaches the Gulf of Mexico and supports algal blooms that lower water oxygen levels and contribute to developing a devastating “dead zone.”

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists Rob Malone, Tom Kaspar, and Dan Jaynes are using the Root Zone Water Quality Model to assess how using winter rye cover crops in corn–soybean rotations could mitigate nitrate loads in the field-drainage water. The researchers are with the ARS National Laboratory for Agriculture and the Environment in Ames, Iowa. The ARS field-scale computer model was developed to simulate plant growth and the movement of water, nutrients and chemicals within and around the root zones of agricultural crops. ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency, and this research supports the USDA goal of promoting agricultural sustainability.

The researchers ran the model simulation for several different planting scenarios at 41 sites across the Midwest from 1961 to 2005. Their results indicated that winter rye crops seeded in no-till corn–soybean systems when the cash crops were mature have the potential to reduce annual nitrate loss in field drainage by about 43 percent, or by 18 pounds per acre.

Larger, regional simulations from the Mississippi River Watershed indicated that producers could introduce winter rye cover cropping on around 30 to 80 percent of the land used for corn and soybean production, and that the cover crop systems could potentially reduce nitrate loadings in the Mississippi River by approximately 20 percent.