Precision | Page 377 | News and reviews from the precision agriculture industry

Register Now for Everglades Conservation Tour

Cindy ZimmermanSeptember 5, 2014Conservation, CTIC

The Conservation Technology Information Center has extended the early-bird registration deadline for the upcoming Everglades Conservation in Action Tour with discounts available now until September 12.

The tour will take place October 14-15 and provide an in-depth look at the unique story of the approximately 700,000-acre Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA), which is located south of Lake Okeechobee in Florida. Lettuce, sugar cane and owls will be just a few of the crops and creatures to be seen on the tour which will feature EAA’s conservation practices. erosion control and nutrient management.

Richard Budell, director of the Office of Agricultural Water Policy for the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, will be the featured lunch speaker. He oversees state programs that promote agricultural best management practices addressing water quality and conservation.

Early registration is just $75 for CTIC members and $100 for non-members, $25 for producers, media, federal/state employees and students. Hope you will join us!

Find out more here.

MyJohnDeere Operations Center

Leah GuffeySeptember 5, 2014Audio, Data, John Deere

During the recent product launch, Johh Deere introduced the new MyJohnDeere Operations Center with intuitive, easy-to-use tools for customers to manage their machinery and develop agronomic insights.

The center allows producers to upload data securely using backup tools or right from the field using JDLink™, and the platform is open, allowing seamless sharing to trusted advisors. Innovative tools such as Field Analyzer and Difference Maps help customers gain insight into their operations for improved decision-making to increase yields, optimize costs, and manage risk.The Operations Center will continue to evolve with new and improved tools with the customer’s needs in mind. The overall goal is increased productivity and efficiency for the entire farm operation.Some of the many current tools on the Operations Center are Field Analyzer, online Documentation Analysis and Reporting tool, and Data Sharing, with additional tools added frequently.

“The big thing for us is becoming the one-stop shop for farmers needs. I think having all the information in one place where producers are going to be given tools that will let them make decisions is what we’ve been missing within the precision ag industry,” says Shannon Norwood Integrated Solutions Manager with TriGreen Solutions, Huntsville, Alabama.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Shannon here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/johndeere/jd-product-14-norwood.mp3″ text=”Interview with Shannon Norwood, TriGreen Solutions”]

Jamie Blythe of Blythe Cotton Company, handles the day to day management of a 3500 acre farm in NorthWest Alabama. Talking to Chuck about the MyJohnDeere Operations Center, Blythe said having a tremendous scope of data helps her make money on the farm and has streamlined their entire operation. She goes on to say that she learns something new every day that helps her keep her farming operation viable.

You can listen to Chuck’s interview with Jamie here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/johndeere/jd-product-14-blythe.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jamie Blyth, Blythe Cotton Co.”]

For more information, visit www.MyJohnDeere.com, www.JohnDeere.com/RealStories or contact your local John Deere dealer.

John Deere Product Launch Photo Album

Bayer CropScience Cuts Ribbon for the Future

Cindy ZimmermanSeptember 4, 2014Agribusiness, Audio, Bayer CropScience, biotechnology, Crop Protection

West Sacramento officials joined Bayer CropScience executives Tuesday to celebrate the grand opening of the company’s new $80 million dollar integrated research and development facility for biologics and vegetable seeds.

“This really fits into our strategy to invest in innovation here in the U.S.,” said Bayer CropScience global CEO Liam Condon at the ribbon cutting ceremony. “This is a global site so what comes out of here will help, first of all is going to help West Sacramento, second it’s going to help California, third it’s going to help U.S. agriculture, and at the end of the day it’s going to help global agriculture.”

West Sacramento Mayor Christopher Cabaldon believes strongly in Bayer’s mission and is proud his city is playing an important role. “If we’re going to solve the world’s, our country’s and our community’s most significant challenges … it’s going to be led by Bayer CropScience here at this facility.”

Bayer bought an existing building to speed up the process of getting it on line but there was still extensive construction and improvements done – all of it in less than nine months. “This is the kind of project we love, we are as impatient as the Bayer CropScience global team in making this happen,” said Cabaldon.

Mike Millie, the West Sacramento site manager, was very grateful to the city of Sacramento and the construction team that made this happen so quickly and safely. “We had 65,000 man hours of work and not one safety incident,” he said.

We’ll hear from Condon, Millie, Bayer North America President and CEO Jim Blome, and several others who are excited about this new facility in upcoming posts. Listen to remarks from the grand opening here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/bayer/bayer-biologics-open.MP3″ text=”Bayer CropScience Biologics Center Grand Opening”]

Bayer CropScience Biologics Center Photo Album

Free Download from Ducks Unlimited

Jamie JohansenSeptember 4, 2014Agribusiness, agronomy, Apps, wheat

When it comes to winter wheat, “test plots” are planted that include currently-grown varieties, varieties being grown in neighboring regions, and promising new experimental lines. Data collected on each variety includes the usual yield, test weight and protein percentage. Other ratings sometimes captured, include winter-hardiness, plant height, lodging, maturity, and the disease reactions to fungal leaf spot, leaf rust, wheat streak mosaic virus, and fusarium head blight. This information is compiled each year and is available from a number of different sources.

Although crop producers have become quite good at identifying the characteristics they consider to be most important, the sheer volume of test plot data available to make an informed decision can be overwhelming, intimidating and not just a little bit unwieldy. To help simplify this process, the agronomists at Ducks Unlimited have compiled all of the data that they could get their hands on to develop a master database. Any data provided from any reliable source was included in the database. Ducks Unlimited (DU) also accepted trial data from North Dakota State University, South Dakota State University, Montana State University, and the University of Minnesota. Trial data from crop improvement groups and from private seed companies were also included when available. Yield data from the years 2009-2013, and other trait data going as far back as 2001, were then utilized to create two different versions of their “Winter Wheat Variety Selection Tool” – one for South Dakota and one for North Dakota.

Entira Announces Research Projects on UAS & Precision Ag

Jamie JohansenSeptember 4, 2014Aerial Imagery, Agribusiness, UAS

Smart devices, soil testers, climate sensors, and countless other types of decision support tools are becoming mainstays in traditional farm operations. Perhaps the most groundbreaking of all precision ag tools are unmanned aerial systems (UAS), and the intrigue of putting drone technology to work on the farm has the whole industry buzzing.

Entira, a marketing and management consulting firm for food and agribusiness, is preparing to launch two new multi-client studies, both geared toward learning where farmers stand with these technologies and how they might use them in their own operations.

This fall, Entira will launch “Precision Agriculture and Big Data: Charting the Oceans of Opportunity” and “Unmanned Aerial Systems in Agriculture: A First Look at How New Advancements Could Deliver Value to Farmers.” Both studies will include quantitative and in-depth qualitative interviews with industry players and farmers to dig deep into what’s driving decisions.

“Our precision ag study is actually the third in-depth research project Entira has led on this sector in recent years. Those conducted in 2010 and 2012 offered a bird’s eye view of the rapidly changing landscape in precision agriculture. In this third study, we are turning the focus to the providers of precision agriculture tools and solutions that help growers get a handle on their own big data,” said Dave Rye, senior associate, Entira, Inc.
Read More

WSSA Announces Agenda for Herbicide Resistance Summit

Jamie JohansenSeptember 3, 2014Ag Group, webinar, Weed control

The Weed Science Society of America (WSSA) announced the agenda for a national scientific summit on herbicide resistant weeds, scheduled for 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. September 10 in Washington, D.C. WSSA plans to offer the event as a live webcast for those unable to attend in person.

Participants in the day-long Summit will hear top experts speak on the following topics:
– Herbicide resistance development and management
– The decision-making process for weed management
– Economics of proactively managing herbicide resistance
– Community-based approaches to area-wide weed management
– Incentives and regulatory initiatives
– Education and outreach efforts
– The need for greater diversity in non-chemical weed management strategies

The Summit will be held in the Auditorium of the National Academy of Sciences Building on Constitution Avenue. Participation is free and open to anyone with an interest in resistance issues.

Those attending in person are asked to register online. Those participating via webcast will find a link posted on September 10.

WSSA sponsored a similar Summit in 2012 to share best management practices that can reduce the incidence of herbicide resistance, including diversification of weed control tactics used by growers. The September 10 event will build on the insights and perspectives developed in 2012.

Pinnacle Announces Performance Agriculture Brand

Jamie JohansenSeptember 3, 2014Agribusiness, Company Announcement, Crop Protection

Pinnacle Agriculture Holdings, LLC recently launched its newest farm input retail and wholesale brand, Performance Agriculture. Operations will be directed by Jason White, President of Performance Agriculture.

Originating in Aberdeen, South Dakota, Performance Agriculture was formed in April 2003, providing crop protection chemicals for area growers. The business subsequently expanded into neighboring states to operate four additional locations in Mobridge and Winner, South Dakota, Wishek, North Dakota, and Conrad, Montana. In May 2014, Performance Agriculture was acquired by Pinnacle, facilitating the expansion of its crop protection product and service offerings to include seed, fertilizer, and precision agriculture tools and services.

On August 28, 2014, comprehensive rebranding initiatives were completed and released in conjunction with Performance Agriculture acquisitions in Kerman, California and Wellsville and Kingsdown, Kansas. The foundation of the new and refined Performance Agriculture brand was built upon leadership, integrity, trust, and the common goal they share with growers of being equally successful in their endeavors.

“This is an extremely exciting time for Pinnacle. We look forward to serving growers in many diverse regions of the United States,” said White. “Innovation and technology are key drivers that fuel our operation so that we can deliver only tried and proven products, techniques and services to our growers to increase their productivity, improve yield quality and maximum their profitability.”

Focusing on growth in the western, Mountain and Pacific states, Performance Agriculture complements Pinnacle’s existing brands, including Sanders®, the company’s flagship farm input retail brand in the southern United States, and Providence Agriculture, Pinnacle’s Midwest, Upper Midwest, and Mid-Atlantic brand. As new retail and wholesale locations are established, Performance Agriculture will service customers, and the communities in which they live, with the competency, quality, and integrity that constitute the foundation of every member of the Pinnacle family of agricultural brands.

Partnership Joins Precision Ag Weather & Imagery

Jamie JohansenSeptember 3, 2014Agribusiness, Audio, Data, Software, weather

Iteris, Inc. is partnering with Satshot, Inc. to provide multispectral images for assessing crop growth and deficiencies on fields through the Satshot user interface.

Through this partnership, Iteris’ ClearPath Ag™ weather content system will be incorporated into Satshot’s mapping and remote sensing imagery system. Satshot customers will have the ability to utilize the high resolution, field level ClearPath Ag platform to identify field areas with persistent crop issues through detailed geo-referenced imagery. Iteris will also integrate Satshot crop imagery into their own ClearPath Ag technology to benefit compliance reporting, irrigation forecasting and crop yield optimization.

“We are committed to providing advanced agriculture solutions that enhance decision-making for agri-businesses, crop consultants and producers alike,” said Tom Blair, Iteris’ senior vice president, iPerform. “Our solutions provide hyper-local weather information for real-time decision-making that will help maximize crop yields while minimizing risk and input costs. This agreement builds upon our expansion into the precision agriculture market and affirms our strategy of integrating leading technologies with the most advanced companies in the industry.”

Chuck spoke with Iteris’ Tom Blair and Bob Stern and they further explain the opportunities this partnership will bring users. Check out his complete interview with the duo here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/iteris-8-7-14.mp3″ text=”Interview with Tom Blair and Bob Stern, Iteris”]

dataTHRESH Introduces INDEPENDENT Rating Tool

Jamie JohansenSeptember 3, 2014Agribusiness, Data, Software

dataTHRESH, Inc., the developer of a leading INDEPENDENT platform of precision ag data tools for farmers, announced the beta release of the dataTHRESH INDEPENDENT Ratings tool for farmers at the 2014 Farm Progress Show.

The dataTHRESH INDEPENDENT Ratings tool gives farmers an edge in selecting their seed for the upcoming year. Farmers will rate their corn hybrids and soybean varieties at harvest on characteristics such as yield, moisture, and drydown. Farmers then will be able to compare their ratings to other farmer ratings on a “Give to Get” basis. Farmer ratings are anonymous.

“On my farm, seed selection is the most important decision I make every year. The problem is that it is getting more difficult to get unbiased seed comparison data on a local, regional, and national basis–especially by the time I need it to select my seed for the upcoming year. That’s why our first tool is the dataTHRESH INDEPENDENT Ratings tool,” Mike Coon, 6th generation Iowa farmer and founder of dataTHRESH.

Farmers are facing seed decisions earlier every year, says Coon, as seed companies offer discounts earlier every year, sometimes even before yield and other data from the current growing season are available.

The dataTHRESH INDEPENDENT Ratings tool provides farmers with a tool that is easy to use and provides data and analysis in a timely manner. The tool will help reduce the time spent on seed analysis for seed selection, and it can help de-risk the seed selection decision by providing an additional source of product information. The tool gives farmers the opportunity to rate each hybrid or variety according to several characteristics throughout the growing season.

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