Students Honored for Research at ASTA

Jamie JohansenAg Group, ASTA, Audio, Award, Monsanto, seed

asta-14-287-editedCollege students from across the country had the opportunity to enter American Seed Trade Research Foundation’s Operation Student Exchange. The winning student was announced during a Future Seed Executives 10th Anniversary Reception at ASTA’s recent annual meeting.

Leah Ruff’s poster presentation and research was selected this year’s winner and she received the Roger Kruegar Scholarship. The scholarship honors the late Dr. Roger Kruegar from Monsanto Company. His professional career was devoted to seeds, and he passionately advocated the role of science in feeding the world.

Leah is a graduate student at the University of Nebraska where she is studying drought tolerance in soybeans. Listen to her unique approach in my interview with her. [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/asta/asta-14-fuse-leah.mp3″ text=”Interview with Leah Ruff, Roger Kruegar Scholarship Winner”]

Jim Tobin, Past Chairman of ASTA and Monsanto’s Channel Engagement Lead, and Glenn Austin, Monsanto’s Sustainability Operation Lead and works with ASTA’s Operation Student Connection, awarded Leah with this honor. They also sat down with me to further explain the importance of engaging young professionals with the industry and guiding them in their research.

Listen to my complete interview with Jim and Glenn here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/asta/asta-14-tobin-austin.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jim Tobin & Glenn Austin”]

Jim Tobin also received the Lifetime Honorary Member Award during the 131st Annual Convention. Jim’s 29-year career with Monsanto has given him the opportunity to serve in numerous agricultural marketing and commercial development positions. He is currently a trustee of the FarmHouse Foundation and Forest Park Forever. He is also a member of the Farm Foundation Roundtable and serves on the board of the U.S. Grains Council and the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance.

ASTA Annual Meeting Photo Album

Educator Training Adds New Resources for Teachers

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklySummer is here and that means the 2014 Educators Training Event is right around the corner. August 5-7, Ag Leader will be holding the 5th annual training event tailored towards educators at the high school, community college and university level. This year we have some exciting news to share regarding the Educational Solutions Package. We are placing the final touches on the Online Educational Curriculum that was briefly introduced at last year’s training event. This online platform provides resources, materials, a discussion board, along with other various items that will make teaching precision ag and SMS software topics much easier.

edu1_1-700x553We have grouped the various lessons into chapters; these chapters are organized by topic within the SMS Advanced software. For example, importing data, printing maps, analyzing data, and exporting are topics discussed in detail that contain real world examples. These chapters then contain the specific lessons associated with the chapter and the corresponding video tutorial making it more efficient to access specific precision ag topics. In addition to the lessons, the online platform has a discussion board feature. This will allow communication between educators, directly within the portal, and provide a place to share ideas and stay current with fellow peers.

In addition to the new online portal, the training event will cover new features and products, a discussion panel with representatives from the precision ag industry as well as hardware and software training workshops. Educators wanting to register or learn more about this year’s event please contact our Educational Solutions Team at education@agleader.com or call 515-232-5363 ext 4428. Educators currently enrolled in our Educational Lab Program are eligible for one free seat. Additional seats or educators not enrolled can also reserve a seat by contacting our Educational Solutions Team. We look forward to seeing all of our educators!

Become a fan of Ag Leader on Facebook today, and get the latest precision ag videos on the YouTube channel. For more information about Ag Leader products and services, or to visit the blog site, go to www.agleader.com.

Trimble Adds to Their Connected Farm Solution

Jamie JohansenAerial Imagery, agronomy, Trimble

trimbleTrimble announced that it is adding another new agronomic service to its Connected Farm™ solution. The PurePixel™ Precision Vegetation Health Solution provides specialized processing of multi-spectral images used for crop health analysis. Field images processed with PurePixel technology provide farmers and their trusted advisors with a visual representation of the selected field’s crop health or maturity level based on a color-coded index. Since PurePixel filters out non-crop artifacts such as soil, shadows, and surface wetness, it can be used on fields with newly emerged vegetation or fields with full crop canopy.

PurePixel produces a vegetation vigor index map, which is a calibrated representation of vegetation health that can be used to track crop growth and measure the magnitude of difference between areas. Because PurePixel maps use a calibrated index, users can compare multiple images of the same area and visually detect changes in crop health over time. This feature is especially useful for monitoring expected progress in crop growth or improvements in crop health when treating underperforming areas within fields.

PurePixel allows users to:
· Save time by quickly viewing large areas and identifying specific locations where issues may be present, enabling the farmer or trusted advisor to travel only to the targeted areas versus scouting the entire field
· Make timely early-season decisions on newly emerged crop with PurePixel’s ability to significantly reduce image noise enabling critical decisions to be made prior to full crop canopy
· Identify differences in crop health and maturity even when crop health is generally strong
· Assess changes in canopy size and quality by analyzing multiple PurePixel maps from the same field within a season or over several seasons

PurePixel is an additional product Trimble has added to its newly launched agronomic suite of services. These services also include the Soil Information System™ (SIS) solution, a revolutionary soil analysis mapping technology. When PurePixel is used in conjunction with SIS, the savings can be significant.

PurePixel images are accessed through the Connected Farm, which provides one central location for accessing key information impacting farm operations such as rainfall totals, weather forecasts, commodity tracking, planting coverage, yield mapping, fleet management, aerial imaging, and irrigation monitoring and control. With this information a farmer can make better decisions about his operation. For example, knowing daily rainfall totals can determine whether irrigation is needed, while wind speed data may be the deciding factor on whether to spray a given field or delay the activity. Comparing data from the Connected Farm Scout app or from aerial images against yield, soil, and field maps can aid in deciding the best seed variety and amount to plant in each portion of the field. To maximize fleet performance, Connected Farm’s fleet productivity reports can reveal a problem area where efficiency can be increased.

ASTA First and Second Vice Chairs

Cindy ZimmermanASTA, Audio, Cover Crops, seed

The new officer slate for the American Seed Trade Association includes first vice chair Risa DeMasi of Grassland Oregon and second vice chair Mark Herrmann with Monsanto’s vegetable seed division.

asta14-risaDeMasi has the distinction of being the first woman officer of ASTA and her company is very involved in the development of new cover crop species.

With her leadership, ASTA has started a cover crop working group. “Our whole focus is going to be on communication and collaboration,” Risa said, noting that the group includes representatives from conservation organizations and government as well as growers. “I think a lot of us are all trying to do the same things and it’s just a matter of putting the pieces together.”

Two counties in Risa’s home state of Oregon just voted overwhelmingly to ban the production of genetically modified crops, which she says shows how emotional the conversation has gotten. She believes using words such as new technology or advancements would be better than genetic modification or biotechnology. “We focus on GMO and it becomes this big, bad ugly monster,” she said. “Nobody wants to get rid of their cell phone, but if we hadn’t allowed that technology, where would we be today?”

Listen to my interview with Risa here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/asta/asta14-risa.MP3″ text=”Interview with Risa DeMasi, ASTA First Vice Chair”]

asta-14-hermannMark Herrmann has been in the seed industry for the past 30 years, with DeKalb and then Monsanto, and he has been involved in ASTA for 20 of those 30 years. “I see it as an organization that doesn’t focus on companies, it focuses on what we can do as a group of people to make sure there are policies that help a healthy industry operate,” says Herrmann

Herrmann sees agriculture as fundamental for humanity “and seed is at the very root of agriculture, helping to drive that engine.” He looks forward to being a part of implementing ASTA’s strategic objectives in the years ahead as part of the organization’s officer team. [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/asta/asta-14-hermann.mp3″ text=”Interview with Mark Herrmann, ASTA Second Vice Chair”]

ASTA Annual Meeting Photo Album

Agrivi Brings Farm Management to Nigerian Farmers

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Farm Management, International

Screen Shot 2014-06-19 at 3.40.12 PMAgrivi, an ag tech startup from London, is starting expansion to Nigeria in cooperation with it’s Nigerian distributor Goldridge Development Company. They aim to help Nigerian farmers in i proving their farming productivity by bringing them knowledge and tools for making smart decisions through it’s cloud farm management software.

Nigeria is the second largest economy in Africa and is a large agricultural country. Agrivi recently launched support for 11 languages which made it available for farmers in 130 countries in their native languages and now plans to reach farmers worldwide.

Agrivi helps farmers improve productivity and profitability. With the help of best practice farming processes knowledge base for over 60 crops, farmers can easily plan all seasonal activities, track their execution and related costs. Advanced reports and dashboards help farmers make data-driven decisions needed for improving their production.

They also ensure high yield with smart alarms that detect weather conditions on farmers’ fields that are suitable for pest and disease occurrence. WIth on-time spraying, farmers reduce the risk of lower yield caused by pests and diseases and also save money since late spraying brings higher costs.

Farmers Doing “Fair” at Storytelling

Talia GoesZimmPoll

New Holland ZimmPollOur latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “How would you rate the job farmers are doing telling consumers where their food comes from?” It looks as though many of you feel their efforts are good to fair, but as farmers continue to engage in storytelling activities such as the Food Dialogues and social media, more can be done.
Our poll results:

    • Great – 10%
    • Good – 30%
    • Fair – 35%
    • Bad – 20%
    • Other – 5%

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How important are bio-based products for agriculture?” “We want to get to the point where we’re using everything we grow and everything we raise” to create jobs, help the environment and reduce petroleum use, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said in an interview with USA Today. What do you think – will it encourage growth in rural communities and encourage consumers to understand what’s in the products they’re using?

Advocacy is Priority for New ASTA Chair

Cindy ZimmermanASTA, Audio, biotechnology, seed

asta14-schoeneckerJohn Schoenecker of HM Clause is the new chairman of the American Seed Trade Association (ASTA) after elections were held at the annual meeting in Indianapolis last week.

“As I become chair, one of my focuses will be advocacy,” Shoenecker said in an interview. “That’s part of our strategic plan, something we need to do to get the word out on the good things we do in our seed business.” The advocacy initiative will involved educating members on making their voice heard in the media and by policy makers on the state and national level.

“Make Your Voice Heard” will be the theme for next year’s convention, which will be held in Washington DC. “As part of that we’ll have a pre-convention event called ‘Storm the Hill,'” said Schoenecker. “So we’ll bring our members in, work with them for a day or so talking about the current issues on the Hill, give them some background on talking to their legislators and make them feel comfortable with the process.”

Listen to an interview with John here: [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/asta/asta14-schoenecker.MP3″ text=”Interview with John Schoenecker, incoming ASTA Chairman”]

ASTA Annual Meeting Photo Album

Digital Tool Helps Producers Find the Right Red Tractor

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Case IH, Equipment, Tractor

Screen Shot 2014-06-18 at 7.45.53 AMCase IH is simplifying the decision of choosing the right red tractor for many operations with the new digital Right Red Tractor tool.

“We designed the Right Red Tractor digital tool in the spirit of helping producers be ready to make beneficial equipment purchasing decisions for their operations,” says Zach Hetterick, Tractor Marketing Manager for Case IH. “From landscaping to livestock, from feedlot to vineyard, Case IH has a tractor that will meet customers’ needs and we are dedicated to helping them find it.”

Using the Right Red Tractor digital tool is simple for producers looking for a tractor up to 120 horsepower. After logging on to caseih.com/RightRedTractor, producers are asked five simple questions they need to consider when purchasing a new tractor. The questions include how much they will be using the tractor, how much power they will need, whether or not they would like a cab, etc. As soon as the questions are answered, the producer gets a recommendation of which Case IH model will best meet their needs.
Helping Producers Meet Their Needs

The Right Red Tractor tool was designed specifically as a digital tool, optimized for mobile use, because research shows producers are increasingly using mobile technologies. Float Mobile Learning, a consulting firm that develops mobile strategies for major agricultural organizations, conducted research in 2012 that shows ninety-four percent of producers own a mobile phone or smartphone and smartphone adoption among U.S. producers jumped from 10 percent in 2010 to 40 percent a year later.

“Case IH understands that each livestock producer’s operation is different and the equipment needs to be able to meet producers’ varied demands,” says Hetterick. “The Right Red Tractor digital tool is a great place for producers to start when they’re looking for a lower-horsepower tractor.”

In addition to the Right Red Tractor digital tool, Case IH dealers and product specialists can provide producers with additional information to further guide producers’ decisions and help customize the tractor to meet their needs.

Case IH recently expanded personnel in the field to further support customers and Case IH dealers. Eleven new livestock specialists located across North America provide customer service and insight to producers, as well as dealer training and education to make sure everyone has the most up-to-date information to efficiently operate Case IH equipment.

200th Precision Yield Analysis With Spatial Statistics Tech

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Data, Harvesting

Screen Shot 2014-06-18 at 6.58.35 AMWhen farmers, retailers, and crop consultants examine harvest data, it is often difficult to determine which of the numerous factors affecting yield had the greatest impact. AgVeritas, the patented cloud-based yield analysis application introduced last year by XSInc, was designed to economically resolve this issue by providing a highly accurate analysis of many factors that drive yield and impact variability.

XSInc recently conducted its 200th analysis of field yield data with AgVeritas, which analyzes multiple factors simultaneously to determine the key performance drivers for yield and profitability at exact locations on a field. Producers use these results to create precise prescriptions for placing minimum inputs while getting maximum return.

Agronomist Dr. Chad Godsey, owner of Godsey Precision Ag, said, “Farmers can use AgVeritas to perform field diagnostics or to assess trials and treatments, and they can feel confident basing management decisions off the data. They no longer need to apply chemicals and fertilizer where it simply isn’t needed, which improves both stewardship and profitability.”

Prior to the availability of AgVeritas, this highly detailed type of yield analysis was time consuming and costly, and primarily confined to the academic realm. “We saw a need to make this complex analytical technique available directly to retailers and consultants through an easy to use tool,” added Bill Barton, XSInc chief operating officer. “AgVeritas puts the power of advanced spatial statistical analysis at their fingertips.”

Designed to complement existing precision ag data management tools, AgVeritas analyzes the collective impact of multiple field characteristics and management practices. This technology provides a simple way to generate highly accurate assessments of yield data by evaluating hundreds of points per acre, versus the traditional analysis of averages across a hundred acres.

The inclusion of advanced spatial analysis in AgVeritas further increases precision and accuracy. AgVeritas examines field variability to identify “spatial effects” – unusually high and low yielding areas on a field that cannot be explained by known factors included in the analysis. By assessing the impact of spatial effects along with data for measurable factors, AgVeritas provides a more accurate analysis of how management practices affect yield.

BASF Functional Crop Care

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, BASF, Crop Protection, seed, Video

basf14-huffFunctional Crop Care is the newest division of the BASF agricultural business, broadening what it means for the company to protect crops and help farmers get the most out of every acre.

BASF Functional Crop Care Senior VP Dr. Jürgen Huff says the division addresses additional needs beyond conventional crop protection. “Functional Crop Care consists of three segments: soil management, seed solutions and crop care,” said Huff. “None of them will work in isolation. We always look at the whole set of tools that we provide for farmers in making their corn and soybean farming more successful.”

Dr. Huff talked about BASF’s new LIMUS technology coming to the market in 2015 to boost efficiency of urea-based fertilizers. “Urea breaks down in the soil and it’s decomposing into ammonia and carbon dioxide,” said Huff. “LIMUS will provide an extended protection of urea-based fertilizers during the critical growth stages of crops.”

The Functional Crop Care division was really started with the BASF acquisition of Becker Underwood in 2012, which brought with it important seed treatments such as polymers for flowability. Watch his demo below of how that can help farmers during the busy planting season.[wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/basf/basf14-jergen.mp3″ text=”Interview with Dr. Jürgen Huff, BASF”] [wpaudio url=”http://www.zimmcomm.biz/basf/basf-media-14-huff.mp3″ text=”Dr. Huff media event presentation”]

2014 BASF Ag Media Summit Photo Album