REPREVE Launches Precision Biomass System

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, biomass, bioproducts, Energy, Equipment, Ethanol, Planting

A North Carolina-based biomass company has launched a brand new system for the production of high-yielding energy crops that can be used to make renewable, bio-based products.

repreveREPREVE® RENEWABLES LLC is collaborating with farmers and landowners across the country to use the innovative biomass crop system grow giant miscanthus grass on marginal and underutilized land.

REPREVE developed a comprehensive solution to the challenge of planting rhizome-propagated crops like miscanthus on a commercial scale, according to Jeff Wheeler, chief executive officer. “We’re really excited to be launching this year our new ACCU YIELD™ system,” said Wheeler, explaining that they had to develop specialized equipment to extract and process the rhizomes for planting, and then develop a precision planter to accurately and efficiently plant the crop for the highest yields.

ACCUDROP planter in fieldThe system is comprised of three elements: the ACCU LIFTER™ machine lifts rhizomes from a field in such a manner that reduces damage to the rhizomes thus increasing viability; the ACCU PROCESSOR™ unit sizes and cleans rhizomes for improved germination and quality and the ACCU DROP® planter provides optimal row spacing at varying planting densities to ensure a uniform, consistent and rapid stand establishment.

Farmers and landowners in Iowa, Georgia, North Carolina and Wisconsin are among the first to adopt this inventive approach to diversified land management. “These early adopters of commercial-scale biomass are trailblazers,” Wheeler says. “We provide turnkey solutions to farmers and landowners whereby we plant and harvest the crop. Plus we provide the market for the harvested crop each year.” The crop is marketed to end users for a variety of renewable products, from biofuel to animal bedding.

Learn more in this interview with Wheeler: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/audio/repreve-biomass-system.mp3″ text=”Interview with Jeff Wheeler, REPREVE Renewables”]

Precision.AgWired.com Podcast: The Great American Wheat Harvest

Meghan GrebnerFarmers, Harvesting, Precision Pays Podcast, wheat

pp-podcastCustom harvesters are big users of precision technologies.  A recently released documentary follows several custom harvesters and shows how wheat makes it from the field to the bread on your dinner table.

In this Precision.AgWired.com Podcast, sponsored by Ag Leader Technology, we’ll get an update from director Conrad Weaver on The Great American Wheat Harvest and thoughts from the stars of the movie as well.

[wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2014/04/PPP-0414.mp3″ text=”Precision.AgWired.com Podcast”]

The Precision.AgWired.com Podcast is sponsored by Ag Leader Technology.

Marrone Bio Innovations Launches VENERATE

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Insecticide

Logo_Venerate_FOR_POSTINGVENERATE™ Bioinsecticide is a new tool to help growers control crop-damaging insect pests, fight the development of insect resistance, and reduce pesticide residues on fruits and vegetables. Marrone Bio Innovations, Inc. announced the product is now available in time for the 2014 growing season.

This new broad-spectrum bioinsecticide is active against a wide array of chewing and sucking insects and mites and features novel modes of action that stem from a diverse set of chemical compounds extracted from a newly discovered bacterium.

“Today’s growers are faced with ever-increasing regulatory restrictions and an evolving problem of insects developing resistance to chemical pesticides with a single mode of action. Growers who traditionally employ those types of insecticides for crop protection can now leverage VENERATE to help them extend the useful life of chemical pesticides that have high resistance potential,” said Jim Lappin, MBI Vice President of Product Management.

VENERATE is labeled for a wide array of crops and is approved for use in conventional and organic systems. It is available in a liquid formulation with flexibility to apply by ground or air, no limit on the number of applications allowed per season, and a minimal four hour re-entry interval (REI). The product is non-toxic to fish, birds, and most beneficial insects including honeybees, and also has the advantage of a zero-day pre-harvest interval (PHI) and an exemption from MRL (maximum residue level) tolerances—a measure of pesticide residue limits that must be met for most food crop exports.

“Reducing growers’ and produce buyers’ concern over pesticide residues is another important benefit of VENERATE,” adds Lappin. “Virtually all produce that is exported from the U.S., and a significant portion that is imported into the U.S., is now subject to testing for pesticide residues. VENERATE—like its companion product GRANDEVO®—is exempt from maximum residue level tolerances. Combine this with the zero-day PHI and growers can protect the quality and marketability of their crops right up to the day of harvest and greatly reduce the chance their crops will be rejected because of residues.”

Alan Schreiber, Ph.D., an independent researcher with Agriculture Development Group, Inc. in Washington state, has conducted field trials with VENERATE against numerous pests in a variety of crops. He is enthusiastic about how VENERATE’s unique and novel modes-of-action can be used as a rotational partner with other chemistries to help prevent resistance in crop-damaging pests such as green peach aphids and potato psyllids in his clients’ fields.

VENERATE joins REGALIA® Biofungicide and GRANDEVO® Bioinsecticide in the lineup of MBI crop protection products and is the first biopesticide that has been developed from the company’s in-house discovery screen process.

The product will be sold as VENERATE XC in all U.S. states except California where it will be sold as VENERATE. VENERATE XC is currently registered in more than 35 states with additional registrations pending. Registration of VENERATE in California is also pending. Growers should check with their local ag chemical retailer or Marrone Bio Innovations representative for product availability in their state.

UGA, IBM Work with Farmers on Water Project

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Conservation, water

Researchers in the University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences are teaming up with IBM to work with farmers in Georgia’s Lower Flint River Basin to enhance water efficiency by up to 20 percent.

The college and IBM are collaborating with the Flint River Partnership—which includes the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District, the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Nature Conservancy—to help farmers make the best irrigation scheduling decisions in order to conserve water, improve crop yields and mitigate the impact of future droughts.

The Lower Flint River Basin is one of the most diverse and ecologically rich river systems in the Southeast. The area is also the epicenter of agriculture in Georgia: Its 27 counties contribute more than $2 billion in farm-based revenue annually to the region’s economy. Irrigation is central to production, and because of the area’s unique hydrogeology, maximizing water conservation helps support sensitive habitat systems.

UGA faculty members George Vellidis, Wes Porter, Ian Flitcroft, Calvin Perry, Craig Kvien and John Snider have worked to develop the irrigation models and recruit farmers to test the new system.

“The UGA-CAES faculty have been working with the Flint River Partnership for a number of years to develop tools, techniques and technologies to help growers improve the efficiency of agricultural water use,” said Perry, who is superintendent of UGA’s C.M. Stripling Irrigation Research Park in Camilla, Ga.

Stripling Irrigation Research Park has been the proving ground for many of these tools, he continued, and serves as a focal point for many of these research, Extension and outreach activities.

“Our job is to help farmers conserve water. Irrigation scheduling based on highly accurate weather forecasts and real-time field data will optimize decision making and consequently reduce resource use,” said Marty McLendon, chairman of the Flint River Soil and Water Conservation District. “Having access to such forecasts and field data on a mobile platform makes the data relevant, so that we can make proactive irrigation scheduling decisions on the fly.”

The Flint River Partnership is using IBM’s Deep Thunder precision weather forecasting service to refine farmers’ already successful irrigation models and water conservation practices. The added weather information will help farmers conserve more water and improve crop yields.

Because the forecasts will be available on mobile devices, farmers will have 24-hour access to critical weather information in conjunction with other relevant field data. The partnership also is offering farmers the use of IBM Softlayer to manage their field and weather data and automate irrigation recommendations.

UGA faculty have worked with the Flint River Partnership for many years on projects such as using variable-rate irrigation for precision water placement, the UGA Smart Sensor Array for monitoring soil moisture conditions and field mapping with Real Time Kinematic GPS, among others, Perry said.

The integration of complex data streams generated by GPS-enabled farm equipment and in-field sensors with IBM’s Deep Thunder weather forecasting technology delivered to mobile devices will provide 72-hours advance notice of weather in the Flint region, allowing farmers to be more prepared to make decisions on when to irrigate, plant, fertilize and deploy labor resources.

Hexagon Acquires Producer of Precision Ag Solutions

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Leica Geosystems, technology

Leica Geosystems LogoLecia Geosystems’ parent company Hexagon AB, a leading global provider of design, measurement and visualization technologies, has signed an agreement to acquire Arvus, a manufacturer of precision agriculture solutions for closer, more site-specific management of the factors affecting crop production. This means different parts of a field can be managed separately, where the application of essential nutrients and various other inputs can be fine-tuned through the use of sensors and GPS technologies.

Headquartered in Florianópolis, Brazil, Arvus has partners in the most important agricultural borders of Brazil. The company has a portfolio of high-end equipment and software products designed specifically for precision farming and the forestry industry. The solutions are supported through personalized technical assistance by Arvus employees.

The acquisition of Arvus is a strategic step in the further development of the Smart Agriculture solution from Hexagon Solutions. Strong in the South American sugarcane, forestry and grain markets, Arvus provides Hexagon the channels to expand its agriculture portfolio and footprint. Arvus’ offerings complement Hexagon’s machine control solutions, providing guidance, real-time fleet management, and field-to-office data analytics applications as well as various hardware and software solution integration opportunities.

“Together with our existing footprint in the agriculture industry, the acquisition of Arvus will help lead the way for further product and market development, enabling Hexagon to offer a comprehensive solution for increasing productivity, reducing waste and optimizing processes and resources”, said Hexagon President and CEO Ola Rollén.

The transaction remains subject to customary closing conditions. Closing is expected no later than end of May 2014. The acquisition will have no significant impact on Hexagon’s earnings.

Monsanto Adds Smartphone Tech with Weed ID App

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, agronomy, Apps, Monsanto, Weed control

logo_monsantoGone are the days of taking a dog-eared, field guide out to your quarter section to try to identify a weed species. Now, it’s as simple as pulling out your phone.

Monsanto today released the Weed ID App – the most innovative, weed identification tool in Canada. The app hosts a library of more than 48 weeds, each accompanied by high-resolution images and detailed descriptions. It uses characteristics like growth stage, shape and colour to categorize each weed and narrow search results.

“The farming landscape is changing and Monsanto aims to provide innovative solutions to help farmers adapt to this change,” says Jenna Book, crop protection marketing manager, in describing the value of giving farmers information right at their fingertips. “And the Weed ID App is an easy-to-use, informative tool that farmers can use every day to support their weed management strategy.”

The “Map It” section on the app uses GPS coordinates to map and track weed pressures. This innovative technology lets farmers save key historical information and identify year-over-year, on-farm trends. If the weed remains unidentifiable, the app directly links the farmer to a Monsanto agronomist and Monsanto’s CustomCare® technical support line.

“The introduction of the Weed ID App is also consistent with Monsanto Canada’s commitment to provide sound agronomic recommendations, education and information to help support good weed management practices and solutions,” said Book.

The Weed ID App is available for download from the App Store and is iOS and Android compatible. The app is available in both English and French.

To learn more about the Weed ID App and try it for yourself, visit www.weedidapp.ca.

RoboFlight Provides Latest in Data Collection

Jamie JohansenAerial Imagery, Agribusiness, agronomy, Aviation, technology, UAV

roboflight_500RoboFlight is a global company that deals in data acquisition including UAV platforms as well as full scale aircraft and satellite systems. Beyond the agricultural industry, RoboFlight also works in security, search and rescue, utilities, mining and insurance.

Chuck interviewed Phil Ellerbroek, Global Director of Sales for RoboFlight, and he shared more about the company. RoboFlight acquired Aerial Precision Ag, giving them an upper hand when it comes to agriculture. Aerial Precision Ag was the first company to bring affordable, price-point conscientious UAV’s to the average farmer.

“Agriculture is definitely where we are focusing. Response not only within the industry but for our company as a whole has been phenomenal. We feel we continue to lead this area because of a specific advantage we have. Our team members bring a science and understanding of agronomy to our end users.”

They also go beyond simply selling the hardware. RoboFlight provides other services including an entire agronomic team that can help interpret images using their AgPixel software.

“Precision ag is only as precise as the data. We want to get better data into the hands of producers. Producers are now saying they don’t just want pretty pictures. They want data that is actionable. It’s getting the data all the way into the tractors so you can have actionable differences in the field.”

Phil explains that pricing will vary depending on a producers needs. Their goal is to customize a plan that best fits each individuals goals for data retrieval.

RoboFlight is working with Farm Bureaus in different states and will also be attending various UAV and agriculture conferences.

Listen to Chuck’s complete interview with Phil here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/roboflight/roboflight-ellerbroek.mp3″ text=”Interview with Phil Ellerbroek”]

Trimble Irrigate-IQ Solution Available in North America

Jamie JohansenAgribusiness, Apps, Irrigation, technology, Trimble

trimblelogo_hp2Trimble announced today the availability of the Trimble® Irrigate-IQ™ precision irrigation solution in North America. Along with the North American launch, Trimble also introduced the Connected Farm™ Irrigate app, which provides farmers with real-time status and control of their pivot irrigation systems using a smartphone or tablet.

The Irrigate-IQ GPS-controlled solution, which is installed on the pivot, enables farmers to remotely control their irrigators via the Internet, including performing variable rate irrigation, and receive reports about where water or fertilizer has been applied. With the solution, farmers can apply the optimal amount of water, fertigation or effluent where needed, which can improve crop quality and yield, while minimizing nutrient and chemical runoff. The solution enables farmers to conserve water use and improve efficiency, reduce energy costs for fuel and electricity, minimize input costs, comply with environmental regulations, and safely dispose of effluent. In addition, Trimble’s brand-agnostic strategy allows farmers to use the solution with most irrigator makes and models. Irrigate-IQ is also available in New Zealand.

In addition, Trimble introduced the Connected Farm Irrigate app for use on an iPhone, iPad, Android smartphone or tablet. The app allows farmers to see the status of their pivots, including whether they are operating or not operating, in which direction they are traveling, the heading, pump pressure, pivot voltage and type of material being dispersed (water, fertigation, or effluent). It also gives farmers the ability to remotely start or stop their pivots, choose the direction (forward or reverse), turn the pump on or off or switch the type of material being dispersed. This new functionality comes in addition to farmers’ ability to remotely control their irrigators by accessing the Irrigate-IQ software on a desktop or laptop computer, rugged mobile computer or tablet.

“Now that Trimble has expanded availability of its Irrigate-IQ solution, and launched the Connected Farm Irrigate app, farmers across North America and New Zealand will be able to monitor and control their irrigators from virtually any location,” said David Fitzpatrick, business area director of Trimble’s Agriculture Division. “Irrigate-IQ allows farmers to be more strategic with their irrigation planning, while the app creates time savings and increased efficiencies by allowing farmers to respond to weather changes or faulty equipment on the fly without being on site.”

Although the app is free, farmers will need to purchase the Irrigate-IQ solution in order to access irrigator data. The free Connected Farm Irrigate app is available now on the Apple App Store® or Google Play™ Store.

The Irrigate-IQ solution and Connected Farm Irrigate app are both part of Trimble’s Connected Farm solution, which includes a robust suite of recently announced features including soil analysis, rainfall totals, weather forecasts, commodity tracking, and now irrigation monitoring and control.

CUTC Highlights America’s Only Native Spirit

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Corn, NCGA

ncgaKristin Meadors with the Kentucky Distillers Association will deliver the keynote address at the National Corn Growers Association’s Corn Utilization and Technology Conference, June 2 in Louisville, Kentucky.

“The bourbon industry’s iconic utilization of corn makes it a perfect platform in which to kick-off three days of lively discussions among the corn industry’s leading researchers, processors and business representatives,” said NCGA Research and Business Development Action Team Chair Tom Mueller. “We are excited to have Kristin Meadors discuss her industry’s impact on our economy and why this corn-based spirit continues its popularity at home and abroad.”

Meadors is the Kentucky Distillers Association’s first-ever Director of Governmental and Regulatory Affairs. She is responsible for coordinating the association’s governmental and regulatory affairs initiatives at all levels of government, working with federal officials on trade issues and expanding global opportunities for Kentucky’s signature bourbon industry.

In 1964, Congress declared bourbon America’s only native spirit. It must be made with a minimum of 51 percent corn, aged in charred new oak barrels and stored at no more than 125 proof. This year, CUTC will be held June 2 – 6 at the Marriott Louisville Downtown Hotel. The conference’s agenda focuses on wet and dry milling technologies and new uses. Visit www.corntechconf.org for more information and to register online.

ISPA Conference Awards Deadline Extended

Jamie JohansenAg Group, Award, Education

ICPA2013_logoThe International Society of Precision Agriculture presents the 12th International Conference on Precision Agriculture. The event will be held July 20-23, 2014 in Sacramento, CA.

As the original awards deadline was coincident with holidays for some, we have extended it to May 3, 2014. Please consider nominating a deserving colleague for one of the awards described below, and insure that the awards packet is submitted by May 3rd.

Graduate Student Awards
Approximately 10 awards will be made to graduate students presenting their research work (oral or poster paper) at the 12th ICPA conference. The award will consist of waived conference registration fees and US$500 cash award. The selected candidates will be honored during the conference award ceremony.

Click here to download the Graduate Student Awards pdf application form.

Pierre C. Robert Precision Agriculture Award
The Pierre C. Robert Precision Agriculture Award honors individuals who have made significant contributions to precision science and technology. Two awards will be given in this category to a Young and Senior Scientist/Professional. The young scientist/professional must be 42 or younger; the senior scientist/professional over 42. Senior scientist/professional must have 20 or more years of experience majority of which must be in the area of precision agriculture.

Click here to download the Pierre C. Robert Precision Agriculture Awards pdf application form.

The selected candidates will be honored during the conference award ceremony with a Plaque of Achievement and US$1000 cash award.

The nominee must be presenting a paper (oral or poster) at the conference to be eligible for this award. All nominations must be submitted as e-mail attachments in Acrobat pdf. All documents must use Times New Roman, font size=12, and single-spaced. Nomination materials are limited to 6 pages, excluding reference letters.