Two New Products From Trimble

Talia GoesAgribusiness, Trimble

trimblelogo_hp2Trimble introduced a new high-accuracy correction service available to the agriculture market. The Trimble RangePoint RTX correction service is an introductory, cost-effective correction service available to farmers across the contiguous U.S. as well as most of Canada, South America, Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States, Africa, Asia and Australasia. The RangePoint RTX service is ideal for broadacre agriculture applications. For 2013, all compatible devices—the Trimble CFX-750 display, FmX integrated display and the AG-372 GNSS receiver—are eligible for an introductory, free 12-month subscription to the RangePoint RTX correction service.

The new service uses satellite broadcast capabilities to deliver real time accuracies of better than 50 centimeter (20 inch) repeatable, or a superior 15 centimeter (6 inch) pass-to-pass, and does not require the use of traditional reference station infrastructure. Trimble RTX technology supports both GPS and GLONASS satellite constellations, increasing accuracy and reliability for users by leveraging the availability of multiple satellite systems. As a result, the RangePoint RTX service can provide a more accurate, reliable correction solution than some of the traditional Satellite Based Augmentation Systems (SBAS), and is also available in certain geographic areas where SBAS is not currently accessible.

The Trimble RangePoint RTX service is expected to be available by March 2013.

Also from Trimble… a new feature of the Connected Farm app which automatically calculates the recommended nitrogen rates for crop readings taken by the GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor, an easy-to-use measurement device designed to assess the health of a crop.

The Connected Farm app allows farmers to conduct scouting and mapping activities from their smartphones and tablets. The new feature provides an easier and more efficient process for recording crop readings and determining application rates using the GreenSeeker handheld crop sensor.

Farmers using the GreenSeeker handheld can now enter their crop readings into the Connected Farm app, which will calculate the recommended nitrogen rate from each reading and geo-reference the location. Logged data is sent to www.connectedfarmso.com users can view their information online.

The new Connected Farm app feature is expected to be available in January 2013 for both Apple and Android smartphones and tablets.

Ag Secretary Happy to Work for Rural America

Cindy ZimmermanAFBF, Audio, Government, USDA

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack is happy to be keeping his “great job” and continuing to fight for the future of American agriculture.

afbf-13-vilsack“I am extraordinarily privileged and honored to have the job as the United States Secretary of Agriculture and to have another opportunity to continue this work,” Vilsack told the American Farm Bureau Federation annual meeting last week in Nashville. “I don’t know that there’s not a more important place, a more significant place in the future of this country than rural America.”

Vilsack told Farm Bureau members that he was glad to see 2012 come to an end and expressed his optimism that 2013 will be better for agriculture. “We are committed … to making sure that 2013 is not a repeat of 2012. We need a five-year bill and we need it now,” he said, going on to outline that the bill needs to include a number of important items, including an adequate safety net, commitment to trade and strong support for research.

“The extraordinary story of American agriculture is directly linked and related to the capacity of America to invest in agriculture production. Agriculture is the second most productive aspect of our economy since 1980,” he said. “You deal with it every single day: Embracing new technologies, new techniques, new machinery. And as a result, you become the most productive and most efficient farmers in the world.”

Read a transcript of Vilsack’s AFBF speech or listen to it here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/afbf/afbf-13-vilsack.mp3″ text=”Sec. Vilsack Speech”]

Leica Geosystems Launches Virtual Vista

Talia GoesAgribusiness, Leica Geosystems

LGS_logo_web2Leica Geosystems launched Virtual Vista, a web based platform which allows farmers to monitor their fleet and field activities in a simple and effective way. Virtual Vista connects directly through the built-in modem of the Leica mojo3D and customers can access the service within a few steps. No extra software has to be installed nor has additional hardware to be purchased to use the service.

The initial release of Virtual Vista delivers telematics and a flexible data management solution to farmers. The service enables customers to monitor their fleet by combining real time and historical information with the use of Google Maps. Features like geo fencing and curfews allow fleet management and can be easily activated. The intuitive design of the platform and the clear menu structure reflect the simplicity of the platform and ensure an easy understanding for the best possible user experience.

More features, such as data transfer between Leica mojo3D devices via Virtual Vista, will be released in the near future. Updates will automatically become available to all registered users of the platform.

Registration for Virtual Vista is available for all Leica mojo3D users on the website. After creating an account, farmers can link their Leica mojo3D devices and start using the service instantly. To use the service customers only require a personal active cell network data plan.

Together We Are Ag Leader

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Agribusiness, Insights Weekly

Insights WeeklyAn end user’s most important resource is their precision farming dealer. Ag Leader recognizes the importance of their dealer network and that’s why, in 2013, we’re going to introduce you to a few of those dedicated professionals in a series called “Getting to Know Ag Leader”.

To kick things off, we caught up with Todd Peterson of Peterson Ag service in Remington, Indiana:

1. From an agronomy standpoint, what do you consider to be the biggest issues facing growers today?
Being able to maximize profit from every acre by controlling input cost, managing pests and diseases, applying what the crop needs and analyzing data to make good decisions.

ToddPeterson2. Tell us about how growers in your area are using precision agriculture.
In my area of row crop corn and soybean production, growers have seen the benefit of many things from precision agriculture from guidance to machine control. SeedCommand and DirectCommand have been big to help reduce seed and input costs, while maximizing yield. Guidance has also played a large part, allowing my growers to cover more acres more efficiently. With the addition of Intellislope, it allows my growers to improve drainage and make these acres more productive.

3. What benefits are growers seeing by using precision ag on their farms? Give us some examples.
With the use of SeedCommand and clutch control, growers have been able to reduce seed cost from overplanting end rows and point rows. In turn, this has increased yield on end rows. With the use of guidance, growers are able to cover more acres in a day with less overlap and skip, as well as less operator fatigue, which allows them to be more productive.

4. What do you believe is on the horizon when it comes to technology and agriculture?
Since technology is an ever-evolving thing, I can’t wait to see what’s next. As we have the ability to better understand and analyze the data we collect, and manage our operations to maximize yield and reduce costs, the possibilities are great.

5. What’s your best piece of advice to a grower who might be looking at using precision ag products?
My best advice for a grower starting to use precision ag, or one that has been using it for a while, is to work with a trusted advisor that has the grower’s interest in mind. As technology moves fast, you have to have a plan of where you are and where you are wanting to go. Precision ag products are great IF you know how to use them and they fit and work for your operation.

Check back next month to “Get to Know” another Ag Leader dealer!

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.

Should We Be Friends With HSUS?

Melissa SandfortNew Holland, ZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What do you think is top story of 2012?”

Our poll results: It looks like the majority of you at fifty-seven percent felt like “The Drought” was the top story for 2012. “No Farm Bill” came in at fourteen percent and ten percent said “USDA Meatless Monday Uproar”.

1.16.13

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Should we sit down with HSUS in “common cause”? Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s comments at the AFBF annual meeting this week about sitting down in common cause have attracted a number of comments here and on social networks. So we thought this week’s poll might produce some interesting feedback. Let us know what you think.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by New Holland Agriculture

New Products from TeeJet Technologies

Talia GoesSpraying

TeeJet TechnologiesTeeJet Technologies will be introducing several new and innovative spray and precision farming products at AG CONNECT 2013.

Among the products being introduced are three AE50 award winners:

1. Sentry 6140 tip flow monitor is a unique, in-cab device that monitors the flow rate of individual spray tips to detect problems like clogging, lost tips and misalignment.
2. Sentry 6120 droplet size monitor provides real-time measurement and in-cab display of droplet size while spraying so operators can adjust the ground speed and pressure to ensure proper coverage and minimize drift.
3. QJS compact, configurable nozzle body allows the number of nozzle connections and the orientations of the connections to be easily configured based on sprayer design and application demands.

Other products being introduced at AG CONNECT include a new rate controller and precision farming field computer.

Powering Your Precision Gadget

Chuck ZimmermanGadgets

Hyperjuice MicroGot a new gadget on which you can use a new precision app for your farming operation? Then here’s an option for making sure it stays charged up on the road or in the field. It’s the Hyperjuice Micro.

I started out with a Hyperjuice Mini which I still have but I like the smaller Micro. It has two usb ports so you can plug in two gadgets at the same time to power them up. In my experience, my devices generally charge back up quickly.

There are special gadget covers that include an extra battery in them but I don’t like the extra bulk, including the “thin” ones. I like my slim case on my iPhone and I’d rather stick one of these in my jacket pocket if I’m going to be somewhere I can’t have my gear bag handy.

Your gadget is only good if it’s got power. True AgNerds know the importance of this. Don’t have to say, “My Phone is dead” because you ran out of juice!

Available in 10 different juicy colors and housed in an exquisite aluminum casing, HyperJuice Micro is equipped with one high power and one low power USB port that can charge the iPad and iPhone or any USB device. You will be spoiled for choice finding the right color to match your USB device.

How do you address the need to power your gadget up out in the field or on the road?

You’ll find lots of other useful gadget devices at HyperShop besides HyperJuice.

Winner of No‐Till Product of the Year

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, AGROTAIN

koch2For eight years running, readers of No-Till Farmer magazine have voted AGROTAIN nitrogen stabilizer by Koch Agronomic Services the top product in the fertility/soil amendments category. Allen Sutton, who was on the product development team for AGROTAIN stabilizer, accepted the award on behalf of Koch at the National No‐Tillage Conference in Indianapolis.

AGROTAIN stabilizer is a great fit in no‐till operations. When they add AGROTAIN stabilizer to their nitrogen, farmers can apply urea and liquid nitrogen (UAN) to the surface without worries of losing almost half of their nitrogen to ammonia volatilization (losses into the air.)

Ammonia volatilization can be a major concern in no‐till fields, where higher levels of crop residue and soil moisture contribute to faster breakdown of surface‐applied nitrogen. AGROTAIN stabilizer blocks the activity of the enzyme urease in the soil from breaking down the urea long enough for a rain event or irrigation to incorporate the nitrogen into the soil.

Deere Harvest ID Cotton at Beltwide

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Cotton, FMC, Harvesting, John Deere

bwcc13-deereWe told you about John Deere’s Harvest Identification, Cotton when it was first introduced last year at Beltwide Cotton Conferences.

This year we got an update from Janae (formally Althouse) Tapper on this precision harvest technology and grower adoption of it.

“John Deere harvest identification is really important to the cotton growers so they can understand how many modules are being built with in a field. We are really looking at continuing to reduce labor requirements that are needed in cotton production especially around 7760. We understand that with the introduction of that machine we are building four modules for every one traditional module. So, it increases labor to go out and tag each of those individual modules.”

“In our technology division we saw a use to utilize the RF ID reading technology that we have in the round module wrap to enable them to reduce that manuel labor going out and tagging the modules. We are automatically reading those RF ID tags in the modules and sending that information to the display in the cab of the machine.”

Janae shared that cotton producers are continuing to be on board with the adoption of precision agriculture. And since the launch of time & money saving technology, John Deere’s growers are sending in very positive feedback.

Listen to an interview with Janae here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/john-deere/bwcc13-deere.mp3″ text=”Janae Tapper interview”]

2013 Beltwide Cotton photo album

beltwide-fmc