Drought Assistance Minimizes Impacts to Farmland

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, USDA

The USDA’s efforts to help producers rebound from drought have touched more than one million acres of farmland across the country as nearly 2,000 producers took advantage of conservation funding targeted to drought-stricken areas by USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). NRCS made more than $27 million available to farmers and ranchers to make conservation improvements, spurring recovery and ensuring lands are more drought resistant in the future.

NRCS provided financial and technical assistance to help crop and livestock producers in 22 states apply conservation practices, including conservation tillage, cover crops, nutrient management, prescribed grazing, livestock watering facilities and water conservation practices. These actions build healthier soil that lead to better harvests and cleaner water and air.

Exceptional drought continues to dominate sections of Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas and Wyoming, causing widespread losses of crops and pastures and water shortages in reservoirs, streams and wells.

Alabama, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, South Carolina and Utah are under extreme drought, with accompanying major losses of crops and pasture, widespread water shortages and restrictions on water use.

See the total NRCS drought assistance received by each state.

How Important is the Rural Vote?

Melissa SandfortZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Have our efforts to educate consumers about agriculture been successful?”

Our poll results: No one said Yes, real improvement; fifty-two percent said Yes, but long way to go; thirty-five percent said No, minimal impact; three percent said No, no impact; and ten percent said Waste of time. It looks like many believe there’s room for improvement and our work is far from being done.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How important will rural vote be in election?” It is a challenging time in agriculture for thousands of farmers and ranchers across the country. As the rural population goes to the poll booth to cast their vote for the candidate they believe supports farmers and ranchers, how important do you think their votes are? Let us know.

And remember, Election Day is Tuesday, November 6, 2012. Go cast your vote!

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

No-Tillers Pick Romney For President

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, General, Tillage

The readers of No-Till Farmer overwhelmingly support former Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney for president of the U.S. over President Barack Obama, as revealed in a just-concluded month-long poll conducted by No-Till Farmer.

Romney outpolled Obama by more than a 4:1 margin, capturing 80% of the votes vs. just 17% for the president. Votes for “Another Candidate” came in at 2%, while “Unsure” received 1% of the vote. The poll was conducted at No-TillFarmer.com with 683 votes cast.

The results definitely show more support for a Republican candidate in 2012 than there was in 2008. Four years ago, Arizona senator John McCain received 68% of the No-Till Farmer reader votes compared to 29% for Obama, then a senator from Illinois.

Effective Control of Resistant Weeds in Soybeans

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, BASF

Results from more than 300 soybean field trials conducted in 2011 and 2012 show soybean growers there’s hope for control of resistant weeds. Engenia herbicide, a technologically advanced dicamba formulation developed by BASF, demonstrated effective control of key broadleaf weeds including glyphosate resistant Palmer amaranth, waterhemp, marestail, and common and giant ragweed.

BASF anticipates the commercial launch of Engenia herbicide in the U.S. in 2014, in a complimentary time frame with the commercialization of dicamba-tolerant soybeans. BASF expects Engenia herbicide use on cotton in 2015 following the commercialization of dicamba-tolerant cotton.

Once registered, growers will be able to use Engenia herbicide as part of the dicamba-tolerant cropping system, currently in development, to protect yield potential and manage increasingly complex weed challenges.

Seed Industry Making Strides in eBusiness

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, seed

More than 20 leading companies in the seed industry are working collaboratively within AgGateway to improve eBusiness processes, with major improvements slated for the end of 2012 and more to come next year. The result will be faster, more accurate information, reduced costs of doing business and improved customer service.

The project, “Seed Connectivity II,” will further streamline the seed supply chain, establishing electronic connectivity among many manufacturers, distributors and retailers for shipping, invoicing and reporting, as well as for price sheets, seed bookings and orders.

In the second part of the project, slated for 2013, the companies will focus on implementation of the booking/order process between seed suppliers and their distributors and retailers– helping realize the full benefits of eBusiness.

Utilizing SMS Software in a Drought Year

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights Weekly

If you’ve been keeping up-to-date with the Precision.AgWired.com blog, then you’ve read about how SMS software from Ag Leader can assist you with verifying harvested acres when it comes to crop insurance reporting.

But this year is unlike any normal year and we don’t have to tell you what you already know. It’s dry. And if it’s raining in your neck of the woods, it’s coming at the wrong time. So knowing you have to work with the hand you’re dealt, what tools do you have that can make the harvest data you gather really worth your while?

First, Aaron Friedlein, Ag Leader product manager, gives us a 30,000-foot view of this 2012 harvest season.

[wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2012/10/Aaron1.mp3″ text=”Listen to Friedlein explain”]

Friedlein says looking back at the data from his farm in northeast Iowa, there were areas or spots that in year’s past, he really didn’t know what caused a lower-yielding area to happen. Now looking at the data this year when he knows he had drought stress corn, he’s starting to answer old questions with this year’s data.

[wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2012/10/Aaron2.mp3″ text=”Listen to Friedlein explain”]

SMS can quantify the results from what you did harvest and maybe answer some questions you had from years past; and going forward, especially if you’re looking at variable-rate prescriptions, you may change your methodology knowing where you had high or low yields during dry years.

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.

Farming Shows: “More Power to You”

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, Events

The Iowa-Nebraska Equipment Dealers Association (I-NEDA) has introduced new themes for the Nebraska and Iowa Power Farming Shows. The new “More Power to You” themes are designed to showcase the powerful experience of attending the nation’s second and third largest indoor farm shows.

More Buying Power To You becomes the new theme of the Nebraska Power Farming Show. The nation’s second largest indoor farm show takes place in early December at a time when many growers are considering year-end tax-planning purchases. With 870 companies and brands presenting the top farm equipment and services available, the Nebraska show is quickly gaining a reputation as being a “buyer’s show,” where great end-of-the-year deals are waiting to be had.

More Power To You becomes the new theme of the Iowa Power Farming Show. The nation’s third largest indoor farm show features more than 1,840 exhibitor booths, giving attendees more opportunities to check out powerful farming products, including all the new cutting-edge products leading farm equipment and services companies will be rolling out for 2013.

New Book: Soil Fertility and Productivity Aspects

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, Research

Precision farming is the latest trend with sophisticated and large farms all over the world. Precision farming involves soil fertility and crop growth monitoring, electronic equipment, remote sensing, global information systems, global positioning systems, computer models, decision support systems, variable-rate technology, and accurate record-keeping. It potentially leads us to “Push Button Agriculture”. This new book on precision techniques is concise and provides valuable information on instrumentation and methodology. It encompasses lucid discussions on the impact of precision techniques on soil fertility, nutrient dynamics and crop productivity.

This new book, Precision Farming: Soil Fertility and Productivity Aspects, highlights the application and impact of GPS techniques to regulate fertilizer supply based on soil nutrient distribution and yield goals set by farmers. It considers advances and examples from different agroecosystems from all continents. It will be highly useful to advanced-level students, professors, farmers, and those involved in agroindustries.

Precision Ag Important in Feeding World

Melissa SandfortZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “What is most important for feeding growing world population? ”

Our poll results: Fifteen percent said Precision ag technology; thirteen percent said Biotech hybrids; nine percent said Crop protection products; seven percent said Information technology; twenty-two percent said Natural resource conservation; six percent said Less government regulation; twenty-three percent said All of the above; and six percent said Other.

There is not a simple answer to this question. We put a number of options up there but through comments others were suggested too. One thing we can all agree on though is that farmers will do all they can to produce the safest, affordable food to feed our growing population that they can!

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Have our efforts to educate consumers about agriculture been successful?” Agri-marketers continue to try to help educate the growing population of non-ag consumers. Another great example is USFRA, the largest agricultural communications effort of its kind and the goal is to speak with “one voice”. So how are we doing? Let us know here.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by Rhea+Kaiser, a full-service advertising/public relations agency.

2012 Nebraska Power Farming Show

Melissa SandfortAgribusiness, Events

Mark your calendars for the 2012 Nebraska Power Farming Show, December 4-6 at the Lancaster Events Center in Lincoln, Neb.

The show boasts:
* Largest Indoor Farm Show west of the Missouri River
* 9.2 Acres of Indoor Displays
* 870 Companies/Brands Represented
* Major Farm Equipment Manufacturer Represented (Case IH, Challenger, Massey, John Deere and New Holland)
* End of Year Buying Specials

The Nebraska Power Farming Show is known to be a “buyer’s show” and the 2012 show won’t disappoint.