Changes for OptRx™ Users in v3.3 Firmware

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights Weekly

With the new Ag Leader Crop Sensor Rate Table available to OptRx™ users, more growers are utilizing this on-the-fly, variable rate tool to maximize yield potential. Many Ag Leader customers are using the OptRx crop sensing technology to apply an assortment of agrochemicals such as fertilizers, defoliants, pesticides, growth regulators, and more at a variable rate, according to real-time data collected while traveling across the field. With the help of an agronomist or crop consultant, growers are now able to essentially create a “prescription” in the monitor using a VI ( Vegetative Index) range and are then assigning these ranges a specific recommended rate.

For example:

This feature will allow OptRx crop sensing technology to more effectively apply the recommended rates according to the varying VI index’s throughout your field. To utilize this feature, growers need to checkmark “Use Application Rate Table” as shown here:

This variance in product placement will assist the health of the crop stand and provide the correct nutrients to the right plants to optimize yield results.

Growers may also notice that with the 3.3 firmware release there have been changes to the INTEGRA™ monitor’s OptRx settings for corn that were previously only accessible for wheat. The information growers provide for these values will change the applied rate using OptRx. The added settings that growers will now see are:

• Econ Opt Rate- The total amount of N consumed by the plant during the course of its lifetime
• N Credits- The amount of N left over from the previous crop year
• Pre- Sidedress Rate- The amount of N you applied to the crop previous to using OptRx sensors

In other words, the Econ Opt Rate is the total amount of N you would like your crop to have during the current growing season. Typically to yield one bushel of corn, one pound of nitrogen is needed; so if you were trying to achieve 180 bushels of corn, you would use 180 as your Econ Opt Rate. Once you have set your desired Econ Opt Rate; the N Credits and Pre-Sidedress rate values are deducted from that total. As you apply across your field the VI readings the OptRx sensors obtain plus all of the data you have provided the INTEGRA monitor will provide an appropriate rate based on the plant health of the field.

OptRx crop sensing technology is the ideal way to maximize your profit potential while improving nitrogen efficiency.

For more information regarding OptRx technology please call support at 515-232-5363 or click here.

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.

Majority of Businesses Know Nothing of Pinterest

Melissa SandfortZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Does Your Business Have an Interest in Pinterest?”

Our poll results: Thirty-one percent said Yes, part of our marketing plan or just figuring it out; thirty-one percent said No, no application for us; and thirty-eight percent knew nothing about Pinterest.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Will you buy E15 for your MY2001 or later car if it’s offered?” The EPA has given its approval for the first retailers to sell 15% ethanol blended fuel. E15 is a legal fuel for sale to cars, pickups and SUVs made since 2001. Here’s some more background on E15. Sales could start this week in Iowa, Illinois and/or Kansas. What do you think?

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

Vermeer Introduces BPX9000 Bale Processor

Melissa SandfortCompany Announcement, Equipment

The all-new BPX9000 Bale Processor from Vermeer combines simplicity, durability and versatility to meet the needs of today’s cattle producers. The easy to operate machine is built tough with a unique, T-style frame, the bed design and offset rotor produce even and consistent feed with minimal maintenance, and an optional large square bale kit includes enhancements to effectively process a variety of bales. The BPX9000 is built to maximize bale processing and minimize operator stress.

The BPX9000’s slat and chain bed and positive bale feeding improve bale rotation, feeding bales more consistently into the rotor, while reducing the need for operators to reverse rotation of the bale when feeding. The split shaft in the bed allows for easier maintenance without removing the entire bed, and long-lasting bushings in the bed are resistant to net and twine wrapping.

In addition, the bale processor’s offset rotor feeds material with less slugging, for a consistent cut length and higher quality feed. With exclusive cut control bars in combination with the self-cleaning rotor, excessive build-up of net and twine on the drum is eliminated. The rotor can also be manually cleaned, with easy access through a sideaccess door.

Michele Payn-Knoper Speaking at Women in Ag

Melissa SandfortEvents

With unmatched passion and commitment to helping people understand the path from farm gate to the consumer plate, keynote speaker Michele Payn-Knoper will inspire the audience to build connected communities in the industry at the debut of the Women in Agribusiness Summit in New Orleans, Sept. 16-17.

Under the direction of Frances Pratt, co-chairwoman and event director from conference host company HighQuest Partners, the Women in Agribusiness Summit will bring together an unparalleled cross-section of women from the agribusiness and food production sectors.

At this dynamic event, attendees will gain superior industry knowledge from highly successful stakeholders, share in professional and career path development opportunities, create key relationships with like-minded professionals in the sector, and promote the agribusiness industry to the next generation of women.

Payn-Knoper will address this extraordinary group on how to lead through the significant changes facing agriculture in the 21st century by relaying poignant moments, not only from her years of experience helping farmers in over 25 countries build connections that impact the future of agriculture, but from her years growing up on a farm.

Forum Talking About Drought to be Held in DC

John DavisFarmers

Drought, unfortunately, has been a way of life in the Southwestern United States for the last few years, and with half the country under abnormally dry conditions this year, it’s definitely time to come up with some new ideas. That’s where the folks at Farm Foundation come in.

On Wednesday, June 27, 2012 from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. EDT at the National Press Club, 529 14th Street NW, Washington, D.C., they’ll be hosting a free forum entitled “How Drought Reshapes Agriculture and Food Systems.” It will include presentations by Matthew Rosencrans of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA); Jay Armstrong of Armstrong Farms, Kansas; Kitty Smith of American Farmland Trust; and David Anderson of Texas A&M University. An open discussion will follow.

As I said, the forum is free, but they do ask that you register in advance by noon, Monday, June 25. Email julie@farmfoundation.org to save your spot. But if you can’t attend in person, you can catch up on what was said on the Farm Foundation website.

New Water Quality Improvement Projects

Melissa SandfortAudio, Conservation, CTIC, USDA

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced that $8.4 million in financial assistance is available to support 23 new partnership projects in several Mississippi River Basin states under USDA’s Mississippi River Basin Healthy Watersheds Initiative (MRBI). These projects will fund producer activities that will avoid, control and trap sediment and nutrient runoff from agricultural lands, improving water quality throughout their operations.

On the phone with reporters to talk about it this morning was NRCS Chief David White, seen here talking with participants in the recent Conservation in Action Tour conducted by the Conservation Technology Information Center.

The MRBI was first announced in September 2009 and provides financial assistance for voluntary projects in priority watersheds in Arkansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee and Wisconsin. MRBI is helping producers implement conservation and management practices that prevent, control and trap nutrient runoff from agricultural land. Selections were based on the potential for managing nitrogen and phosphorus — nutrients associated with water quality problems in the Basin — while maintaining agricultural productivity and benefiting wildlife. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) manages the initiative.

The 23 selected projects are located in Arkansas, Iowa, Kentucky, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Ohio, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

I asked Chief White how well these partnerships are working after he saw some of them “in action” recently. He pointed to one of the farms we visited that is using two stage irrigation ditches which is one of the projects previously funded by USDA-NRCS in 2011. He says they hope to expand that practice to other areas. He also mentioned being impressed by the younger farmers who were on the tour and making conservation work, including financially. He says, “We can have conservation in harmony with agricultural production and we’re going to prove that.”

Listen to my Q&A with David here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/ctic/nrcs-white-6-19-12.mp3″ text=”Q&A With NRCS Chief David White”]

Help Feed the World With GROWMARK Cookbook

Cindy ZimmermanGrowmark

GROWMARK employees have created a cookbook to help a group focused on feeding the world.

In celebration of the International Year of Cooperatives, GROWMARK has announced that proceeds from sales of a new cookbook will go to Farmers Feeding the World, an industry-wide campaign to rally North American agriculture in the war against hunger.

GROWMARK System employees and friends submitted more than 1,000 tried-and-true recipes in a variety of categories: Appetizers and Beverages, Soups and Salads, Vegetables and Side Dishes, Main Dishes, Breads and Rolls, Desserts, Cookies and Candy, and This and That. The finished books will be three-ring binder style with an included easel and delivered in time for holiday giving.

The cookbooks are just $20.00 each and all proceeds above printing and shipping costs will be donated to “Farmers Feeding the World.” Orders will be accepted through July 20.

Click here to get an order form.

Sharing Guidance Lines Between Displays

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights Weekly

Guidance products have come a long way for Ag Leader since 1986 when stand-alone lightbars were a big topic of discussion. Fast forward to today and many companies now offer assisted steering solutions up to fully integrated hydraulic solutions. Guidance products have become an increasingly important part of farming operations and can be used in almost every pass through the field.

If the guidance product solutions you own are a mixed fleet, it is helpful to have a desktop software package that can you can manage those guidance lines and convert them to different formats. This becomes increasingly important when you are trying to move your farm to controlled traffic or if you want to have guidance for spraying or fertilizing operations after planting. The Ag Leader SMS Basic/Advanced software package has the ability to create, import, manage, and convert or export guidance lines between many displays.

Jessica Ahrens, Ag Leader software training and materials specialist, gives us a quick overview of SMS capabilities.

[wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2012/06/JAhrens1.mp3″ text=”Listen to Ahrens explain”]

Click here for a few quick reminders on how to read in files, create guidance lines and export them out to supported displays.

Ahrens touched briefly before on why this is so important when it comes to a mixed-color fleet. But here she explains more about the importance of being able to transfer guidance lines from display to display.

[wpaudio url=”http://precision.agwired.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/3/2012/06/JAhrens2.mp3″ text=”Listen to Ahrens explain”]

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.

Award of Excellence Winners Announced

Melissa SandfortEvents, Industry News

Three outstanding individuals have been chosen to receive the 2012 PrecisionAg Awards of Excellence, an annual program honoring exceptional achievement in precision agriculture adoption, use, and education. The awards are sponsored by the PrecisionAg Institute and its supporting partners. This sixth class of recipients included for the first time a grower from outside the United States. Below is the 2012 class of recipients:

Crop Adviser/Entrepreneur Award
Darryl Starr, Advanced Ag Solutions, LLC, Lafayette, IN

Educator/Researcher Award
Terry Brase, Kirkwood Community College, Cedar Rapids, IA

Farmer Award
David Cox, Ayr, Queensland, Australia

The recipients will be honored at a special luncheon ceremony during the International Conference on Precision Agriculture on July 17 in Indianapolis.

Sweet By Whatever You Call It

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Do you prefer corn sugar to high fructose corn syrup?” In what is a first for our poll, the response was split evenly! See the chart below.

Recently the FDA denied a request from the Corn Refiners Association to allow food labels to use the term corn sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. Nutritionally, there is no difference in regular table sugar and HFCS so I don’t see why FDA ruled like they did. Their reasoning had to do with their definition of sugar as a crystalline solid. This is basically a public relations war over words since the “problem” with either cane or corn sugar is how much someone consumes. Nothing wrong with cane sugar or corn sugar, regardless what you call it, in my opinion. I like them both. Apparently consumers like HFCS better according to this story. What do you think?

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “Does your business have an interest in Pinterest?” This online pinboard is now being used by political campaigns to target key demographics. Even President Obama’s wife is using it! Seems like there might be some good reason for agribusinesses, farm and food groups to start pinning away. What do you think?

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