Obama Adminstration Withdraws Child Farm Labor Rules

Cindy ZimmermanFarmers, Government

Agricultural organizations are pleased that the U.S. Labor Department has officially withdrawn proposed rules that would have prevented many young people from working on farms and ranches.

“The Obama administration is firmly committed to promoting family farmers and respecting the rural way of life, especially the role that parents and other family members play in passing those traditions down through the generations,” said the department in a press release. “Instead, the Departments of Labor and Agriculture will work with rural stakeholders — such as the American Farm Bureau Federation, the National Farmers Union, the Future Farmers of America, and 4-H — to develop an educational program to reduce accidents to young workers and promote safer agricultural working practices.”

“This victory for farm families is due to the thousands of farmers and ranchers who sent comments to the Labor Department opposing the rules and continued to voice their concerns with members of Congress,” American Farm Bureau Federation President Bob Stallman. “This announcement shows the strength of American agriculture and grassroots action.”

The Labor Department said it received “thousands of comments” against the proposal rule regarding youth in agriculture and made it clear that the “regulation will not be pursued for the duration of the Obama administration.”

Soil Erosion Modeling: It’s Getting Better All the Time

Melissa SandfortUSDA

About 50 years ago, scientists at the USDA devised the Universal Soil Loss Equation (USLE), a formula farmers could use to estimate losses from soil erosion. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists will soon release a version that integrates models generated by cutting-edge computer technology, an updated soils database, and new findings about erosion processes.

Every conservation plan written by the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service has been based on soil-erosion calculations derived from USLE or its successors, the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) and version 2 (RUSLE2). Now research leader Seth Dabney, who works at the ARS Watershed Physical Processes Research Unit in Oxford, Miss., is putting the finishing touches on an update of RUSLE2, which uses more intricate combinations of observation- and process-based science to produce soil erosion estimates.

More information about RUSLE2 can be found here.

ARS is USDA’s chief intramural scientific research agency, and this work supports the USDA priority of promoting international food security.

JumpStart® — For Enhanced Phosphate Fertility Within Bioagriculture

Melissa SandfortCompany Announcement, seed

Novozymes and Syngenta announced a global agreement under which Syngenta will work with Novozymes to commercialize JumpStart technology, a seed-applied biological that increases phosphate solubilization in the soil. The two companies will jointly develop the market for JumpStart in combination with Syngenta’s Seed Care portfolio on arable crops, including cereals and corn. The agreement extends the geographical potential of JumpStart, currently sold mainly in North America, to the rest of the world.

Phosphorus is an essential macronutrient for the healthy growth of young plants. JumpStart is based on a unique fungus, Penicillium bilaii, which increases phosphate solubilization for uptake into the plant through the root system. The market potential for seed-applied technologies that increase phosphate use efficiency is estimated at over $100 million.

Data Management in SMS Basic and SMS Advanced

Melissa SandfortAg Leader, Insights Weekly

Insights Weekly

Managing and organizing data is an essential part of any business operation. Data that is not properly organized cannot only be difficult to find, but difficult to work with. In an office setting, you may have different folders in your filing cabinet, or on your computer to organize your information.

Ag Leader’s SMS Advanced users have had the ability to have unlimited projects to help organize data. Think of a project as a filing folder that allows you to have a different Management Tree to separate out your information. If you do any custom fieldwork or custom mapping for anyone, this would provide you the ability to have a project for each person you did custom work for. This makes it much easier to find the information that you’re after, as well as providing privacy on who else you are doing work for in the event that you have a client come over to look over some data with you. Projects are also a great way to work with sample files to try out new tools and features without doing anything with your main projects.

In Version 11.5, Ag Leader made changes that allow SMS Basic users to have up to five projects. SMS Basic and SMS Advanced users both get to take advantage of an updated Projects Dialog and Backup Wizard. To learn more about these updates, please watch the videos below:

Using Projects in SMS Basic

Using Projects in SMS Advanced

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.

TeeJet UniPilot Provides Simple, High Performance Assisted Steering

Melissa SandfortCompany Announcement

The UniPilot assisted steering system from TeeJet Technologies offers growers a great, new option to boost in-field productivity and efficiency. Utilizing a rugged electric steering motor and universal mounting bracket, this system can be installed and operational very quickly on a wide range of vehicles. Additionally, the portability of the system allows growers to operate UniPilot across multiple vehicles and field operations to maximize utilization.

UniPilot is used in conjunction with the TeeJet Matrix Pro guidance system which offers an intuitive touch screen interface, field mapping/job planning capability, and video monitoring. A full range of guidance modes is supported, including exclusive NextRow guidance for easy headland turns in row crops. GPS signal options for UniPilot include WAAS, which is standard on the Matrix Pro, along with OminSTAR or RTK solutions, which are provided via the optional TeeJet RX510 or RX610 GNSS receivers. UniPilot is compatible with over 350 vehicle platforms including tractors, sprayers, combines and swathers.

Sharing The Harvest and Corn Planting Plans

Chuck ZimmermanZimmPoll

Our latest ZimmPoll asked the question, “Would you be willing to donate the proceeds from one acre of your farm to help your local food bank?” Apparently we have some very generous farmers out there since 61% said Yes and 39% said No. Of course they may be many areas that don’t even have a local food bank too. I don’t know. But we sure appreciate everyone who participated!

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “With all of the discussion on projected corn acres this year, how many acres of corn do you expect to plant this year?” So how about it corn growers. I wonder how many will grow corn for the first time this year too. Should be interesting. Let your corn growing friends and neighbors to know we’d like to know what they plan and remember this is an anonymous poll! Use this link to share.

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

GROWMARK Plant Food Division Growth

Cindy ZimmermanAudio, Fertilizer, Growmark

Just about this time last year, the GROWMARK Plant Food Division reorganized for continued growth both within and beyond the core Midwest FS territory. A year later, they have lots to show for it – including a brand new dry and liquid plant food storage facility in Casey, Illinois.

Core Market Plant Food Sales Director Joe Kilgus says the new facility was a good investment for GROWMARK to help support their FS members. “Obviously we need good distribution, having fertilizer in the right place at the right time,” he said during a recent tour of the terminal. “Teaming up with TGM gave us a location with capabilities of bringing in unit trains, which is valuable for purchasing fertilizer.”

Kilgus says GROWMARK’s Plant Food Division offers a variety of services for FS members that have become increasingly important in our global economy. “What happens in China, what happens in India, Europe, all around the globe, does have an affect on the prices of fertilizer here in the U.S.,” he said. “GROWMARK provides the service and the manpower to keep up on that world market. You have to be in that market every day and watch it. The price of oil, the value of the dollar, all of that affects fertilizer prices.”

GROWMARK also helps FS member companies and grower members by encouraging more efficient use of fertilizer. “GROWMARK’s a big supporter and promoter of precision farming. We also promote the 4Rs – right product, right place, right time at the right rate. We don’t want to see fertilizer over-applied, we want to see it put on correctly. We have a growing population to feed and we want to help farmers maximize what they produce.”

Listen to my interview with Joe here: [wpaudio url=”http://zimmcomm.biz/growmark/gmk-2012-kilgus.mp3″ text=”GROWMARK’s Joe Kilgus”]

Upcoming 11th International Conference on Precision Agriculture

Melissa SandfortEvents

The International Society of Precision Agriculture is pleased to announce the 11th International Conference on Precision Agriculture (ICPA) to be held at the Hyatt Regency in Indianapolis, Ind., July 15-18, 2012.

The 11th ICPA will highlight significant research and applications in precision agriculture, and will showcase emerging technologies and information management. The conference will offer oral and poster presentations, exhibits, and opportunities for discussion and exchange of information in various aspects of precision agriculture. The dedicated session for practitioners entitled “Precision A to Z Track” will offers practical advice and training from international authorities on key topics of precision agriculture for producers and professionals.

Awards Of Excellence Nominations Now Open

Melissa SandfortIndustry News

Precision agriculture products and practices have been enhanced and improved over the past two decades in large part by the work of innovative and driven individuals and organizations. The PrecisionAg Award of Excellence program sheds light on some of the most important people and programs that have helped agriculture realize the full benefits of technology to improve agronomy, efficiency, and stewardship in crop production.

The PrecisionAg Awards of Excellence presents four awards in the following categories:

• Educator/Researcher Of The Year
• Legacy Award
• Crop Adviser/Entrepreneur Of The Year
• Farmer Of The Year

Nominations for these awards are now being accepted. Recipients will be honored at the International Conference On Precision Agriculture in Indianapolis this July.

Click here to submit a nomination.

Dry Conditions May Impact Nitrogen Application

Cindy ZimmermanNutrient Management, weather

Dry conditions may have a negative impact on nitrogen applications in some areas of the country, according to experts at South Dakota State University.

According to SDSU Extension Soils Specialist Ron Gelderman, while surface application of nitrogen fertilizer in late fall and early spring is a typical practice in South Dakota, dry soils this season may be putting that nitrogen in jeopardy.

“With the weather being so very dry, warm and windy, and if we didn’t get that third to a half an inch of precipitation on that urea to move it into the soil and protect it, fields could have experienced some significant loss,” Gelderman said in a radio interview.

Typically, moisture moves the nitrogen down into the soil profile where it is protected from loss, but the lack of moisture may have allowed some of the nitrogen to volatize. Gelderman says a soil test can determine whether the nitrogen is still there, however, he recommends waiting to soil test, and to have the lab analyze the sample for both nitrate and ammonium.

“We can’t assume that it’s all going to be lost. We think there could be significant amounts remaining. Problem is that some of it may still be in the urea form, and not too many labs can test for urea. So, what we’re suggesting is to soil sample later but still in time that we can fertilize these plants and still do some good,” he said.

Gelderman says winter wheat, which is at, or close to jointing, will need a nitrogen application soon if significant loss of the applied urea occurred. Producers have more time before they need to test spring- planted grains and row crops. Gelderman says growers may want to use a urease inhibitor with future surface urea applications to increase the odds of getting some moisture.

Read more from SDSU iGrow.