Central Ohio Agronomy Day is scheduled for December 18th, and the Newark Advocate reports that the event will open up a discussion on precision agriculture between farmers and precision ag experts:
Topics of discussion during the event include growing organic matter and tilth in soils; scenarios and possibilities for 2008 weather; enhanced quality soybean traits; fertilizer application accuracy; optimizing fertilizer costs; soil and water balance; precision farming with planter units and sprayer nozzles; foliar disease management in corn and soybeans; and weed resistance.
Click here to view the entire article on Central Ohio Agronomy Day.
Precision Ag in Peoria, IL
Farmers had the chance to learn about tools available for precision agriculture at The Peoria Civic Center in Peoria, IL this week. The Greater Peoria Farm Show just ended Thursday. The PJStar.com reports that the the Peoria show is considered the largest indoor farm show in the state of Illinois. The news organization also highlighted a display at the show that featured precision agriculture:
If you think farming is just a matter of reaping what you sow, a visit to the Precision Planting booth is instructive.
“We place a lot of emphasis on helping design the planting process,” said Dustin Blunier, a salesman for the Tremont-based firm that sells high-tech planting equipment. “We’re selling by educating.”
That education involves an elaborate series of booth displays and an ample supply of literature on company products such as the Precision Meter.
Click here to view the entire article.
Managing Precision in Arkansas
Precision farming will be one of the hot topics during a series of farm management workshops held in Arkansas next month. The University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is sponsoring a series of five farm management workshops in eastern Arkansas December 5-12 on managing production, financial and marketing risks.
The workshops will be held at various locations:
Dumas, Dec. 5: Dumas Community Center. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Meeting concludes with lunch.
Stuttgart, Dec. 6: UA Phillips Community College. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Meeting concludes with lunch.
Newport, Dec. 10: ASU Newport. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Meeting concludes with lunch.
Forrest City, Dec. 11: East Arkansas Community College. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Meeting concludes with lunch.
Keiser, Dec. 12: Northeast Research Extension Center. Registration begins at 8 a.m. Meeting concludes with lunch.
Idaho Farmer Uses Aerial Images and GPS
It may look like a toy, but as Ag Weekly has reported, Robert Blair’s CropCam unmanned aerial vehicle, or UAV, provides visuals of his farm that are vital for his precision farming. Robert says his CropCam is basically the same product the military and NASA are using. Here’s an excerpt from Ag Weekly on how Robert uses the CropCam:
Blair flies CropCam, a remote-controlled drone aircraft that takes detailed photos of his fields. CropCam is an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that carries a high-resolution digital camera.
He loads the plane into his pickup, assembles the drone, hooks up the GPS, auto-pilot and camera, and with a running toss the aircraft, takes to the blue skies above the Clearwater River…
The drone meticulously maps every foot of the wheat field with high-resolution digital photos that pinpoint trouble spots where Blair can add more water or fertilizer to increase yields and bring in more dollars.
In the article, Robert says most farmers think you have to be rich to use such advanced technology. But, Robert advises that smaller farmers need to strongly consider investing in the technology if they want to remain competitive.
You can view the entire article here.
Precision Ag a Modern Marvel
The History Channel’s Modern Marvels show has featured John Deere technology as an example of “ingenuity, invention and imagination brought to life on a grand scale.” One recent episode explored the growing field of precision agriculture, recognizing that farming has experienced a technological revolution of its own during the last 20 years. The three and a half minute video demonstrates how farmers are using global positioning technology to cultivate their crops with more accuracy. Some of the key machinery featured in this Modern Marvels episode were John Deere tractors and sprayers. Click here to see the video.
ASA and John Deere Bring Precision Ag Ed to Growers
Growers in Indiana have the chance to learn more about precision agriculture. The Mid-South Farmer reports that John Deere is partnering with the American Soybean Association in an effort to arm local growers with knowledge about precision agriculture systems.
Winter meetings are planned for Jan. 8, 2008, in Wahoo, Neb.; Jan. 28, 2008, in Jonesboro, Ark.; and Jan. 29, 2008, Indianapolis, Ind.
“This is the winter education series of our “Reach for the Stars” precision ag program,” says ASA president John Hoffman, a soybean producer from Waterloo, Iowa. “These meetings provide a great learning opportunity for anyone who has considered integrating precision ag into their operation or wants to learn about the latest in precision farming technology.”
You can find the full article here.
Pecision Pays in Alabama
Managing the family farm just got a little bit easier for Mike and Annie Dee. An article in the Opelika-Auburn News reports that John Deere precision agriculture technology is enabling the brother-sister team to farm like never before: it’s enabling them to farm at night. But, even more alluring, is the cost the Dees are reportedly saving. Reporter Amy Weaver writes that Mike’s smart sprayer alone can save the Dees up to $30:
So far, they’ve learned they can produce more by improving the high-yield fields, rather than the low-yield fields, Mike said.
A similar system exists in Mike’s sprayer. It controls the distribution of fertilizer so he doesn’t over- or under-spray in specific spots. And when the 90-foot boom starts to cross an area where there is no field, the nozzles turn off one by one until they’ve reached field again. The regulation can save the Dees $15-$30 an acre.
Again, the more control the farmer has, the more efficient he can be, Fulton said.
“It has increased our productivity considerably,” Mike said.
The GPS system in Mike’s John Deere sprayer remembers where the center of the plant bed was from last season so the tires cause compaction only on the same spot year after year. The delicate root zone remains untouched so plants can develop season after season, he said.
“We are asked to do more with every acre, every year,” Mike said. “With precision agriculture, we are trying to get the most out of every acre.”
With a better market and the advancements at the Dee River Ranch, Mike said they are seeing more profit this year. Their production goals are higher than ever.
You can see the entire article here at the Opelika-Aurburn News Website.
John Deere iSolutions Make Precision Technology Easy to Understand
One of the biggest client-customer programs offered at the John Deere Agritechnica exhibit is the iSolutions program. Paul Leathem, the manager of John Deere Advertising in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, explains that AMS technology is well known in both North America and Europe, but the technology is less understood in Europe. He says iSolutions is meant to explain the different packages of AMS solutions John Deere can offer to farmers.
You can listen to Paul give a detailed explanation of iSolutions and several packages offered for different types of farmers here:
Paul Leathem, Manager for John Deere Advertising(4:00 min mp3)
Night Sprayer
The technology behind the 730i series sprayers is child’s play for Paul Leathem, the manager of John Deere Advertising in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. The sprayers are also equipped with intelligent applications such as the AutoTrac assisted steering system, BoomPRO and SprayPRO. Paul says these sprayers can retract to dimensions suitable for road travel at the push of a button. The 730i series sprayers can also travel up to a speed of about 12 mph in the field.
You can listen to Paul elaborate further on the 730i series sprayers here:
Paul Leathem, Manager for John Deere Advertising(6:00 min mp3)
Intelligent Self-Propelled Sprayer Debuts at Agritechnica
Agritechnica 2007 officially marked the launch of John Deere‘s first ever self-propelled sprayer in Europe. The 5430i is an intelligent sprayer that offers almost a complete automation of the entire sprayer application procedure. The sprayer integrates ten innovative AMS (Ag Management Solutions) features, including SprayPRO technology. The SprayPRO system uses GPS technology to offer more precision on sprayer functions such as steering the tractor, recording application rates, monitoring overlaps and skips, switching boom sections on and off, or any other GPS-based function. The Manager of John Deere advertising in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, Paul Leathem, says European business is moving away from mounted sprayers and is demanding more self-propelled technology.
Paul gave our group of reporters who traveled to Agritechnica with John Deere a detailed overview of the 5430i sprayer. You can listen to Paul here:
Paul Leathem, Manager for John Deere Advertising(2:30 min mp3)