InfoAg Conference Underway in St. Louis

AgWired AgNewsWire, AgWired Precision, CropTrak, Info Ag, John Deere, Precision Agriculture

The 2017 InfoAg Conference is underway in St. Louis with a bigger crowd and more exhibitors than ever.

Since 1994, the InfoAg Conference has been the premier event for discussion and advancement of precision agriculture. This event draws interest from domestic and international agriculture professionals and features a wide range of educational and networking opportunities for professionals interested in learning more about precision agriculture techniques.

We will be bringing you all the latest in precision ag technology this year, thanks to our sponsors John Deere and CropTrak, so stay tuned!

2017 InfoAg Conference Photo Album

Coverage of the InfoAg Conference is sponsored by
Coverage of the InfoAg Conference is sponsored by John Deere Coverage of the InfoAg Conference is sponsored by CropTrak

Bayer Building on Credenz Momentum

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Soybean

Credenz® soybeans continue to build momentum. This year, Bayer released 10 new Credenz soybean varieties with smart genetics and even more are expected for 2018, pending label approval for Balance® Bean herbicide later this year.

“We’re launching a new trait, the Balance™ GT soybean, which will be an exciting new trait for growers to use for managing resistant weeds,” said Leslie Lloyd, Regional Agronomist for the Credenz line.

Some of those new traits were on display at the Bayer Innovation Plus Tour near Dekalb, Illinois last week. Learn more in this interview from the field day: Leslie Lloyd, Credenz Lineup

Go to AgNewsWire for more interviews from the Bayer field day in Dekalb.

Bayer Showcase Plot Tour 2017 – Illinois

EFC Systems Adds Adapt-N Tech

Kelly MarshallData, Nitrogen, Nutrient Management

EFC Systems, Inc. has announced they will be working with Agronomic Technology Corp’s Adapt-N nitrogen recommendations and monitoring system to add functionality to their FieldAlytics product. The integration means users will have the ability to take field data already in their software and generate valid variable rate nitrogen recommendations.

“Adapt-N is offered independently, with a solid scientific foundation, and has been recognized by the industry as setting the standard in nitrogen modeling,” said Agronomic Technology Corp’s C.E.O., Steve Sibulkin, citing the tool’s recent NutrientStar validation, and its use as a top tier solution in Walmart’s Supplier Sustainability Toolkit.

EFC Systems is also planning to integrate N-Sight, an Agronomic Technology Corp product that can create a 5-year nitrogen loss report for a field.

Congressmen Talk Farm Bill at Peanut Meeting

AgWired Precision, Audio, Farm Bill, Government, Peanuts, SPGC

U.S. Representatives Mike Rogers (R-AL) and Austin Scott (R-GA) both shared their perspectives on the new administration, gridlock in Congress, and the outlook for a 2018 farm bill at the 2017 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Saturday.

“It’s going to be a tough fight, I don’t want anybody to fool themselves,” said Rep. Rogers about getting the next farm bill passed in Congress. He says he would like to see the legislation – which is about 80 percent nutrition programs – split just to see who votes for or against. “Neither one of them will pass on their own, but it’ll show us who our friends are.”

Rep. Scott says his number one concern is to make sure “we don’t get splits between the commodity groups and within the commodity groups” with respect to farm programs. “I think one of the big debates in the farm bill will be planted acres versus base acres, I can tell you it’s coming,” he said. “The discussion of permanent law versus temporary law is another issue that we’re going to have some honest discussion about.”

Other topics the Congressmen addressed in their remarks and interview afterwards include infrastructure legislation, the recent farm bill listening session held in Florida, and cottonseed legislation.

Check out the SPGC Blog for full conference coverage

Listen or download audio:
Reps. Mike Rogers and Austin Scott address peanut farmers

Interview with Reps. Rogers and Scott

Southern Peanut Growers Conference Photo Album

Teachers Offered a Day on the Farm

AgWired Precision, Audio, Soybean, USFRA

The Minnesota Soybean Research and Promotion Council (MSR&PC) has partnered with U.S. Farmers & Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) to start a program to help urban teachers learn more about agriculture so they can teach it to their students. To kick it off, educators in Minneapolis and Sacramento are invited to take a farm tour at the end of August to engage with farmers and others who work in the agriculture industry.

“We hope to teach the teachers,” said MSR&PC CEO Tom Slunecka. “We want to make sure that teachers in large cities hear the story of agriculture and have the tools to help them teach.”

The teachers who take part in the program will learn about innovation in today’s agricultural industry, sustainability, crop biotechnology, animal health and welfare. They will also learn more about USFRA’s Discovering Farmland curriculum and receive an iPod Touch and virtual reality headsets to help incorporate agricultural videos into their curriculum and classrooms.

The Minneapolis event will be held August 29 and the Sacramento event will be on August 31. Click on the links for registration information and details. There is no cost for participation and the curriculum tools are free.

Learn more in this interview and if you can help get the word out in Minneapolis and Sacramento, please do: Interview with Tom Slunecka, MSR&PC CEO

First ASA-Valent Ag Voices of the Future

AgWired Precision, ASA, Valent

Eight college students from five states make up the inaugural class of the Ag Voices of the Future program, sponsored by Valent U.S.A. and the American Soybean Association (ASA). The class provides an opportunity for young people to improve their understanding of agricultural policy issues, advocacy, and careers, and was held last week in conjunction with the ASA Board Meeting and Soy Issues Forum in Washington, D.C.

Congratulations to this enthusiastic group of young people:
Corbin Bell, Missouri
Kelsey Cassebaum, Alabama
Mason Gordon, Indiana
Evan Jackson, Kentucky
Will Nalley, Kentucky
William Raftis, Illinois
Kelsey Smith, Illinois
Abigail Steinkamp, Indiana

Also congrats to farm broadcaster Jeff Nalley, since young Will is his son. Being a voice for agriculture is already in his DNA!

Bayer Hosts Field Day in Dekalb

AgWired Precision, Audio, Bayer, Crop Protection, Soybean

Farmers and retailers gathered near Dekalb, Illinois on Tuesday for the Bayer Innovation Plus Tour.

Bayer Technical Development Rep Daren Bohannan says the event focused on corn and soybeans and included presentations on disease observations, selective corn herbicide trials, Balance GT soybeans, ILeVO Seed treatment & PPO Herbicides, Liberty weed control, new Credenz products and more. “We got planted late up here, a lot got planted right around Memorial Day weekend,” said Bohannan. “A lot of our flushes of weeds are worked out so things look really good…In general we’ve had a really good growing season so far.”

Learn more in this interview – Daren Bohannan, Overview of Plot Tour

Go to AgNewsWire for more interviews from the Bayer field day in Dekalb.

Bayer Showcase Plot Tour 2017 – Illinois

Precision Ag Bytes 7/19

AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

  • The National Science Foundation has awarded a Small Business Innovation Research grant to Advanced Biological Marketing (ABM). The money will allow ABM to develop a new class of biorational chemicals based on chemical communicants from plant symbiotic fungi to offer greater crop yields, enhanced root growth and resistance to stress.
  • Penn State University Extension reminds growers to be ever vigilant against spider mites and offers a solution to producers with a center-pivot irrigation system.  A chemical injection of Boundary Rider from Agri-Inject is specifically designed to control the migrating insects.
  • Verdesian Life Sciences has field tested Take Off, a product that speeds up the rate corn processes nitrogen.  South Dakota Wheat Growers have seen a respectable yield increase and improved ROI for farmers using the product.

New Propane Irrigation Engines Available

AgWired Energy, AgWired Precision, Audio, Irrigation, propane

The Propane Education & Research Council (PERC) has partnered with Origin Engines to develop new 5.7- and 6.2- liter engines, EPA-certified and optimized for industrial applications like irrigation and power generation.

Pete Stout, Origin Engines

PERC invested in the research and development of Origin’s new engines, providing industry expertise and financial support through the research, development, and testing process for the new technology.

“We are excited to introduce these highly efficient, innovative engines to the market,” said Pete Stout, product manager for Origin Engines. “We built our product line based on feedback from the end users because their satisfaction is what is most important to us. We are confident they will be very pleased with these new products.”

The new engines complement Origin’s larger 8.0-, 9.1-, and 10.3-liter engines, which were introduced in 2015, and are now available from distributors Industrial Irrigation, KEM Equipment, and Flint Power and Western Power Products. In addition, a new Propane Farm Incentive Program is offering $300 per liter of fuel displacement for propane-powered irrigation engines (up to $5,000 total), according to Cinch Munson, director of agriculture business development at PERC.

Munson and Stout talked about propane engines for irrigation at the 2014 World LP Gas Forum in Miami when the larger propane engines were first announced. Here is a segment of their remarks about the development and benefits of propane irrigation engines in general. PERC’s Cinch Munson and Origin’s Pete Stout

Syngenta Receives China Approval for Agrisure Duracade®

AgWired Precision, Corn, Syngenta

Syngenta has received notification of import approval from the Chinese Ministry of Agriculture for its Agrisure Duracade® trait, which covers corn grain and processing co-products, including dried distillers grains (DDGs), for food and feed use.

“Obtaining this regulatory approval opens up new opportunities within our portfolio,” said David Hollinrake, president of Syngenta Seeds, LLC. “Moving forward, growers can expect expanded access to the full depth and breadth of our genetic portfolio with more choice and exciting new hybrids that offer elite genetics plus the latest in corn rootworm control technology.”

Hollinrake adds that Syngenta will continue to offer Agrisure Duracade for the 2017 and 2018 planting seasons under its grain-use marketing program.