Building upon the scientific discovery of the Double Helix structure of DNA in the 1950s, Van Montagu, Chilton, and Fraley each conducted groundbreaking molecular research on how a plant bacterium could be adapted as a tool to insert genes from another organism into plant cells, which could produce new genetic lines with highly favorable traits.

The revolutionary biotechnology discoveries of these three individuals – each working in separate facilities on two continents – unlocked the key to plant cell transformation using recombinant DNA. Their work led to the development of a host of genetically enhanced crops, which, by 2012, were grown on more than 170 million hectares around the globe by 17.3 million farmers, over 90 percent of whom were small resource-poor farmers in developing countries.

From their work in the laboratory to applying biotechnology innovations in farmers’ fields, the combined achievements of the 2013 World Food Prize Laureates have contributed significantly to increasing the quantity and availability of food.

Launching in fall 2013, the RG700 self-propelled sprayer combines RoGator professional-grade quality and dependability with flexibility to meet spraying requirements well suited for a smaller tank size. Tier 4i-compliant, it is equipped with the latest technology systems, is easy to operate and, like larger RoGator models, features an application-specific cab design that maximizes operator comfort and safety.

The RG700 offers an industry-leading AWD Smart Drive System, even weight distribution and Parallel C-channel flex frame, all of which combine to provide consistent field speed without shifting and excellent traction with all four wheels remaining on the ground. The result is a smoother ride, less wear and tear on the booms, and more precise product application, even under varying field conditions.

ASA is announcing Dr. Christy Sprague, Associate Professor, Michigan State University; Dr. Aaron Hager, Associate Professor, University of Illinois; and Dr. Jason Norsworthy, Associate Professor, University of Arkansas as its all-star lineup of speakers for its Herbicide and Weed Resistance Management session.

The Herbicide and Weed Resistance Management session at the ASA Soybean Marketing and Production College will use the soybean industry’s “Take Action HRM” approach and will provide attendees with the tools needed to develop a three- to five-year integrated management plan.

Guarantee your participation by registering by Tuesday, July 9, at www.SoyGrowers.com/MarketingProductionCollege.

“The ability to measure exact rain accumulation at each field is going to save farmers an immense amount of time,” said Jesse Vollmar, CEO and co-founder of FarmLogs. “Driving to the fields to check for rain can be a hassle. With our new Field Rainfall Monitoring feature, there is no longer a need to physically check a field or to monitor rain gauges. We do it automatically.”

The new weather feature accurately and immediately displays field-specific rainfall levels at a glance for the most recent 12 and 24-hour periods, as well as eight years of historical precipitation data. A snapshot view displays the top 3 fields that have received the most rain in the past 12 hours, while detailed charts show users how many inches of rain have accumulated by field for the year, or anytime within the past 8 years. Automatic charts allow users to compare current growing season rainfall levels at each field against previous years and the 5 year average for that field.

“We’re running into some interesting things likes true armyworms in wheat and in corn, and seed corn maggots, and all sorts of things,” said GROWMARK Insect/Plant Disease Technical Manager Kevin Black.

Kevin’s number one recommendation for growers is patience. “We’re looking at a number of fields right now that are turning yellow because of too much moisture and some cases where compaction was created earlier because of the rush to try to get crops that were already late in the ground,” he said. “Patience was called for then and patience is still called for.”

Cereal leaf beetle is one pest they have seen in wheat in southern Illinois, which he says is not a real serious threat right now but can be kind of nasty. “The larvae that cause most of the damage have a rather disgusting habit that they cover themselves with their own fecal material to help ward off parasites and predators,” he said.

The best line of defense for growers is scouting. “So many of the issues that we face can be taken care of if we catch them in a timely manner,” Kevin added.

Listen to my conversation with Kevin here: Kevin Black Interview

Tyler Anderson, Ag Leader software support specialist, says Ag Leader is helping to cultivate the next generation of precision ag specialists in the job field, whether it’s back home on their own farms, at Ag Leader or as a precision farming dealer.

Anderson also says, “These ‘educating the educator’ sessions help students understand where precision ag might fit into their future.” Here’s what people can look forward to.

Please contact Tyler Anderson or Adam Walters at 515-232-5363 or education@agleader.com if you are interested in attending, need more information regarding the training, or are interested in learning about Ag Leader’s Educational Solutions program.

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.

“I am honored that my colleagues on the board have placed their trust in my ability and dedication to moving our association’s mission forward and creating greater opportunities for corn growers across the country,” said Bowling. “At the same time, I realize that farmers face many challenges right now as threats to the Renewable Fuel Standard abound and we continue operating without a new, five-year farm bill. I look forward to working with our grower leadership over the coming years to find innovative, impactful ways to deal with the situations at hand and those which will certainly arise in the future.”

A farmer for more than three decades, Bowling is a third-generation farmer who operates a 1,400-acre grain farm growing corn, soybean, wheat, barley and grain sorghum only an hour’s drive outside of Washington, D.C.

A graduate of NCGA’s first Advanced Leadership Academy class, Bowling currently serves as board liaison to the Ethanol Committee and represents NCGA on the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Farm, Ranch and Rural Communities Committee. He has also served on NCGA’s CornPAC Committee and Mycotoxin Task Force.

On Oct. 1, Johnson, of Iowa, becomes chairwoman and the current first vice president, Martin Barbre of Illinois, becomes NCGA president. In October 2014, Barbre becomes chairman and Bowling becomes president.

I asked Gary Esselink, product manager in application controls for Raven, to give more insight into these three new additions.

One of them includes the tank fill monitor. Gary said, “We have a flow meter running at the outlet filling the tank up. And we calculate those gallons as they go in it. We then display them either on the field computer or on an outside monitor.”

Another new product in application controls is the automatic pump flush system. “What happens is a lot of the chemicals we run in the direct injector pumps change their characteristics. What we’ve done is provide a little flush tank with a 3-way valve. When you push a button on the field computer the valve turns and takes the flushing agent, runs it through the pump at a pre-designed amount and then shuts itself off.”

The last but certainly not least addition is the ISO virtual terminal. “ISO means it’s interactive with other systems. Raven products can interact with other field computer of our competitors if they are also ISO compatible.”

Listen to my complete interview with Gary here: Interview with Gary Esselink

Check out photos from the event here: Raven Innovation Summit Photo Album

Our poll results: Thirty-five percent said Better Than Last Year, twenty-five percent said Same as Last Year, twenty-five percent said Worse Than Last Year, and fifteen percent said Other. The “Other” responses claimed it is too wet to cut hay. All this moisture is a cure for the drought but seems to have delayed hay season in parts of the country.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “What is your opinion of Senate immigration bill?” With a Senate vote of 82-15 to allow further debate on legalizing the nation’s 11 million unauthorized immigrants, update the hiring process and make legalization a breeze. President Obama claims it is “the best chance we’ve had in years”. How do you feel? Let us know.

ZimmPoll is sponsored by
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]]> http://precisionpays.com/2013/06/what-do-you-think-of-the-senate-immigration-bill/feed/ 0 http://precisionpays.com/2013/06/what-do-you-think-of-the-senate-immigration-bill/ http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PrecisionPays/~3/Z-_LC9UWyto/ http://precisionpays.com/2013/06/genscape-ups-tech-reach-with-landviewer-buy/#comments Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:00:32 +0000 chuck@zimmcomm.biz (Chuck Zimmerman) http://precisionpays.com/?p=12574 Continue reading →]]> More information certainly helps any operation, especially operations dependent on precision technology (and who these days doesn’t need more precise information?). Provider of energy information for commodity and financial markets Genscape has bought LandViewer to expand its technology footprint in the agriculture and biofuels industries. Genscape says, using NASA satellite data to get daily updates of corn vegetation progress, the LandViewer platform gives corn traders and buyers land use and crop progress information on a sub-regional level so they know where to source grain and how to set the best prices.

“The LandViewer platform opens a lot of doors for Genscape customers to make informed grain management decisions ahead of market movements. When you know the supply of corn you can set better prices, hedge investment risk and stay ahead of the competition,” says Robert Barton, Managing Director of Agriculture and Biofuels at Genscape.

Also designed for traders, LandViewer uses a combination of historical data, national yield regressions and fundamental crop data to deliver highly accurate projections of crop yields on a national level to inform trading and investment strategies.

The LandViewer technology was developed at the University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Resources Center.

“In 1969, I was swathing some hay next to one of my sprinklers I had just installed. I looked back and saw the sprinkler covering the entire field with just one pass,” he said. “I thought that had to be better than making multiple passes across the field to apply fertilizer or crop protection products.”

That epiphany eventually led to the official establishment of Agri-Inject, Inc. in 1983. Thirty years later, Agri-Inject continues to define and refine the concept of fluid injection technology—helping growers around the world improve efficiency and effectiveness of crop inputs by applying them through irrigation systems.

Today, Agri-Inject is on the cutting edge of fluid injection technology and accuracy, bringing precision agriculture to pivot irrigation.

The Agri-Inject line-up includes a wide variety of systems for application of insecticides, fertilizer, herbicides and fungicides. There are large capacity systems that can apply soil amendments across an entire field. The new BoundaryRider targets the perimeter of a field to prevent pest infestations. New variable rate Agri-Inject systems are being introduced that are aligned with precision technology rapidly being adopted and enhanced in irrigation and crop management.

The planter control package includes more then just multi-hybrid technologies. It also brings together OmniRow that is fully integrated with liquid, granular and liquid injection product control, SmartYield, steering solutions for multiple machine types and Sidekick Pro for direct chemical injection.

Doug Prairie is product manager for planter, seeder, and harvest controls. In an interview he gave more insight into what this new precision technology can provide to growers of all types.

“The multi-hybrid project is a project we did in conjunction with South Dakota State University. They wanted to do some research on the ability to switch hybrids of corn and soybeans in real-time while they are planting in the field. So we worked with them and developed patent-pending technology that will do that using a inner plant or twin row type tool bar configuration. With that you can have hybrid A in one set of rows and hybrid B in the second set with a prescription map or manually switching in the field. You can plant a hybrid in low lying areas and another in the higher elevations. Or you can change by soil types.”

Listen to my complete interview with Doug here: Interview with Doug Prairie

Check out photos from the event here: Raven Innovation Summit Photo Album

“The Senate has again passed a deficit-reducing, bipartisan bill that will help our farms, our families, our economy, our environment,” said Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) upon passage of the bill. “This bill saves more than $24 billion, it maintains important investments in conservation and nutrition, renewable energy and rural development.”

The Senate Agriculture Reform, Food and Jobs Act of 2013 links crop insurance to conservation compliance and saves money by consolidating 23 conservation programs down to 13.

“I am pleased that the Senate was able to come together in a bipartisan manner to pass the 2013 Farm Bill, which is a vital piece of legislation for family farmers and ranchers across the country,” said National Farmers Union (NFU) President Roger Johnson. “I am happy to see language included that will provide a safety net for family farmers and ranchers, as well as a robust crop insurance program, mandatory energy funding, streamlined conservation programs, additional protections for livestock producers and incentives for locally owned and organic production.”

American Soybean Association (ASA) president, Danny Murphy of Mississippi says the bill will provide certainty for all farmers. “The bill passed this evening represents many of ASA’s priorities and is a critical step toward strengthening the farm safety net, protecting planting flexibility, improving conservation, bolstering exports and feeding our nation’s hungry,” he said in a statement.

The full House is expected to take up its version of a farm bill next week.

A new round of funding authorizes $255 million to enroll up to 100,000 additional acres into WRP, $47 million to enroll up to 200,000 additional acres into GRP, $175 million in funding for up to 12.6 million additional acres into CSP.

Anyone interested in these voluntary programs should contact their state or local NRCS office. Sign-up dates and deadlines vary by state, and applications are accepted throughout the year.

NRCS’s Emergency Watershed Program has successfully helped many communities recover from previous natural disasters across the country by providing on-site technical and financial assistance. This money will help implement all requested recovery projects that were in presidentially declared disaster areas. Examples of conditions qualifying for assistance include: debris-clogged stream channels, undermined and unstable stream banks, jeopardized water control structures and public infrastructures, and wind-borne debris removal.

The largest portion of the funds will go to Colorado, which will receive more than $19 million for recovery from one of the worst fire seasons in the state’s history. In 2012, more than 200,000 acres burned, taking more than 600 homes and other structures with them.

In addition to this recovery funding, NRCS is responding to the recent Oklahoma tornados and has already allocated about $500,000 in emergency funding to begin work on sites that pose significant hazards.

NRCS already allocated $5.6 million in recovery money to Hurricane Sandy states and will have up to $165.4 million more this summer for floodplain easements. EWP can provide funding for purchasing floodplain easements in areas consistently prone to flooding. Permanently protecting floodplains can restore natural flood buffers, conserve fish and wildlife habitat and improve water quality, while safeguarding lives and property from floods, drought and erosion.

The design of the new IRONSearch.com increases the visibility of equipment for sale, enabling buyers to perform highly targeted searches and assuring that dealers get more views for their equipment offerings. Because it gives buyers more options for contacting sellers, it means more leads for dealers – leads that are closer to a purchasing decision.

The redesigned site is even more tightly integrated with the respected IRON Official Guides and real-time appraisal tools, so it ensures competitive and fair prices for both dealers and equipment buyers. The new site also offers easier page-to-page navigation, with streamlined buy and sell pages. It now requires fewer steps to shop for equipment or post equipment for sale.

With a subscription to Pioneer Field360 Select software, growers can transform farm data into timely and actionable information. Multiple digital tools for monitoring and predicting field progress and growth stage, plus interactive field maps come together in the Pioneer Field360 Select software offering.

Pioneer Field360 Select software can provide growers substantial information about a field without the grower ever setting foot on the ground. This program is backed by soil, weather and precipitation data spanning many decades. It is also supported by Pioneer Agronomy Sciences data trials to determine growth stages of Pioneer brand corn hybrids.

When you bring together Slingshot and Raven hardware you can view and support the Raven display live, utilize high accuracy RTK, manage equipment and data from ravenslingshot.com and integrate Slingshot with Raven’s partner’s solutions or even develop your own.

During the trade show I took the opportunity to talk with Paul Welbig, general manager for Slingshot Operations for Raven Industries, about what the new developments in data management mean to growers everywhere.

“We are excited to announce several different things as it relates to Slingshot and like you said we really pioneered the high-speed internet connectivity to the cab. It really starts with a real robust wireless platform and information backbone that will bottle this data and then share it with other providers out there. We have been real busy enhancing that, making it much more robust and easily distributed for everyone who needs to use it. We rolled out a couple of new things. One is Slingshot 2.0 portal. It’s a brand new system users can log in to and manage their data. We have provided a brand new field hub that is a modem in the cab that will provide high-speed internet and now it also has wifi.”

Listen to my complete interview with Paul here: Interview with Paul Welbig

Check out photos from the event here: Raven Innovation Summit Photo Album

Jerome Tschetter is a corn and soybean grower from Bridgewater, South Dakota and not only shared his insight into precision agriculture to me in an interview, but also contributed his years of farming expertise to the insightful producer panel.

A yield mapping system with GPS was the first form of precision agriculture he adopted on his operation. It is also one of the things he says has had the biggest impact in terms of profitability on his farm.

“The ability to yield map which tracks, not only the varieties but also your population levels shows you what is going on with soil types and other management practices that come into play. That has probably been the most beneficial from a data prospective. We have adopted the auto steering guidance system in the last four years. That aspect has just been remarkable in what it’s done for our efficiency and fatigue issues along with the ability to present a really nice looking operation.”

Jerome went on to explain that sometimes it’s the little things related to technology that can be a struggle. The beeping or flashing lights that are there to remind you of something can get a little annoying, but the benefits of higher yields, less seed loss and efficiency certainly out way the cons. He also shared what he sees as being the future of precision agriculture.

Listen to my interview with Jerome here: Interview with Jerome Tschetter

Check out photos from the event here: Raven Innovation Summit Photo Album

As a fourth generation Viper, the Viper 4 comes from a legendary family loaded with connections, resources and support. The precision ag system integrates into a simple, connected platform.

The Viper 4 is a rugged modular field computer platform with a flexible design, wireless communication capabilities, will interface to many systems for multiple farming operations and has complete consistant consumable data. It runs on a Raven Operating System and is lighter. The display is 12.1 inches with a resistive touchscreen and airtight design. It comes with fully scalable GPS, camera inputs and equipped for future applications.

Right after the announcement of Viper 4 attendees had the opportunity to walk through the trade show and see first hand how these new precision ag technologies could benefit them. I spoke with Shane Swedlund, Senior Product Manager in Field Computers for Raven, during the trade show and his enthusiasm for the new product was easy to see.

Listen to my interview with Shane here: Interview with Shane Swedlund

Check out photos from the event here: Raven Innovation Summit Photo Album

So what does that mean for farmers across the Midwest? Either plant in soggy ground, replant in muddy fields or collect crop insurance.

Ag Leader’s Mike Olson, sales manager, says in tough seasons like this, using precision ag technology can really be a benefit.

Olson also notes that because of the rainy season, there is de-nitrification in the ground. That’s when OptRX crop sensors can help read the crop vigor to help growers apply Nitrogen when they side-dress. And, the Hydraulic Down Force system was invaluable this season to maintain proper planting depth.

Growers can still implement crop sensor technology during the 2013 growing season, save their crop and benefit from the technology when it comes to increased yields. Olson says trials have shown a $25 per acre increase in profit by using more Nitrogen.

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.

Our poll results: Twenty-two percent said Price and Horsepower, seventeen percent said versatility, fifteen percent said Customer Service, nine percent said Accessories, six percent said Warranty and Comfort, four percent said Color, and two percent said Size. The bells and whistles don’t seem to be a huge impact on purchasing decisions.

Our new ZimmPoll is now live and asks the question, “How good was your first cutting of hay?” Weather hasn’t exactly been predictable this spring. With a cold and wet spring season across much of the country how did it affect your hay crop? Has it bounced back from last year’s drought? Let us know.
ZimmPoll is sponsored by .

During the opening session general manager and vice president of Raven Industries, Matt Burkhart, had the privilege to finally make the hard work and years of research public. Raven is recognized as a leader in precision agriculture and has been introducing leading edge technology since 1978. Maybe the most coveted new product is the Viper 4, a fourth generation Viper loaded with simplicity, power and connection.

Listen to Matt’s complete product launch presentation here: Product Launch Announcement

I also got to sit down with Matt and he shared how the passion for Raven’s Applied Technology Division is helping farmers feed the world. Their mission to do this is surrounded by growing their core, expanding internationally and focusing on information management.

Listen to my interview with Matt here: Interview with Matt Burkhart

Check out photos from the event here: Raven Innovation Summit Photo Album

Listen to my interview with Gary here: Interview with Gary Wojcik

You can find a lot more photos of the new Genesis here: New Holland Genesis T8 Series Tractor Photo Album

Recognizing the fact that farmers are increasingly using tablets and smartphones to increase production, The Mosaic Company responded by recently unveiling a mobile site for its premium fertilizer, MicroEssentials.

The new mobile site for MicroEssentials will provide its customers with a more efficient and convenient user experience, particularly as retailers strive to better serve growers in their own fields and offices.

MicroEssentials.com site analytics confirm increasing use of mobile platforms. In certain months, mobile visits consist of more than 40 percent of the website traffic, and the average number of mobile visits year-round is increasing consistently.

The goal of the U.S. Food Waste Challenge is to lead a fundamental shift in how we think about and manage food and food waste in this country. The Challenge includes a goal to have 400 partner organizations by 2015 and 1,000 by 2020.

As part of its contribution to the U.S. Food Waste Challenge, USDA is initiating a wide range of activities including activities to reduce waste in the school meals program, educate consumers about food waste and food storage, and develop new technologies to reduce food waste. USDA will also work with industry to increase donations from imported produce that does not meet quality standards, streamline procedures for donating wholesome misbranded meat and poultry products, update U.S. food loss estimates at the retail level, and pilot-test a meat-composting program to reduce the amount of meat being sent to landfills from food safety inspection labs.

Alltech’s 37+ Program surveyed 329 samples from July 1 through Dec. 31, 2012. Only one percent of the samples analyzed were free of mycotoxin contamination; 94 percent were contaminated with two to 10 mycotoxins. In corn grain samples, 95 percent contained Fumonisin and 48 percent contained DON. In corn silage, 90 percent contained Fumonisin and 84 percent contained DON. The DDG samples contained 100 percent of both Fumonisin and DON. In all samples tested, aflatoxin was present in 18 percent.

At harvest time, it was recommended for mycotoxin contaminated grain to be dried to 14 percent moisture within 24 to 48 hours to stabilize mold growth and ensure adequate grain storage. By limiting mold growth, mycotoxin production can be stabilized, but any mycotoxins already present would remain.

As temperatures remained warm in the fall, many growers aerated the bins and discovered that the mold and mycotoxin levels increased rapidly. As storage facilities have been emptied this spring, high levels of mycotoxins have been found in the lower levels of the facilities, where the fines and cracked kernels tend to concentrate.

Recommendations for producers using the last of their 2012 crop:

• Only run aeration fans during the coolest times of day or night. Hold grain at 50 degrees Fahrenheit or less and 14 percent moisture or less.
• Mold growth in storage is greater where there are leaks in facilities and where fines and damaged kernels are concentrated.
• The south side and tops of grain bins warm quicker as daytime temperatures begin to increase.
• New mold growth will increase temperature and moisture in surrounding grain.
• Continually monitor stored grain for temperature, moisture and mycotoxins.

A challenging and educational two-part training program, the 2014 class of ASA/DuPont Young Leaders will meet for the first time at Pioneer’s headquarters in Johnston, Iowa, Nov. 19-22, 2013. The program will continue Feb. 25-March 1, 2014 in San Antonio, with training held in conjunction with the annual Commodity Classic Convention and Trade Show.

The ASA/DuPont Young Leader program offers the opportunity for participants to strengthen and build upon their natural leadership skills, meet and learn from other young leaders from around the country and expand their agricultural knowledge.

Applications will be accepted online beginning June 3. Interested applicants should go to www.SoyGrowers.com/dyl.

“This has always been a crucial time of year in Washington to make sure our lawmakers and those who influence them remember the importance of corn farming to our nation and our economy,” said Pam Johnson, NCGA president and a corn grower in Iowa. “Our state corn checkoff programs have seen the importance of this program each year for educating a very important audience about this essential crop and its high value.”

The Corn Farmers Coalition program launched June 1 with a major advertising presence in Washington that puts prominent facts about family farmers in front of thousands on Capitol Hill, starting with “station domination” at Union Station through the month of June. The large-format ads will travel to the Capitol South Metro station for July. In addition, online advertising will appear in publications such as Politico, Washington Post, the New York Times, Roll Call, National Journal, and Congressional Quarterly.

Cassie Lapaseotes, Lapaseotes Ltd., Bridgeport, Neb., one of the producers recounting how testing new premium diesel fuels from Cenex made an impressionable difference in engine performance. Lapaseotes appeared in a short video with other producers to talk about the value of premium diesel fuels from Cenex.

The article, Fueling High-Tech Engines, recounts how CHS, the largest U.S. producer of premium diesel fuel, has been collaborating with additive suppliers, equipment manufacturers, retailers and equipment owners to address changing equipment specifications.