College students in Salinas, CA will soon have a fresh, new laboratory for agricultural study. Western Farm Press reports that Hartnell College has broken ground on its new Center for Applied Technology. The 40,000-square-foot, $23 million facility will house the college’s Agricultural and Business Technology Institute along with other career and technical education programs.
“We need to make sure that in addition to the world’s biggest fresh garden that we are the world’s freshest laboratory,” said Dennis Donohue, Salinas mayor, at the groundbreaking. “That will take place here.”
The new facility illustrates Hartnell’s commitment to the fact that agriculture is the economic backbone of the community, said Jim Bogart, co-chair of Hartnell College’s ag steering committee.
“We are committing resources and industry expertise into the facility and its agricultural curriculum because there’s a future in agriculture,” Bogart said.
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The optimal time to invest in precision farming is now. PrecisionAg.com reports that the International Nutrition Plant Institute has come up with some reasons why farmers should embrace precision ag technology today.
- Precision agriculture technologies have not always been economical for small to medium-sized farming operations. However, as input costs rise, precision agriculture equipment is becoming less expensive and tools such as guidance systems, yield monitors, and variable-rate fertilizer applicators may now be profitable for nearly all growers.
- Some technologies, like RTK auto-steering, can improve efficiency without changing management practices. Using a GPS-guided steering system can eliminate sprayer overlaps and planter skips that can result in lower profits.
- Despite the fact that yield monitors have been around over a decade, many growers still don’t fully understand how to use them to improve farming efficiency. This lack of knowledge is being actively addressed in a series of extension programs and classroom courses developed North Carolina State University. This training involves on-farm demonstrations, hands-on classroom training using “Virtual Yield Monitor” custom software, and introduction to spreadsheet-based analysis of yield monitor data, yield-limiting factors, and potential changes in management that could increase yield.
- Variable-rate fertilizer applications have been shown to improve efficiency and increase profits in many grower fields. Several universities and USDA-ARS research units have developed strategies for using on-the-go sensor-based applicators to improve fertilizer use efficiency. Profits have come in the form of increased grain yields without increasing total nutrient inputs.
- Precision management pays now more than ever.
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Successful Farming’s Crop Tech Tour tracks down a certified crop adviser in the field. Lyle Mabus wanted to learn more about how precision agriculture could be introduced on his farm. Bryan Arndorfer of Precision Management Services was there to offer Lyle the instruction he was looking for and helps Lyle maximize precision technology for farming applications like variable rate nitrogen.
You can find 3 more videos of Bryan’s work at Lyle’s farm at Agriculture Online’s Crop Tech Tour site.
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Culger isn’t the only place you’ll find precision ag in Mississippi. Successful Farming’s Crop Tech Tour interviewed Hank Kelly about how he uses precision technology at his 8,000 acre farm in Holmes County, MS. Hank says though input costs might change with the use of precision farming techniques like remote imagery variable rate line, overall precision ag equipment and software keepinput costs under control and increase crop yields.
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Successful Farming’s Crop Tech Tour promised to bring video straight from the field and the project has delivered. There are currently 27 videos posted online at Agriculture Online.
In a video from just outside Cruger, Mississippi, Mark Harris talks about managing a farm that has integrated precision technology. He says with precision ag software, his farm needs less heavy machinery.
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Remember the post Chuck did about Successful Farming’s project to take a look at how farmers are using new technology in the field? Well, Successful Farming’s Crop Tech Tour has already made a number of stops at farms around the country and precision ag is a popular subject.
Agriculture Online Editor John Walter explains what the Crop Tech Tour is all about and how precision farming will fit in to the project:
“This made it possible to get out and provide farmers with more current and interactive information on crop production technology. You know we’ve always had farm shows, and field days and conferences. But, now we can really goet out on the land and report in real time what’s happening with how innovative technologies are doing out in the field, in season and even in real time. So we can do that with video and audio podcasts. And show how crop production how crop technologies are doing through the growing season, during the planting season through harvest. That’s what we’re doing with crop tech tour we’re going to be combining traditional reporting with internet-based multi-media communications to show farmers and others what’s happening with new production practices and precision agriculture in particular.”
You can follow the tour through the project’s interactive map. The map also shows where you can find local certified crop advisers.
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Bottom line: John Deere wants consumers to truly master new products and technologies the company offers. That’s why John Deere’s Ag Managment Solutions has developed its Dealer-Consultant Strategy. The strategy is simple: have an AMS expert available to dealerships nationwide. In some cases its an expert or two. Mark Theuerkauf says the Dealer-Consultant strategy is a unique channel of expertise and is an invaluable too for dealers and customers of AMS products. He says such a support system is necessary for a technology that is still considered relatively new. Mark says there are currently 270 AMS consultants throughout the country.
Chuck interviewed Mark about AMS’s Dealer-Consultant Strategy. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here:
Mark Theuerkauf Interview (5 min. MP3)
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The big advantage of the Iowa Soybean Association’s On-Farm Network is the first-hand look at what ISA has to offer. At least, that’s what ISA’s On-Farm Senior Research Associate Peter Kyveryga thinks. He says the On-Farm Network influences people where it counts most: out in the field. Peter says on farm trials show results and that’s a big factor for most people involved in the ag industry.
Peter has been researching data on variable rate applications of nitrogen, trying to determine what is beneficial for farmers. While his office is still looking for answers, Peter does suggest that farmers should execute small scale trials to determine results before fully jumping into any kind of application.
Chuck interviewed Peter about the statistical analysis work he does with the On-Farm Network. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here: Peter Kyveryga Interview (8 min. MP3)
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John Deere’s Ag Management Solutions really wants to provide solutions… not just for its customers, but also for its dealers and consultants. That’s why AMS developed its Masters Program. Mark Theuerkauf is with Deere AMS and he says the Masters Program is a program that’s specifically tailored for dealers who want to focus on new AMS products being released to consumers. Theuerkauf says the two and a half day program allows dealers and consultants to experience new products during live demonstrations out in the field. The program is held in Corpus Christi, TX and has grown to more than 400 attendees.
Chuck interviewed Mark about the AMS Masters program. You can listen to Chuck’s interview here: Mark Theuerkauf Interview (5 min. MP3)
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It’s National Ag Day and John Deere is a major partner of the event via the Agriculture Council of America. You’ll find a lot of good information on their website.
Today’s farmers work nearly 3 1/2 times as much land compared to their predecessors back in 1900 and consolidation is continuing to change farmer’s equipment needs. “There is an on-going consolidation in agriculture that results in fewer farmers farming more acres,” says Doug DeVries, Sr. Vice President Agricultural Marketing for North America, Australia and Asia at John Deere in Moline, Ill. “Their needs for equipment are changing. Their expectations for what the equipment will do for their farming operation are also changing.”
Besides all the major equipment launches of the past several years by John Deere, it’s in the area of precision technology that some of the most beneficial innovations are taking place to help farmers remain profitable.
John Deere also provides technology services to farmers that include wireless information transfer and satellite guidance systems for driving equipment. With JD Link™ farmers can have information about their equipment and production operations transferred directly from the equipment in the field to a Web site for easy access later. This can greatly improve their efficiency and increase the life of their equipment by ensuring more timely maintenance. (more…)
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