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.
Return to the top of this pageRemember 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.
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)
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)
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)
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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Students have an opportunity to learn about precision agriculture this summer.
Oklahoma State University-Okmulgee is hosting the “Summer Academy for Advanced Technologies: Precision Agriculture” from June 8 – 13 for Oklahoma students in eighth, ninth and tenth grades. Academy students will explore precision agriculture technologies including the use of GIS (Geographic Information systems), GPS (Global Positioning systems) and their applications in precision agriculture. Students will gain insight to precision agriculture technologies through hands-on exercises using state-of-the-art equipment while experiencing college life on campus and in the classroom. They will also visit graduates on the job and learn first-hand how a college degree can help them realize their career goals. Students will reside in the college dormitories and enjoy entertainment activities during the evenings.
Chad Spurlock, Director of OSU-Okmulgee’s College Readiness Center, says, “Students at the Academy will be able to simulate an agricultural business enterprise. The academy will integrate and connect the learning from multiple jobs found in agricultural career clusters.”
Some of the subject areas are crop, range and soil science; agriculture business and economics; GPS/GIS/remote sensing installation; maintenance and applications; agriculture electronics; and data processing and image analysis.
Here’s where you can get the application form (pdf). Applications are accepted between March 15 and April 1.
“Don’t be afraid to tinker.” Scott Gabbard’s philosophy on precision farming seems to fall right in line with fellow precision pro Roger Hadley. Scott is an extension educator from Shelby County, Indiana. He too offered some precision ag pointers during a presentation at the Indianapolis Precision Agriculture Conference earlier this month. Scott says the benefits of precision technology amount to more than just farmers increasing their yield. He says precision farming offers a lot of information and it’s up to the farmer to discover new ways to apply that information to something useful.
Scott adds that the time is ripe for precision agriculture: the price of the technology is falling, while input costs are rising.
You can listen to Gary Truitt’s interview with Scott here: Scott Gabbard Interview (7 minute MP3)
Don’t forget that this interview is part of our Precision Pays Podcast. Subscribe on your computer and get them automatically using these instructions.
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Gary Truitt calls him a “tinkerer with new technology.” That’s because Roger Hadley of Woodburn, IN has been using precision farming technology, such as GPS field mapping, for about ten years. Roger was a presenter at the Indianapolis Precision Agriculture Conference earlier this month. Hoosier Ag Network broadcaster Gary Truitt caught up with Roger at the conference and spoke with him about how precision technology applied ten years ago and how it applies today.
Roger has kept up with the cutting edge of precision soy practices and says precision technology can help mitigate yield pressure, save on fertilizer, make farming more environmentally-friendly and more.
You can listen to Gary’s interview with Roger here: Roger Hadley Interview (5 minute MP3)
Don’t forget that this interview is part of our Precision Pays Podcast. Subscribe on your computer and get them automatically using these instructions.
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I know we’ve already mentioned some findings from the PrecisionAg Institute about whether precision agriculture pays. I had an opportunity to talk with K. Elliott Nowels, who authored a report for the Institute titled, “Precision Powers Profit” (pdf file) to learn more about what they did find.
First of all they found that 80% of farmers who use precision are making more money. In other words, precision really does pay. He says that they found that farmers using precision not only make more profit but they also produce higher yields. They also talked to growers who don’t use precision and found that cost and complexity are the two main barriers for them.
He says there’s three things growers should keep in mind about precision agriculture technology. 1. It’s a more efficient crop production system; 2. You’ll find yourself producing more and making more money; and 3. Because of an increasing amount of environmental scrutiny it shows that you’re becoming a better steward of the land.
You can listen to my interview with Elliott here: Elliott Nowels Interview (4 minute MP3)
Don’t forget that this interview is part of our Precision Pays Podcast. Subscribe on your computer and get them automatically using these instructions.
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