Precision Pays

News of Missouri high-yield precision guru, Kip Cullers, hit the mainstream technology scene when featured in a recent story in Wired magazine.

Wired, known for covering everything techie (but rarely agriculture) in an off-the-wall style, offered an interesting look at Kip, calling him a “genius in the science of yield, and some argue a frontline warrior in the burgeoning global food crisis.”

The piece cited his 155 bushel soybean and 329 bushel corn yields as evidence–along with his “open-source” penchant for sharing knowledge with peers during field days.

And while you’re at it, check out the magazine’s November 2008 issue with its cover story on “The Future of Food: How Science Will Solve the Next Global Crisis.” Very interesting piece.

Pioneer Hi-Bred expanded their mapping and record keeping services today with its announced acquisition of Georgia-based MapShots Inc., a privately-owned agricultural data management company that develops and sells proprietary crop management software.

Pioneer, which has had a long-standing business relationship with MapShots, will now be able to extend its Pioneer FIT mapping service and information available through GrowingPoint website record-keeping service. FIT mapping is part of a suite of services that Pioneer sales professionals offer to growers to help them achieve effective hybrid and variety placement.

MapShots, known for the EASi Suite brand of crop software, will continue to sell, support and enhance this line of desktop software for growers and professional service providers. They will also continue to license core precision ag components to other companies for inclusion in their products and services.

Click here for all the details.

Sensor technology continues to amaze me. Having watched this fascinating technology since the 1980s and written about its usefulness in monitoring everything from tractor components to grain quality, I’ve become a firm believer that such sensor precision truly pays.

Current research underway by engineers at Iowa State University aims to plant small (2×4 in.) prototype wireless soil sensors under crops. The goal is to give farmers another precision data layer of information to better manage nutrients, water and carbon to maximize yields and profits–and minimize environmental impact.

Think of the possibilities. 

Check out ISU’s sensor research team and their efforts.

A report titled, “GPS Precise Positioning Markets 2008-2012,” is now available from Research and Markets according to a release posted on MarketWatch.

GPS Precise Positioning Markets 2008-12 includes details on the projected US$ 6-8 Billion value chain; starting with precision GPS infrastructure, continuing through the market for GPS receivers, finished GPS goods and concluding with GPS augmentation and distribution services. Markets covered include surveying, engineering, agriculture, mining, deformation monitoring, GIS, marine and aviation for both machine control and non-machine control applications for the time period 2008 through 2012.

The global value of precision GNSS products and services is approximately US$3 Billion in 2008 and predicted to grow to a value of between US$6-8 Billion by 2012, a CAGR of 19-23%, although prolonged economic downturn in North America and Europe could see growth slow to a CAGR of 15-19%.

Precision farming was in the news on LDNews.com. Here’s an excerpt.

“I know it sounds like you’re spending a lot of money, but when you sit down and put hard numbers to it, it pays for itself in a short amount of time,” Diller said. “Guys who are using it tell you it’s the best money they’ve ever spent.”

“Some guys will say that’s half the fun of being out there,” Diller said, eliciting some knowing laughs from his audience.

Those California wine makers sure seem to get it when it comes to precision agriculture. Here’s a story about how they do in the Santa Rosa Press Democrat.

Did you know that precision farming played a role in today’s Wine of the Week winner, Iron Horse Vineyards’ 2005 Wedding Cuvée Blanc de Noir?

Lawrence Sterling, operations manager, said from a winemaker and grower’s point of view, such variability is “the most challenging” aspect of making wine. The data collected helps the winery chart where and when to pick. It also helps with farming decisions such as irrigation and cover crop planting.

You can watch a video of the story with this link. Or right here:

Farm Progress Companies Editorial Director, Willie Vogt, is writing a column for Pioneer Hi-Bred’s GrowingPoint website. His latest one is “Ramping Up Precision -
How much differential correction do you need? It depends.” You can find it on the website but will need to create a login to access the story. Here’s an excerpt:

Farmers have had a good year - despite the current economic downturn - and for some that means reinvesting in the farm’s technology. One area getting greater attention is auto-guidance, or perhaps a move to auto-steering. Part of that discussion will include your level of differential correction for that GPS signal.

Last week we looked at the value of yield maps. This week we take a closer look at the precision of the GPS tools you may want to use on the farm.

Just exactly how your GPS device functions to accurately plot your position is the subject of a story on PC World.

Differential GPS systems focus on high precision. One of the best known is NASA’s Global Differential GPS System (GDGPS), developed originally by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), run by California Institute of Technology under a NASA contract. NASA claims it’s the biggest such network, originally built to support its own terrestrial, airborne and space operations, but now available to government and commercial customers.

Another example, using a different approach, is the StarFire Network from Navcom Technology (now a unit of John Deere Company), which specializes in very high-precision (10 centimeters) GPS applications such as land and aerial surveying, precision agriculture, and machine control. Navcom says it’s the first satellite-based augmentation system, providing higher accuracy and the ability for users to roam anywhere without being “tethered” to a nearby ground station for augmentation data.

It looks like Bruce Bosley is writing a series of articles on the myths of precision farming for the Ft. Morgan Times. Here’s an excerpt from his first one.

As a consequence, several myths have arisen about precision farming.

Precision farming can help today’s farmer meet these new challenges by applying the Right input, in the Right amount, to the Right place, at the Right time, and in the Right manner. The importance and success of precision farming lies in these five “R’s.”

According to a story from the Cleantech Group, researchers have found a way to harness electricity from trees and this has an agricultural application.

Boston, Mass.-based Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researchers said this week they’ve engineered a way to use the natural power generated by trees to recharge battery operated sensors that can detect forest fires.

Some of the other wireless-sensor startups in the area of precision agricultural include Grape Networks and Fruition Sciences. Both are focused on the high end of the winery market.