During the recent GROWMARK media tour, we visited TGM and South Central FS in Casey (that’s pronounced Cay-zee) and learned about that facility in particular which was created when the two entities joined in 2010 as part of the GROWMARK and FS member companies partnership that was started in 2006.

“We have an 8 million bushel elevator, it is on the CSX railroad, we are a 90 car unit train express load shipper, and handle about 16 million bushels of grain a year,” South Central FS CEO Randy Handel said. That express loading process can rival a pit stop in the Indy Car Series. “We have 15 hours from when the train comes to load it, grade it and put the train back together and have it ready for the CSX to take,” he says, noting that they can load 1,000 bushels a minute – or 90 cars in six hours or less.

Randy says the venture between South Central and TGM has been very successful. “It’s been a win-win for our local grain producer in that it has helped enhance their margin, it’s been profitable for us as a company, but we’re a local cooperative so in turn it’s profitable for our owners and members,” he said. Most of the grain goes to the southeast to the poultry market and ADM and Bungee on the bean market.

We also got to visit the brand new GROWMARK-owned fertilizer facility on the same site. “It is a 25,000 ton dry fertilizer blend facility and a 10,000 ton solution facility and this is the first spring we are using it,” Randy said. The fertilizer facility also benefits from being right on the rail line. “It’s a very good location being on the CSX track and it’s good sharing the resources with our grain elevator and it’s a very strategic location.”

Listen to my interview with Randy Handel here: South Central FS CEO Randy Handel

See more photos from the TGM visit here: GROWMARK 2012 Media Day

Since it’s planting season I asked him what advice he has for growers. Greg says that with farmers managing larger amounts of land these days it is becoming increasingly important to get in the field to plant quickly and that the planting date means a lot in terms of final yield. He points to their AGROTAIN nitrogen stabilizer which allows a farmer to use a broadcast application of urea instead of a more traditional incorporated or injected application. The AGROTAIN treated urea prevents volatilization loss that would normally occur with surface applied urea. This means a faster start for plants. He says growers are also finding a split application helpful.

Listen to my interview with Greg here: Interview with Greg Schwab

2012 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Construction will begin in spring 2012 and completion is expected in fall 2012. The facility will have rail receiving capability from the Iowa Interstate Rail System which is looking forward to this new venture. “Our connections with all Class One rail carriers at multiple locations, along with access to the Mississippi and Illinois Rivers, will help provide an enhanced alternative for transportation to this region,” said Carrie Evans, Iowa Interstate Railroad vice president of sales and marketing.

Local retailer AGRILAND FS, Inc. will conduct the day-to-day operational activities at the facility. “The location of the Stuart facility is a good fit for AGRILAND FS, and will save the cost of replacing a dry fertilizer building in Winterset,” added John Knobloch, AGRILAND FS general manager.

AGRILAND FS, Inc. is an agricultural based cooperative, headquartered in Winterset, Iowa. It provides ag-related inputs including feed, seed, plant food, crop protection, fuel, lubricants, and grain marketing services to farmers and rural residents in 38 southern Iowa counties.

“We’ve been doing this for five years now and each year the conservation tour gets better,” Tim told me at the end of the tour in northwest Ohio. “We hear from farmers who are really dedicated to instituting conservation practices to make sure that the majority of nutrients they apply in the field stay in the field.”

Listen to my interview with Tim here: Tim Healey of AGROTAIN on CTIC Tour

The tour had a record number of participants this year, over 200, and many of them were farmers who had the chance to learn about conservation practices from other farmers. During time on the bus, Tim did an interview with one of the farmer participants, Gerald Heck of Monroe, Michigan.

Tim asked Gerry why he decided to come on the tour. “Couple of reasons,” Gerry answered. “The opportunity to gain more knowledge about conservation tillage and the six CCUs also were a nice incentive since I’m a CCA.” Gerry says he does use continuous no-till in some fields. “Started no-tilling back the late 80s, with soybeans, then wheat and finally corn, as the equipment became available,” he said. “We moved to no-till to save on fuel and wear and tear on our iron.”

Listen to Tim’s interview with Gerry here: Tim and Gerald Heck

CTIC 2011 Conservation in Action Tour Photos

Terry says these farmers are using different techniques to apply nutrients and conducting much more testing so they can fine tune how and when and where they make applications, including moving to more summer time application. They’re hoping to see results within three years with more farm participation and adoption of these new practices within a couple years after that.

You can listen to my interview with Terry here: Interview with Terry Bachtold

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

Barb says the Federal 319 Program, part of the Clean Water Act, is what where the program funding comes from. She says the IL EPA worked collaboratively with the CTIC to choose a watershed in which they could create some BMP’s for improving water quality. She says a TDML is being considered for the watershed. The Indian Creek Watershed was considered a good fit for the project. By being proactive early in the process she says that all the stakeholders involved are helping themselves in the long run.

You can listen to my interview with Barb here: Interview with Barb Lieberoff

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

Kevin says they’re trying several different practices to try to more efficiently use nutrients, especially nitrogen. These practices include cover crops, side dressing, split application and using “environmentally smart” nitrogen. He hopes to find out how to more efficiently manage nutrients while improving water quality for the area. The multi-year project will allow them to do testing under different weather and field conditions. He says the corn crop in his area is in great shape while soybeans got off to a late start but are also looking good.

You can listen to my interview with Kevin here: Interview with Kevin Harms

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

Martin gave us an overview of AGROTAIN and the company’s products. He was showing initial results from a nitrogen use efficiency study. This type of study can take several years to obtain all the results needed. He believes that nitrogen management is critical not only for the environment but also for the financial sustainability of the farmer. The study going on here on this farm is intended to show how using new technology like that provided by AGROTAIN can achieve these goals. You can watch Martin’s presentation here:

CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

One of the people working on the project with CTIC and a presenter today is Harold Reetz. I visite with Harold prior to the start of today’s activities. I’ll see him again next week in Sprinfield, IL for the InfoAg Conference. Since that’s all about precision agriculture and since that is an integral part of the BMP’s being implemented on the tour stops here we decided to call it “precision conservation.”

Harold says the project purpose is to demonstrate different best management practices for nitrogen. It’s a relatively small watershed with mostly corn and soybean crops. So the goal is to come up with practices to improve nitrogen efficiency which will reduce the amount that will get into the ground water. Local farmers have volunteered in this first year of the project to implement suggested practices and it is their farms we visited. I’ll have interviews with each of them in coming days.

The project is receiving funding from a variety of sources that includes the Illinois EPA. It is really a proactive approach to voluntarily manage natural resources without the need to have new regulations. That sure seems like a potentially win win situation for all parties.

You can listen to my interview with Harold here: Harold Reetz Interview

Post Update: I’ve updated the link to my photo album below:

Here are some of my photos from today’s tour. I’ll have more after getting back to ZimmComm World Headquarters. The internet access here pretty well quit about half way through uploading. CTIC Indian Creek Watershed Project Field Tour Photos

At the Commodity Classic earlier this month, plant science professors from the University of Kentucky and the University of Delaware presented some of their findings during a press conference. They were also available to talk with growers at the AGROTAIN booth and recorded a segment of the AGROTAIN educational series on RFD-TV that aired on March 7.

Dr. Greg Schwab, University of Kentucky, has been researching the performance of inhibitors in no-till corn under high loss conditions. “AGROTAIN under those high loss conditions performs just as well as the ammonium nitrate fertilizer,” he said. “This is important because a lot of our farmers historically have used ammonium nitrate but find it harder and harder to get it and it’s much higher priced.”

Dr. Greg Binford, University of Delaware, tells farmers to make sure the products they use are supported by data. “I think there’s clear data with AGROTAIN to show that it is definitely a urease inhibitor,” he said. “DCD which is a product in SuperU and AGROTAIN Plus, there’s definite data to show that it’s a nitrification inhibitor. So both are providing the mode of action that they claim they are.”

“What we’re really talking about is loss. Anytime that you have a producer putting urea fertilizer out, it’s subject to loss – upwards of 30%,” said John Hassell, AGROTAIN International’s Manager of Research and Agronomic Development. “Today, we’re seeing urea prices around $500 a ton and if you’re losing 30% of that, you’re losing $150 right off the top. So, it’s really important that we be able to provide a technology to protect urea fertilizers and that’s what AGROTAIN does.”

AGROTAIN also recently released some new data from California and Arizona that shows the effectiveness of AGROTAIN technology in controlling nitrogen (N) loss for higher yields in almonds, broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, corn, cotton, lettuce, rice, tomatoes, and wheat.

Listen to comments from Schwab, Binford and Hassel here: AGROTAIN at Commodity Classic

Dr. Below developed the “Seven Wonders” as a tool to teach farmers the relative importance of management factors that can impact corn productivity, ranking the top seven factors that can positively impact corn yields. “In our quest to grow 300 bushels and to improve crop management, we need to know those management factors that have the biggest impact on yield and make sure we manage those correctly,” he told me during an interview at the AGROTAIN exhibit during AGCONNECT Expo.

Fred ranks weather and nitrogen as the top two corn yield world wonders. “These wonders interact with each other so that every single thing about nitrogen application and use by the plant is affected by weather,” he says. So, while farmers can’t control the weather, they can control nitrogen loss due to the weather. To that end, Dr. Below included SUPERU® (with AGROTAIN technology) as part of a high tech fertilizer package in his studies. “The AGROTAIN technology like SUPERU is designed to mitigate weather-induced nitrogen losses. This lets the plant respond to the nitrogen, rather than have it be lost,” he said. “So preventing nitrogen loss is number one on the list for achieving high yields.”

The other five “wonders” on Dr. Below’s list include: hybrid selection, previous crop, plant populations, tillage and chemicals.

Listen to my interview with Dr. Below here: Dr. Fred Below

2011 AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

David Epstein, D.O. a holistic osteopathic physician and Kenneth Lovell, P.E., a professional engineer have developed Bioponica, a food production system that turns food, yard and body waste into feed and then from feed to food. The system works by converting waste, that is more often than not sent to a landfill, into worm castings and worm teas that are used to fertilize soil-less hydroponic plant beds. Waste products used include grass clippings, table scraps, and other sources of carbon and nitrogen rich waste.

“It is unfortunate that we have relied on our municipalities to dispose of waste, whether that be urine, food or yard trimmings, “ said Epstein. “It is not practical or sustainable. When nutrients that come from the environment or from the food we eat are buried in landfills or else incinerated then we lose that valuable resource and it becomes a greenhouse gas that negatively impacts our climate and environment. The alternative is to recycle nutrients with the least amount of effort and cost.”

According to a company release, the system also hosts the growth of algae and duckweed, along with the microbes and aquatic animals that feed on the algae. All this, plus earthworms, become food for the fish. Yes, you read correctly. Bioponica is designed to use waste to feed fish in large-scale fish farms similar to the Farm in a Box aquaponic system.

So on top of the fish farm is a table, or garden, that is designed to grow micro-greens and wheatgrass along with your variety of edible and medicinal plants. In other words, you can grow your own salad. The fertilizer for your greens comes from the fish below, which convert the waste into plant feed.

“When growing high value crops such as these, the return on investment is less than one year. And without having to purchase fish food or fertilizer the cost is limited to a small electric bill for water pumps and labor,” said Epstein. He continued by explaining that labor is reduced because unlike conventional, in-ground gardening there are no weeds, soil-borne disease nor need to turn compost into the soil.

“By converting carbon and nitrogen rich waste into fish and plant food we are effectively sequestering carbon turning it into a food before it escapes as a CO2 gas,” said Lovell. He continued by explaining that the system purifies as it conserves water. They are engineered to optimize growing area and store up to 40 gallons of water per linear foot, meaning they double as rainwater containment.

Lowell continued, “The tables capture heat and warm the water within the fish tanks. On cool nights, the heated thermal mass of water returns to the beds, warming the plant area to extend the growing season into colder months.”

The Bioponica garden systems are made to support indoor or outdoor growing and even come with a UV filtered polycarbonate roofing option to keep warmth in and rain off the tables. This options keeps the temperature, CO2 and nutrient load stable.

So if you’re looking for a creative way to both recycle waste and grow your own greens, then consider trying out Bioponica.

Tim says the tour was a real success and I echo that. We learned a lot about what farmers are doing in this Chesapeake Bay area and especially in the area of conservation. These were not only old farms but ones using the newest technology. That made for a real contrast. Tim says you can’t continually farm land like this without using good conservation practices. Public policy makers told him that they did not realize that these conservation practices we saw were being used on farms in this area. I’m glad they were with us! The CTIC board has announced that next year’s tour will be in northwest Ohio, probably the week of August 8th. I know you always like to to “better” next year but I’m not sure how you can beat this tour this year. Tim says it can be done though. Hope I’m there to see it. Tim Healey Interview

Conservation In Action Tour 2010 Photo Album

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Nutrient stewardship is on the top of the list for TFI according to Kathy. She says they’re promoting the 4R Nutrient Stewardship System which means using the right fertilizer product at the right rate, right time and in the right place. She says they get involved with CTIC to interact with other stake holders in agriculture. She thought the tour was a “home run.” Kathy Mathers Interview

Conservation In Action Tour 2010 Photo Album

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Daryl says that some of the farms locally are so dedicated to no-till they don’t even want to break the ground to plant a seed! So when it comes to applying fertilizer they really don’t want to use knives for side dressing. They like to use liquids or broadcast over the top. That creates a risk of volatility loss. So AGROTAIN has created some products to address this risk. One of those products is SuperU which is a granulated product which he describes in detail in my interview with him. He says farmers like it because it has big granules that can be broadcast over a very large area. Daryl Clay Interview

Conservation In Action Tour 2010 Photo Album

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Chuck talked with John Hassell, who is Manager for Research and Agronomic Development at AGROTAIN, about some new research they are very excited about – one at the University of Illinois and one at Oregon State University – which help to show how nitrogen can be used more efficiently in different areas of the country.

Listen to that interview here: John Hassell Interview

Nutrient use efficiency is one of the topics at at the Conservation Technology Information Center, Conservation In Action Tour going on today in yet another part of the country – Williamsburg, Virginia – and AGROTAIN is one of the sponsors of that event. You will be hearing more about that whenever Chuck gets out of the field and back to a place with internet access so he can share the many interviews and photos he has gotten on the tour, along with a few video clips as well! He has been getting a few tweets and twitpics out today, using the hash tag #CTIC10.

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She says there are some products available now in their market but it sounds like it’s still in the beginning stages. She says that her company is working to bring new products to the market.

You can listen to my interview with Sophie below.

I believe this concluded AgWired coverage of the Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference. Big thanks to AGROTAIN for making it possible for me to attend and bring you information from the event.

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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He told the audience that EEF’s can improve environmental quality. However, when he thinks of sustainability he also thinks about profitability and minimizing off-target impacts. He calls it a “double whammy.” It has to not only help the environment but also make sense financially for the farmer. He recommends working with a well informed agronomist since there isn’t a one size fits all when it comes to EEF’s. He says that in Australia EEF’s are in the very early stages of adoption.

You can listen to my interview with Charlie below.

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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I spoke to Greg after his presentation and he says he works very closely with farmers and crop consultants. They want to know how these products will affect yield. So, he works in field environments testing various EEF, especially the stabilized nitrogen products. He’s found that some products work very well and some don’t in his environment. He says farmers need to take into account all the elements of their system and perhaps seek some advice from a professional. I also asked him how these products fit into precision application mechanisms and he says they do so very well, especially when it comes to controlling rates.

You can listen to my interview with Greg below.

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Dr. Bansal says that in the last three years he’s been doing work on stabilized nitrogen fertilizers for use in corn and wheat crops. He sees real potential for EEF’s with large acre crops. In India he says nitrogen use efficiency in India is very low. That creates a lot of loss which has a negative environmental impact as well as an economic one. He’s found that they can increase yield by 8-10 percent with stabilized nitrogen fertilizers and save nitrogen at the same time. He hopes to see his work become commercially available after more trial work and government approval.

You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with Dr. Bansal here:

Daniel works for Fertilizantes Piratini, a large fertilizer company that distributes AGROTAIN products. He says that the acceptance of EEF’s in Brazil is “amazing.” He says that sales have been skyrocketing year to year since they introduced the products in 2004. The main crops they’re seeing the adoption of these fertilizers in are corn, sugarcane and irrigated rice.

You can listen to or download (mp3) my interview with Daniel here:

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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The Director, Agriculture Service, for IFA is Patrick Heffer who welcomed us to the conference at the start. I’m always looking for an excuse to get back to my home state and I told him that they can hold the conference there any time.

In my interview with Patrick we talk about IFA, the world market for EEF’s and the conference. He was very happy with the attendance.

The International Fertilizer Industry Association (IFA) is a not-for-profit organization representing the global fertilizer industry. Our members serve farmers everywhere as they meet the world’s growing food, feed, fibre and bioenergy needs in a sustainable manner.

IFA has some 525 members in about 85 countries. About half of the membership is based in developing countries. IFA member companies represent all activities related to the production, trade, transport and distribution of every type of fertilizer, their raw materials and intermediates. IFA’s membership also includes organizations involved in construction, engineering, consulting, agronomic research and training.

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, Novus International, and Leica Geosytems for their support.

You can listen to this week’s ZimmCast below.

The ZimmCast is the official weekly podcast of AgWired. Subscribe so you can listen when and where you want. Just go to our a Subscribe page.

Elizabeth says EEF’s are very important to the turf business for two reasons that include economic and environmental. She says that she’s done some work in this area that found that the controlled release sources had much less nitrogen loss to the atmosphere as compared to urea which is the source most prone to loss.

You can listen to my interview with Elizabeth below.

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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Brian spoke about the N-sight technique: A visual and quantitative analysis of urea hydrolysis and ammonia loss from soil. He says the N-sight technique was a project to develop a system to better understand nitrogen losses by “seeing” into the soil. He compares it to an MRI for a body scan. The value to the industry is better understanding to identify ways to reduce the losses. He says “our main goal is to prevent the loss of nitrogen.”

You can listen to my interview with Brian below or watch the video.

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He said that the work he’s been doing shows that the use of EEF’s has helped reduce nitrous oxide emissions in his area in Colorado. He says that this is important since it’s one of the main contributors to greenhouse gas emissions. This is good for global climate change.

You can listen to my interview with Ardell below or watch the video.

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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Scotts is a company that is a world leader in producing controlled release fertilizers which fall into the overall category of enhanced efficiency fertilizers. Karl says these products allow producers better efficiency while becoming more environmentally friendly and also providing economic benefits. Keith says that our natural resources are not limitless so more efficient fertilizer is an important technical advancement for crop production. You’ll hear them echo comments I’ve heard several times today that EEF’s are a growing category of the fertilizer business.

You can listen to my interview with Karl and Keith below.

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Sarah conducted a study on this subject a few years ago and presented information from it as well as speaking about the future. She says that EEF’s in the ag market are still in the early stages but growing rapidly. In fact, she sees most of the growth in the EEF market in agriculture.

You can listen to my interview with Sarah below.

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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You can see that AgWired is online in the back of the room. Yes, that’s my Mac on the table.

Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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Before we got started though I spoke with John Hassell (right), Manager, Research and Agronomic Development, AGROTAIN, pictured here with Jeff Whetstine. AGROTAIN is one of the major sponsors of the conference and my coverage from here.

John says these enhanced efficiency fertilizers are new technology that can help us get more nitrogen to the plant so it can make more grain. This conference will discuss these new technologies with a collection of researchers and industry representatives from around the world. I asked him what he thinks is the one thing these new fertilizer technologies bring to agriculture. He says it will “put a new face on agriculture.” In the past ag has received a lot of blame for using too much nitrogen but that’s going to change now with these new efficiency technologies which increase ag sustainability.

You can listen to my interview with John below.

I’ve also started an online photo album: Enhanced Efficiency Fertilizer Conference Photo Album

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In just a few minutes I’ll have a pre-conference meeting with the AGROTAIN folks and then the conference kicks off at 10am this morning. So we’ll be learning more about this relatively new class of fertilizers and what’s going on internationally.

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