Iteris and BASF have entered into an agreement to leverage Iteris’ ClearAg high-resolution field level weather information. Under this agreement, Iteris’ ClearAg™ high-resolution, precision hail information will be integrated into BASF’s suite of precision agronomy sales and customer support tools. BASF sales and customer support staff will have access to Iteris’ field-level hail information, including descriptions of hail events by …
Research to Quantify Cover Crop Benefits
A common theme at last week’s 2015 Soil Health Summit in St. Louis was the need to quantify the benefits for farmers of using cover crops. Purdue University economics professor Dr. Wally Tyner is trying to do just that. “I’ve worked in a lot of different areas in economics and this is the hardest nut to crack,” he said. “Because …
FMC Corp Acquires New Herbicide Rights
FMC Corporation has acquired all global rights to a new and proprietary herbicide from Kumiai Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., and Ihara Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. The new herbicide is highly effective in controlling broadleaf weeds and will be initially developed for use in corn, cereals, soybeans and sugarcane in key countries around the world. “We are very pleased about the …
WOTUS Interpretive Rule Withdrawn
The Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers have at least ditched part of the WOTUS rule. The Interpretive Rule Regarding the Applicability of Clean Water Act Section related to the proposed Waters of the United States (WOTUS) was officially withdrawn by EPA and the Corps in a memo last Thursday, January 29. Congress requested asked for …
Budget Proposes One Food Safety Agency Under HHS
President Obama’s proposed budget released today would combine USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service with Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and other agencies’ efforts into a single agency under Health and Human Services (HHS). Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack spent much of a 45 minute press conference about the budget talking about and defending that proposal. “What the president is asking …
Soil Health Partnership Scientific Advisers
The Soil Health Partnership includes an impressive and distinguished panel of scientific advisers who are happy to be involved in an effort they consider to be critical to the future of the world. Most of those advisers attended the first Soil Health Summit held this week in St. Louis. Dr. Wayne Honeycutt, deputy chief for science and technology with USDA’s …
Soil Health Partnership Holds Summit
The Soil Health Partnership (SHP) was officially launched at last year’s Commodity Classic so it will just be one year old in another month. But Nick Goeser with the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) says the concept had a relatively long gestation period. “The idea for the Soil Health Partnership started in 2011, so within three years we came to …
Poultry Industry Urges Congress to Grant TPA
As U-S trade representative Michael Froman appeared before congressional committees this week to stress the need for the president to be granted Trade Promotion Authority (TPA), poultry producers were talking trade issues in Atlanta at the IPPE. USA Poultry and Egg Export Council (USAPEEC) President Jim Sumner says TPA is critical to getting major trade agreements with Asia and Europe …
Ag Committees Make Assignments
Both the House and Senate Agriculture Committees are under new management and Chairmen Mike Conaway (R-TX) and Pat Roberts (R-KS) announced their new subcommittee assignments this week. “I look forward to working with this very talented team of proven leaders,” Conaway said. “Their diverse backgrounds will be of great value to the Committee as we work to promote a strong …
Make #FarmerNice Go Viral
Here’s a video by Iowa Filmakers “The Iowa Nice Guy” telling people what they don’t know about farming. It’s pretty funny and serves up a nice helping of good information. Share with your friends!