The Illinois Corn Growers Association had a head turning display at the 2017 Farm Progress Show centered around soil health. The question is, would your soil pass the tighty whitey test? “Search #SoilYourUndies online and you will find how farmers from all over the U.S. and Canada are taking this approach to learning more about soil health. The better health …
Bayer Advancing Toward the Next Era of Ag
Bayer offers a great deal of technology in today’s marketplace, with a pipeline of new technologies coming to growers in the future. “We’re reinvesting into agriculture. We’re reinvesting into growers,” says Rob Schrick, Bayer Strategic Business Lead for North American Corn and Soy. “We’re taking our returns and hiring scientists and putting scientists to work to not only bring the …
Precision Ag Bytes 9/13
AgGateway will hold a new “Seed Quick Connect” session for agricultural retailers, distributors and manufacturers to determine where and how they can better connect electronically to streamline their seed transactions. This meeting is part of AgGateway’s Annual Conference, November 6-9 in San Diego. Bayer has announced 100 cotton growers have qualified for the inaugural class of the FiberMax Maximizer Club …
GROWMARK Committed to Nutrient Management
Nutrient management was a focus of the GROWMARK-FS System exhibit at the 2017 Farm Progress Show in Decatur. The regional cooperative has spearheaded a number of initiatives to help farmers learn more about nutrient management strategies and to assist them in executing those practices on their farms. “The main thing we do when we’re working with customers is trying to …
John Deere 5R Series Utility Tractor – Power & Versatility
Offering tractors from 90 to 125 engine hp, the John Deere 5R series tractors were on display at the 2017 Farm Progress Show. Attendees saw first-hand the advanced technology to the utility tractor provides, meeting many farming demands. John Doyle, product marketing manager, took us through key product specs and the ideal customer of this new product offering. “The 5R …
Arkansas Urged to Consider Impact of Dicamba Ban
The Arkansas State Plant Board is considering recommendations for dicamba use in the 2018 growing season that Monsanto calls “unwarranted” and BASF considers to be a “rush to judgement.” On August 24, the state’s Dicamba Task Force voted to recommend a cutoff date of April 15 next year for the use of all dicamba products, including Monsanto’s XtendiMax and BASF’s …
SMART Farmer Robb Fraley
Robb Fraley isn’t our typical SMART Farmer, but after growing up on a small Illinois farm, his work has helped farmers around the world produce food more sustainably with science and technology that has helped increase yields by decreasing threats to crops. That technology is genetic modification of plants, creating GMO crops that are resistance to insects and disease, able …
John Deere Acquires Blue River Technology
Farming just keeps getting smarter thanks to new technology like that being developed by Blue River Technology. It certainly caught the attention of John Deere which just announced acquisition of Blue River. To learn more about what Blue River Technology does and what this means to John Deere and its customers I spoke by phone with Willy Pell, Director of …
Bayer Showcases Cotton and Peanuts
The peanut and cotton crops are looking especially good right now in Georgia and with harvest still about two weeks away farmers are hopeful Hurricane Irma will spare them. “Harvest season is always critical and you can have a great year and it all be ruined by one hurricane,” said Keith Rucker, Bayer Southeast region technical service rep, during a …
Soil Health Partnership Simulates Rain at FPS17
The weather was perfect at the 2017 Farm Progress Show but it was raining in the Soil Health Partnership exhibit. The highlight of the exhibit was a rainfall simulator, demonstrating the effects of rainfall on different types of management practices. The eye catching display provided an opportunity for the Illinois Sustainable Ag Partnership to promote different aspects of soil management …