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Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • Swanson Russell announces the promotion of ten employees in its Lincoln office: Andrew Clabaugh, Jeralee Hahn, Rachel Hrabik, Aaron Jarzynka, Katie Sands, Justin Schnick, Kaila Shirey, Jessica Simpson, Charlie Stephan and Amber Wolff.
  • The Illinois Soybean Association and its farmer-leaders, along with leading U.S. agricultural organizations and biotechnology providers, would like to invite you to the International Biotechnology Symposium on August 26, 2013, in Champaign, Ill., the day prior to the 2013 Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill.
  • AgGateway is now receiving nominations for its annual Ron Storms Memorial Award, which recognizes distinguished individual efforts in the promotion of electronic standards and protocols in agri-business.
  • Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. (BIVI) has contributed $75,000 annually through its Advancement in PRRS Research Award to fund three selected research studies.
Zimfo Bytes

Corn Crop Lowered but Record Still Expected

Cindy Zimmerman

corn-fieldDespite a wet spring causing a challenging start to the season, the 2013 corn crop is still looking to break new ground this year, according to the latest USDA production estimate out today.

Corn production is forecast at 13.8 billion bushels, up 28 percent from 2012. If realized, this will be a new record production for the United States. Based on conditions as of August 1, yields are expected to average 154.4 bushels per acre, up 31.0 bushels from 2012. If realized, this will be the highest average yield since 2009. Area harvested for grain is forecast at 89.1 million acres, unchanged from the June forecast but up 2 percent from 2012.

Soybean production is forecast at 3.26 billion bushels, up 8 percent from last year and could be the third largest on record. This report reflected a re-survey from the June acreage report which had a large amount of unplanted acres in 14 major producing states. The re-survey resulted in a downward revision of less than one percent from the June report at 77.2 million acres.

Brian Hoops of Midwest Market Solutions analyzed both the Crop Production report and the World Agricultural Supply and Demand Estimate report on the Minneapolis Grain Exchange crop call immediately after today’s release. MGEX Crop Call with Brian Hoops

Audio, USDA

Answering Consumer Questions about GMOs

Cindy Zimmerman

site_logoThe agricultural biotechnology companies that develop genetically modified seeds (GMO) have united to launch a broad, new initiative to provide accurate information and answer the toughest questions about GMOs and how our food is grown. GMO Answers is produced by the members of The Council for Biotechnology Information, which includes BASF, Bayer CropScience, Dow AgroSciences LLC, DuPont, Monsanto Company and Syngenta.

ZimmCast 405This week’s ZimmCast features an interview with Fran Castle Rowland, senior manager of global brand management and media relations for BASF, about the purpose of GMOAnswers, the questions they have received so far, and just how they hope being more transparent will help educate the public about the importance of biotechnology in food production.

Listen to this week’s ZimmCast here: Providing Answers to GMO Questions

Thanks to our ZimmCast sponsors, GROWMARK, locally owned, globally strong and Monsanto, Roundup Ready Plus, for their support.

Audio, BASF, Bayer, Syngenta, ZimmCast

Why Are You Here Cattlemen?

Chuck Zimmerman

Polly RuhlandDuring the Cattlemen’s Beef Board meeting at the end of the Cattle Industry Summer Conference we heard a great speech in the form of the report given by CEO Polly Ruhland. She had a very heartfelt and powerful message which I believe shows you the quality of the people representing cattle producers on the staff of the Beef Checkoff. You will be asked a question, “Why are you here?”

Listen to Polly’s report here: Polly Ruhland Management Report
2013 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Cattle Industry Conference

Learning About FMC Products at AMS

Cindy Zimmerman

And now a few parting words from our AMS sponsor, FMC Corporation.

ams13-fms-daviesDavid Davies is product manager for some of FMC’s products for fruits, vegetables, and sunflowers. One of those products is BroadAxe. “BroadAxe is a pre-emergence herbicide aimed at the sunflower market,” said David. “It basically will give you really good control of kochia and broadleaf weeds, but in addition it will give you grasses as well, like foxtail.”

Another pre-emergence herbicide FMC is looking at launching in California for tree nuts is Zeus™ herbicide. “What it brings to the table is nutsedge control,” David explains. “In the tree nuts and grapes we will do a multi-year program in order to keep the nutsedge under control.” Zeus is already approved on asparagus, transplanted cabbage, sunflower, mint, horseradish and sugarcane with approvals on alfalfa, citrus, grapes, melon, pecan, pistachio, walnut, tomato and strawberry expected soon.

Listen to my interview with David from AMS here: Interview with David Davies, FMC Corporation

ams13-fmc-timTim Thompson talked about Cadet® herbicide/glyphosate tank mix from FMC. “Cadet’s going to give you extra kick in that tank mix when you’re applying post on corn and soybeans when you’re using Roundup,” he said. “It’s going to give extra help on lambsquarters and small-seeded broadleafs.”

Cadet has been on the market for three years and FMC has seen phenomenal growth in use for both corn and soybeans. “We do expect to see additional crops coming shortly – cereals, dry beans and sunflowers,” said Tim.

Listen to my interview with Tim from AMS here: Interview with Tim Thompson, FMC Corporation
2013 Ag Media Summit Photo Album

Ag Media Summit, Agribusiness, Audio, FMC, weed management

Genscape Believes UDSA Corn Predictions Too High

Joanna Schroeder

On August 6, the Genscape LandViewer team released its corn supply predictions to clients, estimating the corn supply to around least 12.6 billion bushels. Other crop advisory groups as well as USDA is predicting the corn crop to be closer to 14 billion bushels, a number that Genscape believes is too high. The USDA is releasing its latest crop report on Monday, August 12, 2013 at noon EST.

LandViewer - Yield Change Aug 2013“For the supply to meet the high predictions from groups like the USDA, contributions from historically highly productive county-clusters would be necessary, and that doesn’t seem likely,” said Dr. Steffen Mueller, senior director of Genscape’s LandViewer group.

According to Genscape, traditionally highly productive county-clusters, such as many counties in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota, show severe problems this year. In addition to modeling analysis, the LandViewer team has conducted multiple ground verification trips and has surmised that these problem areas will not likely recover to the level necessary to help the country meet the USDA’s total supply estimate. In addition, the national corn crop is an average of three weeks behind, and it will have much higher risk for frost exposure.

LandViewer’s prediction is based on a high resolution geospatial data model combined with extensive ground truthing. Using satellite technology, LandViewer has developed a spatial-based algorithm to predict corn supply on a parcel-by-parcel basis. Corn yield and supply predictions for each of the monitored 1,100 counties were shared with clients on August 6, a week in advance of the USDA reports. The information is useful for grain buyers to master local supply shortages or surpluses. For national grain investors, the LandViewer parcel-by-parcel platform has also proven to be a useful tool to identify risk associated with isolated county clusters.

Agribusiness, Corn, Precision Agriculture

Zimfo Bytes

Talia Goes

    Zimfo Bytes

  • John Brutty has joined Burrus Hybrids as general sales manager with overall responsibility for sales force innovation, dealer relations, and customer services.
  • Ag Processing Inc a cooperative (AGP) announced plans for a major expansion of the Company’s soybean processing plant at Hastings, Nebraska.
  • The Korea Fair Trade Commission has notified Archer Daniels Midland Company of its approval of ADM’s proposed acquisition of GrainCorp Limited.
  • ArborGen announced the results of a genetic comparison study conducted at a mid-rotation aged loblolly pine plantation in Berkeley County, SC.
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Beef Board CEO Reports at Summer Conference

Chuck Zimmerman

Polly RuhlandThe CEO of the Cattlemen’s Beef Board, Polly Ruhland, was on stage this morning for the second general session of the Cattle Industry Summer Conference. I talked with her afterward. She says the new committee structure and format for the conference have generated good feedback. Condensing the agenda into a shorter time frame means that volunteer leaders have to spend less time away from home for one thing.

Polly says this meeting is about strategy where “the rubber meets the road.” So committees are meeting and listening to and providing feedback to contractors about projects in progress or being proposed. She says it’s a process that includes as next steps, board approval of the budget and then work plans will be looked at by the operating committee in September. And then the process starts over again.

You can listen to my interview with Polly here: Interview with Polly Ruhland

You can listen to Polly’s report during the general session here: Report from Polly Ruhland

2013 Cattle Industry Summer Conference Photo Album

Ag Groups, Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

Get Behind the Wheel of New Holland’s PLM System

Jamie Johansen

new-holland-ag-13-154-editedInnovative technology has evolved agriculture further than most of our grandparents can even fathom. The folks at New Holland Agriculture have done their homework when it comes to their Precision Land Management (PLM) systems.

During their recent First in the Field event, media had the opportunity to jump behind the wheel of all the equipment. But a highlight for many was the chance to see the PLM auto-guidance system in action. I brought my camera along and captured the precision technology in action. Check out how it feels to be behind the wheel and listen to a New Holland representative talk about all the perks of a PLM program.

View photos from the event here: 2013 New Holland Ag Media Event Photo Album

Beef, Dairy, Equipment, Forage, Hay, New Holland, Precision Agriculture

Visiting BASF at RTP

Cindy Zimmerman

basfsouthern-1I was so excited this week to be able to visit the U.S. headquarters of BASF Ag Products in Research Triangle Park, NC for the first time.

The occasion was the BASF Southern Media Symposium, which also coincided with the Southern Weed Science Society‘s annual contest for college students majoring in weed science, hosted by BASF this year. I learned a whole lot about weed science and what BASF has to offer for southern growers, but I am going to wait until next week to start posting about it. I do have the photo album up now for your viewing pleasure. Check it out and check back next week to learn more about SWSS, the student winners this year, and the latest in BASF innovations for the southern acre.

BASF Southern Media Symposium and SWSS Contest photo album

Agribusiness, BASF, Crop Protection, Farming