Genuity DroughtGard Hybrids Introduced

Melissa Sandfort

For the 2013 season, Western Great Plains farmers will have a new tool to help manage drought conditions with the stewarded commercial introduction of Monsanto’s Genuity® DroughtGard™ Hybrids. The DroughtGard Hybrids system combines germplasm selected for its drought-tolerant characteristics, the drought-tolerant biotechnology trait and agronomic recommendations.

The system is designed to help the corn plant so it can use less water when drought stress occurs. This improved hydro-efficiency creates the opportunity to conserve soil moisture and can help minimize yield loss from drought conditions.

The DroughtGard Hybrids introduction in 2013 will be led by Monsanto’s DEKALB® brand with limited availability in Monsanto’s other brands and licensees. The company is also planning DroughtGard Hybrids field trials across the corn-growing area next year.

Farmers who purchase DroughtGard Hybrids must sign a stewardship agreement committing to use the grain as on-farm feed or to sell the grain for domestic use due to pending import approvals in key export markets. While Monsanto anticipates all key regulatory approvals to be completed during 2013, the company will be working with farmers and the grain trade to assist in identifying domestic markets until all such approvals are received.

Agribusiness, Corn

Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

    NCGA’s Request for RFA Waiver Comment Period Extension Granted

    Joanna Schroeder

    In response to a request by the National Corn Growers Association (NCGA), The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has issued a 15 day extension of the comment period on the requests for a waiver of the Renewable Fuels Standard (RFS). NCGA filed for an extension on August 30, 2012 and applauded EPA’s decision. The waiver was requested so corn growers and other energy crop farmers had a chance to participate more fully in the process. This will also enable the EPA to have a more accurate picture of the year’s final corn supply.

    “We are pleased to see the EPA take this important action to help ensure that the process outlined in the Renewable Fuel Standard moves forward in a thoughtful, analytical fashion,” said NCGA President Garry Niemeyer. “This extension will allow our farmers, who are currently harvesting the crop, to participate more fully and for a more accurate assessment of the final corn supply to emerge.”

    In its weekly crop progress report issued yesterday afternoon, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) reported that 15 percent of the nation’s corn has been harvested – triple the five-year average at this point in time. The reason is the impact of this year’s devastating drought and the recognition that farmers won’t gain much by delaying their corn harvest. Tomorrow the USDA will be releasing its monthly production and supply-and-demand reports.

    The comment period was originally scheduled to close at the end of September, but will now remain open until October 11, 2012. During a previous comment period in 2008 for a partial waiver of the RFS, EPA received more than 15,000 submissions from throughout the country.

    Biofuels, Corn, NCGA

    STAR Energy Making Fuel Tanks Sparkle

    Cindy Zimmerman

    A dirty tank can make even the best of fuel less than optimum, which is why GROWMARK STAR energy was demonstrating a high efficiency fuel tank cleaning process at the 2012 Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa.

    Curt Snyder with STAR Energy demonstrated the cleaner, which can run in any size tank from 500-1000 gallons. “It has a pressurized nozzle that sprays throughout the tank, scours it inside. Meanwhile, in the back, it’s sucking up the fuel and running it through our filtering system to take out all the impurities,” he explained. “We’re able to get down to even the smallest pieces of sand.”

    Curt says it’s good to go into harvest season with a clean tank. “It’s very important that we don’t get any grit from an old tank into your fuel system,” he said, noting that growers at the Farm Progress Show showed a lot of interest in the tank cleaning process that many did not even know existed. He said that more information is available from STAR Energy in Iowa or any FS fuel delivery service.

    Watch Curt demo the tank cleaner in this video:

    2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2012 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland and Monsanto Roundup Ready Plus
    Farm Progress Show, Farming, GROWMARK, Video

    Get Your YieldBib On

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Wouldn’t you like to have more yield and with less pressure? Michelin’s new YieldBib tire can give it to you. Here’s how.

    MICHELIN® YieldBib™ is the first standard size VF rated tire on the North American HHP tractor market.

    MICHELIN® YieldBib™, featuring Michelin Ultraflex Technology, allows you to carry the same load with reduced air pressure of up to 40% compared to standard radial technology tires. Plus, the longer footprint means reduced soil compaction and increased yield in the seasons to come.

    During a media event at the Farm Progress Show I spoke with Demetric Mass, Ag Sales & Development Manager, for Michelin. Demetric says farmers told them they wanted a tire that would reduce soil compaction, provide better traction and reduce stubble damage. He says that’s what they’ve done with this tire that allows you to “carry the load at lower air pressures and get better yields.”

    Listen to my interview with Demetric here: Interview with Demetric Mass

    2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2012 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland and Monsanto Roundup Ready Plus
    Agribusiness, Audio, Farm Progress Show

    AFBF and NFU Heads to MC Farm Bill Now Rally

    Joanna Schroeder

    Two agricultural organizations that are often on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to policy will be the leaders of this week’s Farm Bill Now rally in the nation’s capitol. The presidents of the American Farm Bureau Federation and the National Farmers Union will join together as masters of ceremony for the rally on Wednesday, September 12, at 11:00 am at Union Square by the Capitol Reflecting Pool.

    The presidents of those two organizations on the state level joined together during a Farm Bill Now press conference at the 2012 Farm Progress Show to show a united front for all of American agriculture. “Let me say it’s just not just a Farm Bill its a package deal. It’s a farm, food, energy, and jobs bill. It’s important to every, and each American,” Iowa Farmer’s Union president Chris Peterson (left) said.

    Craig Hill, president of Iowa Farm Bureau and board member of AFBF, says Congress may only have a few days to work this month, but with a Senate-passed bill and one out of the House Agriculture Committee, there’s not much left to be done. “It doesn’t take a heavy lift to finish this off now,” he said. “Really they are very, very similar.”

    Listen to an interview with Craig Hill here: Craig Hill interview

    The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) is also part of the Farm Bill Now coalition and president Dennis Slater took part in the Farm Progress Show event as well, noting that the Farm Bill is broad and the ag equipment industry has assisted the farm agriculture community providing the safest, most abundant, most affordable food supply in the world.

    “This has allowed farmers and ranchers to continue to invest in modern equipment that they need to stay competitive and stay successful throughout the world,” he said. “The drought this summer throughout the country really dramatically underscores the need to maintain a strong safety net for the farmers so they have the confidence for their business going forward.”

    Listen to an interview with Dennis here: Dennis Slater interview

    A number of organization representatives and lawmakers are scheduled to speak at the rally on Wednesday. On the lawmaker side, those confirmed include Senate Ag Committee Chair Debbie Stabenow, Kansas Senator Jerry Moran, House Ag Committee Ranking Member Collin Peterson and South Dakota Representative Kristi Noem.

    AEM, AFBF, Audio, Farm Bill

    One Stop Shopping in Canada

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show is underway in Woodstock, Ontario. I had the opportunity to attend it last year in conjunction with the 2011 IFAJ Congress. It’s a great show and a great place to shop, especially if you’re a dairy farmer!

    When you are in the mood to shop, the most efficient and effective method is to have all the options available in one spot. Auto malls and trade shows are good examples of “one-stop-shopping” options. But, if you are looking for a robotic milking system, there is no better place to shop than in Oxford County – Canada’s Dairy Capital – specifically at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show on September 11, 12 & 13, 2012.

    Agribusiness, Farm Shows, International

    Camera to Help Students in Ethanol Rocks Contest

    John Davis

    An Iowa teacher will be able to give her students a leg up in the National Corn Growers Association’s Ethanol Rocks video contest, thanks to an NCGA giveaway at the recent Farm Progress Show. Mediapolis High School ag instructor and FFA Advisor Alaina Holdgrafer picked up an NCGA backpack filled with goodies, including a Sony HandyCam and a lot of information about ethanol.

    “Promoting the Ethanol Rocks video contest at Farm Progress was a great way for NCGA to interest high school and college students in taking part in supporting America’s leading source of domestic renewable fuel,” said Chad Willis, chairman of NCGA’s Ethanol Committee. “The drawing for the video camera, literature on the benefits of ethanol, along with presentations by the Iowa Corn Growers Association, turned Iowa Corn’s booth into the one-stop-shop for information on corn grower contributions to our economy.”

    Ms. Holdgrafer was delighted to learn of her windfall. Now that the tools to do so are available, she said she is confident that her students will want to take part in the contest.

    The students… and of course, you too… have until 5 p.m. CDT, Monday, October 15 to get in entries for the contest. NCGA wants short videos (2 minutes or less) from active high school and college students that highlight the benefits of ethanol fuel blends to the U.S. environment and economy. First prize receives $1,500 and $500 for second place at each at of the two levels, high school and college. More information is available on the Ethanol Rocks Video Contest website.

    Ethanol, Farm Progress Show, NCGA

    ZimmCast with Raven Industries

    Cindy Zimmerman

    ZimmCastI had the opportunity to learn more about Raven Industries during the company’s Innovation Summit at the end of July and now I am finally getting a chance to share this interview with Matt Burkhart, Raven’s Applied Technology Division Vice President, for a ZimmCast.

    Raven is a fascinating company and much older than you might realize, started back in 1956 by four balloon-building engineers from General Mills. The company today still makes balloons and other “lighter than air technology” under the Aerostar division. The other two company divisions are Engineered Films, which makes such products as grain covers and retention pond liners, and Applied Technology, which is the precision farming part of the business. “The purpose of Raven is to solve great challenges,” Matt says. “Even though we have three completely different divisions that operate in three different market spaces, we have a common purpose.”

    Raven’s precision vision includes operating world wide. “We believe that for us to meet the growing demand for food around the world, the US can’t do it alone,” Matt said. “So international is a key part of our strategy.”

    Raven is the sponsor of our AgWired app for iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch and Android platform devices. Just search for AgWired in your app store and download for free!

    Listen to this week’s ZimmCast with Matt here: Matt Burkhart, Raven Industries

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

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

    Audio, Precision Agriculture, ZimmCast

    Join the Farm Bill Now Coalition Rally in DC

    Joanna Schroeder

    As Congress gets back to work this week, the Farm Bill Now Coalition is ramping up for a rally the morning of September 12, 2012 on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. With 46 groups and growing, National Corn Growers Association (NCGA) First Vice President Pam Johnson of Floyd, Iowa said the rally is building on the momentum of the past few weeks.

    During the rally, the groups will be telling legislators why this bill is so important, not just to agriculture, but to consumers. “Consumers have been hurting for quite a while with the general economy. And a Farm Bill provides certainty for farmers but it also makes sure we have certainty in our food system in food security,” said Johnson in an interview during the 2012 Farm Progress Show with Cindy Zimmerman.

    Johnson believes that the industry is only going to see 60 percent of the crop they usually have. That is why, she said, there is no better year to write a Farm Bill with the devastating drought.

    In the spring things were moving along and then a brick wall was hit. “We’re so close. Let’s rally around. Let’s start talking again. Let’s reconcile. Let’s compromise. And let’s get this Farm Bill done by September 30,” said Johnson.

    Johnson added that there are choices out there, and this is why they advocated for a Farm Bill and reform in the Farm Bill. “Because this was to be only when farmers really needed help. And farmers really need help this year.”

    Listen to Cindy’s interview with Pam Johnson here: Pam Johnson interview

    2012 Farm Progress Show Photo Album

    AgWired coverage of the 2012 Farm Progress Show is sponsored by New Holland and Monsanto Roundup Ready Plus
    Audio, Farm Bill, Farm Progress Show, NCGA