Drought Biggest Challenge for Stoller Australia

Joanna Schroeder

Fifteen years ago, StollerUSA opened up an office in Australia, and today Stoller Australia has demonstrated that they have many products that are beneficial for Australian growers. I caught up with Richard Emery, who runs this division during the Ag Associates Conference. He began by telling me that the country has a diverse range of crops including wheat and cotton, mangoes and table grapes, citrus, vegetables, and more.

One of the country’s biggest challenges is water scarcity – the country has been in a drought for nearly 10 years. Emery told me that the drought has flown down through many of the crops and water has become a very scarce commodity and has become one of the company’s biggest challenges.

However, Stoller has some products that help growers address some of these challenges including Root Feed. “For example, Root Feed has become very popular because it builds the root system of the tree or plant. So it actually makes it a more durable plant and able to overcome some of these stress periods,” explained Emery. “And also the development of the product Bio-Forge has been very timely because we’re now using it after a drought stress or heat wave. Afterwards, we apply Bio-Forge and we get a much quicker recovery of the plant.”

Bio-Forge can be used universally, whereas Root Feed, Emery notes, is limited to where there is a good fertigation system.

The importance of root systems is very new to growers in Australia and Emery says that his team spends a good amount of time educating the grower about the importance of strong, healthy roots. Emery concluded, “The roots are the brains of the the plant. So they need to be doing everything they can to have a robust, continually growing root system under their crop.”

Listen to my interview with Richard below.

Ag Associates Conference Flickr Album.

Agribusiness, Audio, Uncategorized, Wheat

Studying Soil to Improve Plant Growth

Joanna Schroeder

Dave Alexander is a consultant with Agri-Science Technology. His area of expertise is soil and he exams, assesses and helps a grower understand where he is at using his product history and goals. I spent some time with Alexander during the Ag Associates Conference sponsored by StollerUSA.

“In my practice I build a strong foundation first and then bring in extra technology,” explained Alexander. “In doing so, we primarily bring in Stoller technology.”

I asked him what the biggest problem growers in his area faced in regards to soil. He answered that his biggest challenge is helping them to understand the agronomic situation from an NPK value system. While he acknowledged that understanding this system is vitally important, he also stressed that growers need to look beyond the system and study secondary systems.

“When it comes to fertilization balance you really have to go beyond NPK. We’re a very educated society even in agriculture, and if NPK was the answer, we should have learned NPK was the solution 30 years ago,” said Alexander.

One of the secondary systems he is referring to include the control of hormone balance. “Keeping that balance is what will increase our production more than anything.”

He went on to explain that the first two weeks of any crop is the most important time frame to start that process and stresses that building a foundation program during this time is important.

In conclusion, I asked him what he felt was important for growers to understand and he said, “I think we have to learn to trust the technology that’s in the marketplace as long as the people who are delivering the technology understand what it is, what it’s supposed to do and what the outcome is. So ask yourself, what’s out there that we can utilize to extract more of that potential that we know exists?”

Listen to my interview with Dave below.

Ag Associates Conference Flickr Album.

Agribusiness, Audio

NOVUS Displays Wally

Chuck Zimmerman

Wally the steer is getting a lot of attention at the NOVUS International booth in the NCBA Trade Show. He’s there to make the point of how important it is to put the right fuel in the engine. With animals, it’s no different and NOVUS would love to talk to cattlemen about it.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the Cattle Industry Convention is sponsored by:
Novus

Agribusiness, Animal Health, Cattle Industry Conference, Novus International, Video

Using Bio-Forge to Increase Soybean Yields

Joanna Schroeder

This week, during the Ag Associates Conference hosted by StollerUSA, I had the opportunity to talk with Mike Molnar, with Town and Country Ag. His company is a co-op working in nine counties in North Eastern Ohio and three of their locations provide full-service ag products and applications for growers.

Molnar told me that he has been using Stoller products for the last four years to help overcome one of their biggest challenges which is poor soil. “We’re always looking for ways to improve root growth to get better yield in our crops,” he said.

He, along with other growers in the area, are still learning and he recently did a trial with grass hay where he has seen some pretty drastic results using Bio-Forge and Folizyme together. He mentioned that he has also done some good things with soybeans using Golden Harvest Plus, a Stoller product.

“If you’ve got a plant stalled or not growing the way you want it to, you can get that plant to jumpstart a little bit and take off and start growing again for you,” explained Molnar.

Molar has learned some important things working with Stoller, one of which is that its not just about nutrients. It’s also about the hormone balance of the plant. “Cytokinin is a hormone that’s manufactured in the root tips. So, if you have a root system that’s not actively growing and not making new root tips, you’re not going to have the hormone production or the nutrient uptake you need to have maximum yield of your crop,” said Molnar. “Anytime during the growing season that our roots stops growing, we’re losing yield.”

Listen to my interview with Mike below.

Ag Associates Conference Flickr Album.

Agribusiness, Audio, Hay, Soybean, Uncategorized

NCBA President Opening Comments

Chuck Zimmerman

I posted comments earlier this week made by NCBA President Gary Voogt and finally got the video uploaded so you can watch what he had to say. His comments ran longer than YouTube allows but most of them are here. If you didn’t listen to his comments you can still do so here.

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the Cattle Industry Convention is sponsored by:
Novus

Ag Groups, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference, Video

The Quest for Higher Yields Starts with the Root Tips

Joanna Schroeder

“The main objective that Stoller has is crop productivity. We’re interested in enhancing yields,” said Dr. Albert Liptay, the Director of Research and Development with StollerUSA, during an interview with me at the Ag Associates Conference this week. “We’re trying to understand what in the system of productivity will enhance yields.”

Yield enhancements was one of the focuses during the week-long conference for good reason – yield enhancements mean more profits. To improve yield, StollerUSA has been researching a new product called STO-01 which in early tests is seeing substantial results. While Dr. Liptay was enthusiastic to share his results, he also cautioned that the product was still being tested and it would be several more years and many more tests before it would be ready for market.

Dr. Liptay explained that STO-01 not only builds incredible root systems, but also builds strong root tips. “It’s the root tips that a lot of the hormones are synthesized that are sent up to the shoots and develop branching, develop fruits and develop seeds. So it’s this whole plant combination of good roots, good root tips, good type of branching, and good canopy performance that gives us the enhanced yield.”

Plants are regulated by the control systems they have, explained Dr. Liptay, and the control systems are basically the root tips and the shoot tips. “These systems are regulated by molecules that activate gene expression and it’s this gene expression that is important to us and what combination of molecules and minerals best effect the desired type of gene expression for productivity. Therefore, product quality and also pest tolerance.”

He also mentioned the importance of understanding epigenetics and learning how to turn on the set of genes that will get the desired result.

To learn more about the importance of root tips, shoot tips and epigenetics for yield enhancements, listen to my interview with Dr. Liptay below.

Ag Associates Conference Flickr Album.

Agribusiness, Audio

Mark Vail New Executive Director For NAFB

Chuck Zimmerman

I’d like to congratulate Mark Vail in his new position of Executive Director for the National Association of Farm Broadcasting. NAFB just made the announcement this morning.

Vail brings with him 34 years of experience in the broadcast arena, encompassing a variety of positions including farm broadcaster, general manager and director of operations.

“I’m very excited to have Mark on board as our executive director,” said Greg Akagi, NAFB president. “Mark has truly done it all for NAFB, and his knowledge and experience will give the organization a strong voice for many years to come.”

For the past 19 years Vail has worked for Eagle Communications, Hays, Kan., in various capacities, during which he was executive producer and co-creator of the national ag show AgriTalk. Since 1998, he has served as vice president of radio for the employee-owned company.

“It is an honor to be selected as the executive director of NAFB. I look forward to working with the board and the many dedicated industry leaders as we build on a strong foundation established by generations of legacy farm broadcasters and innovative agricultural and rural partners,” Vail said. “The association has a solid strategic plan in place, and I am confident the membership will continue to use the plan as a guide for continued growth in a very dynamic media environment.”

NAFB

Quality Forage Leads to More Profitable Dairy Cows

Joanna Schroeder

Les Yoder is an expert on dairy cattle. His company Homestead Nutrition works not only to help improve the nutritional value of dairy feed, but also works on crop and soil nutrition. I spoke with him during the Ag Associates Conference to learn more about the benefits of good feed nutrition.

“The forage component of the rations is extremely important to how we’re able to balance that program and make that cow very productive while maintaining health and profitability,” said Yoder.

The better quality the forage is, the less a farmer has to depend on other things like the purchase of additional feed (corn and soybeans). “Quality forage is extremely, extremely important in a profitable dairy nutrition’s diet,” he said.

Yoder began using Bio-Forge nearly 10 years ago implementing that product for corn silage for dairy rations and as a result, really started seeing some benefits of improved quality, improved digestibility and improved plant health all of which made a better ration. He also noted that it helped to make a healthier and less expensive diet.

His early successes led him to work more with Stoller to understand the “language of the plant.” In other words, learning how to understand how the plant grows, how it reacts to environmental stresses, diseases and insect pressures.

I asked him if he could impart some personal wisdom to the diary farmers across the world, what it would be? He answered, “Anything they do to improve forage quality improves animal health, decreases the need for supplementation and just make a better ration.” And a better ration, he concluded, means a healthier cow and a more profitable dairy operation.

Listen to my interview with Les below.

Ag Associates Conference Flickr Album.

Agribusiness, Audio, Dairy, Feed

Asian Barbeque Featured By U.S. Premium Beef

Chuck Zimmerman

U.S. Premium BeefOne of the most popular attractions at Wednesday’s grand opening of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association Trade Show in San Antonio belonged to U.S. Premium Beef. Thanks to Joe Schuele, USMEF for this story including photo and audio.

The company, a member of the U.S. Meat Export Federation, decided to promote the value of beef exports by serving samples of the Asian barbecue dish Yakiniku (YAK-A-NEE-KOO) – a thinly sliced cut derived from the beef short rib that is especially popular in South Korea and Japan. The samples were enjoyed by a steady stream of cattle producers throughout the evening.

Bill Miller, director of communications for U.S. Premium Beef, explains that the purpose of the barbecue promotion was to illustrate for cattle producers the critical importance of U.S. beef exports to their industry, and to the bottom line of their operations. Listen to or download (mp3) Bill here: cic-10-premium-1.mp3

Miller also comments on the important role played by the Beef Checkoff Program in promoting U.S. beef in overseas markets. Listen to or download (mp3) Bill here: cic-10-premium-2.mp3

Cattle Industry Convention Photo Album

AgWired coverage of the Cattle Industry Convention is sponsored by:
Novus

Audio, Beef, Cattle Industry Conference

RIP Milt Bliss

Cindy Zimmerman

nafbVeteran farm broadcaster Milt Bliss received his heavenly reward this week on January 27 – 100 years and 6 days old, bless his soul.

Milt’s century mark was recognized by Willard Scott on the Today show last week and he received numerous birthday wishes from friends around the world. Milt was inducted into the NAFB Hall of Fame in 1994 after a career in agricultural communications that spanned six decades.

You can find out more about Milt’s long and accomplished life, arrangements for his funeral and visitation, and even send condolences to the family on-line here.

NAFB