Zimfo Bytes

Melissa Sandfort

    Zimfo Bytes

  • New Holland’s TS6030 high-clearance tractor puts the power of 96 PTO horses into rows of tall vegetables or specialty crops without worry of plant damage.
  • EMD Crop BioScience has recently added three sales representatives in new territories in the United States and Canada: Lynn Justesen, sales representative for Western Iowa; Chuck Haefele, Nebraska territory; and Wyatt Burnett, South Western Prairies territory in Canada.
  • Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health announces the introduction of RESFLOR GOLD, the only medication on the U.S. market that combines the antibiotic florfenicol and the non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug flunixin meglumine into one convenient dose for treatment of bovine respiratory disease (BRD).
  • The Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) is preparing for the upcoming Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board (WMMB) director elections. Producers interested in representing their district should click here to learn more, or contact Noel Favia at (608) 224-5140.
    Zimfo Bytes

    Challenger’s E3 Technology & Big Biomass Baler Draw Crowds

    Joanna Schroeder

    ChallengerAGCO’s Challenger brand is designed for professional producers, those who view farming as a business decision rather than a lifestyle decision. This year, Challenger had two new pieces of equipment on display during the AG CONNECT Expo including the MT600C and the MT595B. Both of these are prototypical equipment of what’s to come next explained Allison Bass with AGGO.

    Last year the company launched the 600C with E3 technology and this technology has to do with fuel economy and emission reduction. Company expert Phil Jones told me that the E3 technology is important as the whole industry is approaching what’s known as Tier 4, which is emission reduction policy. Jones notes that meeting these requirements must be done in a smart way.

    “Our path, we believe, is the most farmer friendly way. Farmers absolutely get why it matters, but are also concerned. Their concern is that in every step of the way, they have had to make trade-offs in terms of power, performance, fuel efficiency, and reliability as it relates to things done previously to achieve various tier standards in terms of emissions.” Jones continued, “We call this compliance without compromise.”

    The E3 technology achieves emission reduction while also increasing fuel economy by 15 percent versus where the company and industry were in the past. Eventually the technology will expand beyond their tractor line into combines, other tractors and more.

    ChallengerBigBiomassBalerAnother product of great interest during the show was the prototype of the Big Biomass Baler. Dean Morrell spoke to me about this cutting-edge piece of equipment. It is designed to be able to take the corn cobs and leaves coming right out of the combine delivering it directly to the baler to make a 3 x 4 Big Bale.

    This is a one-pass combine-baler system saving the farmer time and money. Morrell said they call the material it picks up MAWG – material other than grain — and it never touches the ground. Ultimately the bales can be delivered to cellulosic ethanol plants that will convert the MAWG to ethanol. This is exactly what Poet is doing in their Emmetsburg, Iowa plant and Morrell said their Big Biomass Baler was tested in 2009 in conjunction with the Poet plant. (The plant is expected to be operational in 2012.)

    Biomass harvesting has been a challenge and Morrell said, “We feel we have the solution to the problem because we have something that they can pick up, move and transport very easily.”

    The Big Biomass Baler is not yet available and Morrell stressed that they will keep testing it to ensure they concept can do what they say but should be to market within the next several years.

    Listen to my interview with Allison, Phil and Dean below.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    Audio

    Agrotain Talks Sustainability at AG CONNECT

    Joanna Schroeder

    Sustainable agriculture is a much talked about trend right now and Agrotain International has a product that can help a farmer be profitable and sustainable at the same time – the Agrotain line of products. Micheal Stegmann, President of the company, explained to me during the AG CONNECT Expo what Agrotain does and why it is both economical and sustainable.

    AgrotainAgrotain is a product to be used with urea fertilizer. “Urea is a really great product for farmers to be using because it’s safe and abundant and it’s relatively inexpensive,” said Stegmann. “But it’s got a problem and that problem is when its applied to the surface, part of it is lost back into the environment.” A third actually. Stegmann continued, “When that loss occurs it’s not only an economic loss to the grower but also represents an environmental issue.”

    Agrotain is not crop specific and can be used with any urea fertilizer. It is actually added to the fertilizer by the dealer and then the farmer applies the product as usual. The benefit to the grower is that it makes the urea more efficient and is a lot less expensive to use than the cost of the loss of nitrogen.

    The company is a big believer in sustainability needing to be a big part of their future of agriculture. However, Stegmann notes that sustainability means different things to different people. “In my opinion, sustainable means a way to endure that reconciles the needs of society, the needs of the environment and economic needs as well.” He stresses the importance of the general public in understanding that farming is a business and needs to make a profit. “If we’re going to meet the growing demands and if we’re going to do it in a way that is satisfactory to the public, we have to be able to make money in the process.”

    He concludes that regulations or rules or pactices that prevent the industry from being profitable are also going to prevent it from doing the things the public wants them to do — feed the world.

    Listen to my interview with Michael below.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    Audio, Precision Agriculture, Sustainability

    Giant Miscanthus Fuel

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Sunbelt BiofuelsIn the growing field of biomass conversion to fuel there’s a plant that Mississippi State University thinks will help farmers and all Americans. It’s Giant Miscanthus and you can follow it on Twitter @GiantMiscanthus. They’ve actually licensed the product which is Freedom Giant Miscanthus that’s being marketed by Sunbelt Biofuels LLC. On the show floor at AG CONNECT Expo to talk about it were John Holmes (l) and Sunbelt’s Chairman Phil Jennings (r).

    Phil says they’re taking the product commercial for MSU. He says they’ve been in the turf grass business for years and this new product caught their attention. He says they’re off to a great start and expect to see a lot of acres signed up in the next couple years as the demand for cellulosic ethanol production increases. John says Freedom is a play on words to denote the ability to become independent of foreign produced oil. Phil says “We know of no other plant that is a perennial, that is renewable as fast as it is that can give us the masses of biomass that we’re looking for.” He says Freedom provides four times the yield per acre of switchgrass.

    You can listen to my interview with Phil and John below:

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    Audio, Biofuels, Ethanol

    Leica Geosystems Gets Its mojo On

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Leica GeosystemsMost any photographer will know the Leica name. Oskar Barnack created a small 35mm camera back in 1925 that pretty much changed the way we look at things. What a lot of people are now learning about Leica is that they’re into precision agriculture technology in a big way. The company has three distinct divisions and the one on display at AG CONNECT Expo was Leica Geosystems. It was there that I met with Rob Kiernan, Global Sales & Marketing Manager.

    Rob says that since they come from the optical business they’re basically a measurement company that has moved into GPS and that has led them into agriculture. At the show he says they’re promoting their mojoRTK which was launched in early 2008. He thinks they’re just now hitting their stride with the product. Service has been one of their priorities and they offer Virtual Wrench which allows the operator to get help without leaving the cab using mobile phone technology. The newest addition to their product lineup is their mojoMINI which does field guidance as well as standard navigation and will be available starting in February. You can see the unit on the display in the photo.

    You can listen to my interview with Rob below:

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    Agribusiness, Audio, Precision Agriculture

    AEM Annual Outlook Survey

    Chuck Zimmerman

    Association of Equipment ManufacturersThe Association of Equipment Manufacturers has released their 2010 outlook for agricultural machinery. It looks like an expectation of continued “continued weakness in U.S. and Canadian tractor sales.” This is comes from a survey they conduct of members. So although this year’s outlook is somewhat negative, future years look much better.

    For all sizes of two-wheel tractors, however, the declines are expected to be less steep than 2009 losses. Double-digit decreases are expected for four-wheel-drive tractors, following relatively flat business in 2009. Combine sales are predicted to drop in the double digits for 2010 after 2009 sales growth. Sales of tractors and combines are then predicted to start rebounding through 2011 and 2012.

    For other types of farm-related equipment covered in the AEM survey, overall 2010 demand for most products in the U.S. and Canada is expected to improve after 2009 business declines. All categories are predicted to be in the plus column for 2011 and 2012.

    You can read the full results online.

    AEM, Equipment, Tractor

    FFA Reconnects With Members During AG CONNECT

    Joanna Schroeder

    One of the organizations that I met during the AG CONNECT Expo is the National FFA Organization. FFA was founded in 1928 and today has more than 7,400 chapters in all 50 U.S. states plus Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. The organization’s mission is agricultural education for kids in junior high and high school. I sat down with Phyllis McDonald and Rita Robertson, both with the foundation, to learn more about what they do.

    FFA Logo from NationalThe foundation’s main focus is on scholarships and grants that help students and ag teachers. One of their big initiatives is helping students go to their Washington Leadership conference in D.C. each year. Last year, the foundation provided $2 million in scholarships.

    In addition to educational efforts, members of FFA spend a lot of time donating their time to charitable causes. Several of their largest programs are their work with Habitat for Humanity, and in conjunction with Campbells, their barn restoration program. FFA recently announced the five barns that will be restored this year and the local FFA chapters will be helping with the construction. And for alumnus a big program is Harvest for America, where members glean food and donate it to their local communities.

    You don’t have to be a former member of FFA to become a member of the alumni organization and Phyllis and Rita were able to catch up with more than 100 former FFA members and current alumni members. They were also able to spend time with many of their corporate sponsors, who were also exhibiting at the show. To learn more about becoming an FFA alumni member or sponsor, visit www.ffa.org.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    Listen to my interview with Phyllis and Rita here.

    Audio, FFA

    Topcon Talks Precision Ag During AG CONNECT

    Joanna Schroeder

    Topcon Precision Agriculture is a global company with a strong presence in the U.S., Australia, New Zealand and South Africa and is growing in Europe. One of their most popular products is the AGI-3 receiver. This system not only picks up GPS satellites, but also receives information from Galileo, the European satellite and Glonass, the Russian satellite said Michael Gomes, the company’s Director of Global Strategic Alliances, during the AG CONNECT Expo.

    TopconThe most unique aspect of this precision ag technology is that the receiver can steer the tractor and I asked Gomes why this was advantageous to a farmer. He explained that being a farmer is economically hard. Input costs keep rising whereas commodity prices are not neccesarily increasing so farmers are squeezed for profit. So, he continued, products like the AGI-3 are tools for efficiency.

    “What they allow you to do is get more productivity out of the asset. When you put in an auto steering system on a tractor it is not uncommon to get double hours. Now you can get day and night repeatability,” said Gomes. This also allows farmers to go through re-tooling and ultimately a farmer can farm more acres at a lower cost per acre.

    The AIG-3 works directly with steer ready tractors but if a farmer doesn’t have one, he can use the AES25 which in essence, gives the farmer a steer-ready tractor.

    AG CONNECT Expo Photo Album

    Listen to my interview with Michael here.

    Audio, Precision Agriculture

    Livestock Publications Council Starting To Blog

    Chuck Zimmerman

    lpc-logo-smallThe Livestock Publications Council has implemented a blog element into their website. Let Diane Johnson know if you’ve got information for it. You can subscribe with this link.

    Also:

    Don’t forget to RSVP for LPC Luncheon at NCBA Convention in San Antonio

    For the first time this luncheon is being co-sponsored by Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health and will recognize the 2009 LPC Forrest Bassford Student Award Winner, Whitney Wallace, from the University of Missouri. Incoming NCBA President Steve Foglesong has been invited to address the group plus we’ll update you on all of the exciting LPC events planned for 2010. The luncheon will be on Friday, January 29, 2010 at 12 noon at the Marriott Rivercenter Hotel (note there are two different Marriotts close to the Convention Center). The exact location are Conference Rooms 17-18 but the room locations will be posted at the hotel if you forget.

    You MUST RSVP by Friday January 22 to Diane; dianej@flash.net or call 817/336-1130. No-shows obviously won’t be charged but will be unappreciated!

    A big thanks to Intervet/Schering-Plough for their generosity in support of this event and the student award program for LPC.

    LPC

    No-Till Farmers Love BASF Headline

    Cindy Zimmerman

    BASF Headline® fungicide is a four time winner for no-till farmers.

    basfHeadline® fungicide from BASF was recognized as fungicide of the year during the Annual National No-Tillage Conference 2009 No-Till Product of the Year awards presentation. The recognition marks the fourth consecutive year that Headline fungicide has been proclaimed the leading fungicide on the market by no-till farmers nationwide.

    The overall winner for No-Till Product of the Year was the Keeton Seed Firmer from Precision Planting.

    Here is a complete list of winners from No-Till Farmer:

    No-Till Product of the Year: Keeton Seed Firmer, Precision Planting.

    Fertility: Agrotain, Agrotain International. Honorable Mention: Avail and NutriSphere-N, SFP.

    Fungicides: Headline, BASF. Honorable Mention: Quilt, Syngenta; Stratego, Bayer CropScience.

    Insect Protection: YieldGard VT Triple, Monsanto. Honorable Mention: Herculex, Dow AgroSciences and Pioneer; Warrior, Syngenta.

    No-Till Equipment: 3600 Twin-Line Planters, Kinze Mfg. Honorable Mention: Early Riser planters, Case IH; YP2425 Yield Pro planter, Great Plains Mfg.

    Planter/Drill Attachments: Keeton Seed Firmer, Precision Planting. Honorable Mention: Martin-Till WA1360 floating row cleaner, Martin Industries; 20/20 Airforce System, Precision Planting.

    Precision Tools: 20/20 SeedSense, Precision Planting. Honorable Mention: EZ-Guide 250 Lightbar System, Trimble Navigation; SmartBoom automatic boom system control, Raven Industries.

    Residue Management: Bt Crusher, Calmer Corn Heads. Honorable Mention: The Chaff Spreader, Spreader Inc.; 600C corn head, Deere.

    Seed Treatment: Poncho, Bayer CropScience. Honorable Mention: CruiserMaxx, Syngenta.

    Application Equipment: Patriot 3330 Sprayer, Case IH. Honorable Mention: 47/4830 sprayer, John Deere; RoGator sprayer, AGCO; Apache AS715 sprayer, Equipment Technologies.

    Strip-Till: Blu-Jet Strip-Till unit, Thurston Manufacturing. Honorable Mention: 2510S Strip-Till Residue Master, John Deere; Pluribus Strip-Till unit, Dawn Equipment.

    Weed Control: Roundup PowerMAX, Monsanto. Honorable Mention: LibertyLink with Ignite herbicide, Bayer CropScience; Touchdown herbicide, Syngenta; Genuity Roundup Ready 2 Yield, Monsanto.

    BASF, Farming