Harry Siemens – Uli Gehrer is one of a small group of producers who has invested time and money in diversifying into raising a new naked oats variety called Cavena Nuda on his farm near New Bothwell. While these growers had enough seed to plant nearly 1,500 acres, Gehrer has 460 acres on his farm while the total amount is closer to 1,100 that the growers will harvest in 2008.
Uli called from the combine after harvesting the first 160 acres to report a yield of 3,600 pounds to the acre, considerably more than the 2,500 pounds to the acre he harvested in 2007. When converting that to what regular oats would yield, he said it was more like 105 bushels an acre in normal oats. However, since the hulls, representing about 25 percent of the weight, come off at the combine and pass through the machine back into the soil, the yield is closer to 140 bushels an acre.Read More


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I finally got to meet the creator and founder of
Name a business task. Any business task. Picture it in your mind. Got it?
Two of the BASF team members on location at the Farm Progress Show are (l-r) Gary Schmitz, Midwest Regional Tech Manager and Nick Fassler, Tech Manager for Plant Health. Headline is still making headlines so I spoke to them together about how the product has been developing in the corn and soybean markets.
I asked Gary how crops look in his territory. He says it’s been a trying year for midwest growers but that in areas that didn’t get flooded out, “the crops are actually looking pretty good right now.” It’s been a wet season and Gary says that means more disease which is just what a product like Headline is made for. He says that the weather provides growers an opportunity to maximize their yields with Headline.
There’s a lot the
Ag equipment has been running on biodiesel during the Farm Progress Show for a number of years, but this year is the first year machinery will be operating on a B20 blend at the show.
The Monsanto press conference is just over and I recorded it on AgWired Live TV so you can watch it below. Randy Barker, Monsanto’s Global Strategy Lead for Seed Treatments, spoke before a crowd of journalists and farmers about the launch of Monsanto’s new Acceleron brand seed treatment. Monsanto says Acceleron helps maximize potential for crop performance from the very start, at planting. Acceleron products are designed for use with soybean, corn and cotton and boast early season protection from farming hazards, such as diseases and insects.
It feels more like fall and not late August this morning at the Farm Progress Show. And, that’s a good thing. Farm Progress is hoping the beautiful, mild weather will draw more participants to this year’s show in Boone, Iowa. Don Tourte, National Sales Director for Farm Progress Companies says participants will have more to see this year. The exhibition site is the largest in Farm Progress history witha five percent growth from last year’s record exhibition area. 
AgWired has arrived at the Farm Progress Show and the first person I got to meet is the new VP, Sales and Marketing, New Holland Agricultural Equipment NA. He’s John Stevenson and this is his first Farm Progress Show. Thanks to Laura McNamara for taking our picture.