Precision Ag News 3/4

Carrie Muehling

  • As farmers are cleaning up their shops, Pioneer is cleaning up their smart phones by consolidating the suite of Pioneer digital tools into one app – the Pioneer Seeds app. Download the Pioneer Seeds app at the in the Apple App Store® or on Google Play®.
  • Registration is now open for Soil Health: The Foundation for Regenerative Agriculture. The fifth annual Soil Health Institute meeting will be held July 29-31 in Des Moines, Iowa.
  • Cotton growers who grew Stoneville® cotton seed were recognized for their hard-earned harvests at the annual Stoneville Legacy Club™ celebration held in Destin, Florida. Now in its fourth year, the Stoneville Legacy Club honors cotton growers for their advanced knowledge and skill used to maximize yields and profit potential, along with producing high-quality fiber. New this year, growers that farm without irrigation were given the opportunity to enter the club.
  • North American producers in need of a high-horsepower, highly connected tractor now have the next generation solution in the new T9 with PLM IntelligenceTM from New Holland. Today the global equipment leader announced its new T9 lineup, featuring seven horsepower levels, track or wheel options, and a choice of two transmissions to suit the unique needs of large operations.
  • AGCO Corporation introduced the Fendt® IDEALDrive™ steering system to North American producers during the 2020 Commodity Classic. IDEALDrive is the first joystick steering system on a combine from a major manufacturer. It gives the operator an unobstructed, end-to-end view of the combine header for less stress and fatigue during long hours harvesting.
  • Register today to take part in the upcoming March 10, 2020, Farm Foundation Forum, Consumer Attitudes about Gene Editing.
  • SureFire Ag Systems and Kinze Manufacturing have reached an agreement that will allow SureFire to install its industry-leading liquid fertilizer planter solutions on Kinze planters before they leave the factory.
  • Helena Agri-Enterprises, LLC introduced new herbicides for corn and soybeans at the 2020 Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas. Empyros™ for corn and Antares® Complete for soybeans are innovative, pre-emergence herbicides designed to manage weed threats earlier when valuable resources are at stake. As weed resistance grows, Empyros and Antares Complete will empower crop protection programs with new active ingredients and unrivaled herbicide combinations.
  • BASF and AGCO have announced that they will join forces for BASF’s Operation Weed Eradication initiative. The collaboration will provide farmers with agronomic expertise to help promote best practices for on-farm eradication of pigweed.
  • NewLeaf Symbiotics has initiated a partnership with IN10T® to test its M-troph microbial product line Terrasym® with farmers. The company will tap into IN10T’s extensive FarmerTrials Network to analyze the Terrasym® product line’s impact on root development, plant health, yield and other agronomic benefits in corn and soybeans.
  • Following the EPA registration of its newest fungicides – Veltyma™ fungicide in corn and Revytek™ fungicide in soybeans – BASF worked with more than 1,200 growers across the country as part of the RevX Fields program. The program allowed growers to experience the newest BASF Plant Health fungicide offerings in their own backyards. RevX Fields is designed to provide local, relevant and transparent yield results.
  • Golden Harvest released its Agronomy in Action 2020 Research Review to farmers nationwide, showcasing a commitment to delivering best-in-class agronomy and service. The book features 2019 Golden Harvest® Agronomy in Action research studies with more than 100 pages of agronomic knowledge to help farmers plan for and navigate the upcoming season.
  • The Fertilizer Institute (TFI) and the Ecosystem Services Market Consortium (ESMC) announced at Commodity Classic plans to test improved nutrient stewardship as a means of increasing farmer profitability through the ecosystem services market being developed by the ESMC.
  • The American Soybean Association (ASA) presented Nancy Kavazanjian, from Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, with the 2020 National Conservation Legacy Award during the annual ASA Awards Banquet at Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Texas. Nancy and her husband Charles Hammer, a fourth-generation farmer, grow corn, soybeans and wheat.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Bayer Plus Rewards Program Now Available

Carrie Muehling

Bayer Plus Rewards is a brand new program for the 2020 growing season.

“Farmers really have a wide choice of high performance products to choose from in herbicides, insecticides and fungicides. And what makes Bayer Plus Rewards unique is that farmers will be able to see all of their purchases in one place through the online portal, and actually earn rewards based on their purchases,” said Josh VanDeWalle, grower marketing manager.

Farmers who purchase any two approved products earn three dollars per acre when they are part of the program. Adding another product earns them an additional three dollars per acre, and the rewards increase from there. A full list of approved products and enrollment information are available at mybayerplus.com.

VanDeWalle was at the 2020 Commodity Classic in San Antonio.

Josh VanDeWalle, Grower Marketing Manager
Interview with Josh VanDeWalle, Bayer Plus 2:46

2020 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Audio, Bayer, Commodity Classic

ASA Focused on Trade

Carrie Muehling

The American Soybean Association (ASA) is one of the groups who holds its annual meeting during the Commodity Classic each year. It’s an opportunity to set goals and work through the resolution process for the year ahead, according to Minnesota farmer Bill Gordon, who currently serves as the organization’s president. Gordon said the association’s number one priority right now is trade.

“If you look at the first phase one with China, we have a long ways to go, but we’ve been advocating ‘Trade, Not Aid’ so we need to get that trade back on with China,” said Gordon. “And then you look at USMCA. That was the core deal for all these trade deals, and you see remnants of that in USMCA right now. And now we’re going to Europe, we’re going to India, so we’re looking forward to more trade deals, more free trade.”

Gordon said farmers are working to tell the story of modern agriculture to help the consuming public better understand today’s practices and gain trust in those who are growing their food.

American Soybean Association (ASA) – president Bill Gordon, chairman Davie Stephens, VP Kevin Scott
ASA press conference 25:57
Interview with ASA President Bill Gordon 4:28

2020 Commodity Classic Photo Album

ASA, Audio, Commodity Classic, Trade

NAMA 2020 Marketer and Ag Association Leader Named

Cindy Zimmerman

The National Agri-Marketing Association (NAMA) has announced the industry leaders who will be honored with top awards at the 2020 Agri-Marketing Conference next month in San Diego.

Sara Steever, president of Paulsen, has been selected as the 2020 NAMA Marketer of the Year.

Sara joined Paulsen in 1991 as a graphic designer and transitioned into designing websites. Shortly after taking on digital, Sara became Interactive Media Director and then VP, Digital Services. In 2014, she took over the role of President at Paulsen. As president, Sara inspires clients, partners and staff to continuously learn, grow and innovate. Her strategic vision keeps Paulsen on the leading edge of ag marketing thought, digital and creative leadership. Sara took an agency focused on understanding agriculture and applied today’s technology to every aspect of the company and its relationships with clients.

Dennis Slater, President of the Association of Equipment Manufacturers, has been named as the 2020 Ag Association Leader of the Year.

AEM is the North American based international trade group for the off-road equipment manufacturing industry, including agriculture, construction, forestry, and mining. As president, Dennis oversees the strategic direction and operation of all Association programs. Dennis has propelled AEM’s growth to over 1,000 corporate members, including 503 companies that manufacture agriculture equipment representing more than 200 product lines and $32 million in annual revenue.

Both Slater and Steever will receive their awards during the 2020 Agri-Marketing Conference, April 15-17, in San Diego, CA.

AEM, Ag Groups, Agencies, NAMA

Corn Yield Record Smasher

Cindy Zimmerman

David Hula of Charles City, Virginia broke his own record again last year in the National Corn Growers Association National Corn Yield Contest with 616.1953 bushels per acre, beating his previous record of 542-plus bushels in 2017, which broke his 2015 record of 532 bushels per acre.

The 27 winners in 9 production categories had verified yields averaging more than 383 bushels per acre, compared to the projected national average of 167 bushels per acre in 2019. While there is no overall contest winner, yields from first, second and third place farmers overall production categories topped out at 616.1953 bushels per acre.

Hula was definitely in demand at the Commodity Classic last week because everyone wants to know his secret! Chuck talked with him after a panel at the BASF Science Behind event.
Interview with David Hula, NCYC winner

Audio, BASF, Commodity Classic, Corn

Acceleron Protects From Various Challenges

Carrie Muehling

A key message from Bayer at the 2020 Commodity Classic encouraged growers to ensure they’re fully protected from whatever Mother Nature might throw at them during the approaching growing season. One way to do that is to use Acceleron Seed Applied Solutions on corn, soybean and cotton acres.

“As you look at the investment that farmers are making today from a seed perspective, ensuring that we’ve got full protection on that seed to really maximizing it’s health and growth potential throughout the season, ensuring that we get off to the best start as possible, seed treatment – specifically Acceleron Seed Applied Solutions – is going to help us do just that,” said A.J. Hohmann, Acceleron U.S. Marketing Manager.

Hohmann said there is still some uncertainty in the market across the entire industry as some growers are finalizing those last minute decisions, but most growers have seed orders in and are just waiting for good planting conditions.

A.J. Hohmann, Acceleron U.S. Marketing Manager
Interview with A.J. Hohmann, Bayer Acceleron 3:48

2020 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Audio, Bayer, Commodity Classic, Corn, Cotton, Seed, Soybean

ZimmCast 638 – Roundtable with Farm Credit

Chuck Zimmerman

Hello and welcome to the ZimmCast where farmer financial health is our topic.

During the Commodity Classic held this year in San Antonio, I sat down with the CEOs of several Farm Credit associations: Aaron Johnson, Farm Credit Illinois, Bill Johnson, Farm Credit Mid America and Mark Jensen, Farm Credit Services of America (FCSAmerica) and Frontier Farm Credit.

Farm Credit at Commodity ClassicOur topic was Volatility and how it is reshaping risk and financial management. We talked about how farmers are doing now in light of the volatility of the last year which includes weather extremes, disease and political uncertainty.

You’ll hear these leaders talk about the short-term outlook and then looking ahead long-term with ideas about critical strategies for the future and what services Farm Credit can offer.

That’s the ZimmCast for this week. I hope you enjoy it and thank you for listening.

Listen to the ZimmCast here: ZimmCast 638 - Commodity Classic Roundtable with Farm Credit

Subscribe to the ZimmCast in:

Audio, Commodity Classic, Farm Credit, ZimmCast

Northern Commodity Transportation Conference to Debut

Cindy Zimmerman

The inaugural Northern Commodity Transportation Conference (NCTC) is being held March 11-12 in Bloomington, Minn.

The conference is being organized by Ag Management Solutions (AMS), in conjunction with commodity groups from Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota, and is focused on uniting the commodity transportation industry to discuss trade and transportation issues and challenges.

Transportation and non-tariff barrier topics such as grain quality criteria, phytosanitary issues, rail reliability and regulations and trucking efficiencies will be discussed. State officials and agriculture industry representatives are scheduled to speak, including American Soybean Association President Bill Gordon; Minnesota and North Dakota agriculture commissioners Thom Petersen and Doug Goehring; and National Grain and Feed Association President Randy Gordon.

The program is geared toward grain, trading, sales, regulatory and management industries, including grain elevator and terminal loading managers, transcontinental shipping lines, shippers, transloading facilities, rail lines, commodity association leadership, state government, regulatory groups and more.

Registration is $200 per person. Visit www.graintransportation.com to learn more and register.

Agribusiness, Soybean, Trade, transportation

Ethanol Issues Top of Mind at #Classic20

Cindy Zimmerman

Agri-Pulse reporter Spencer Chase interviews RFA CEO Geoff Cooper at #Classic20

Ethanol stakeholders were hopeful that an announcement would be made on Friday about how EPA will deal with the recent court ruling on small refinery exemptions, but Renewable Fuels Association (RFA) president and CEO Geoff Cooper says they are anxiously awaiting that decision.

“We don’t know what exactly what EPA is going to do, but we know what they should do, and that is take that 10th Circuit Court opinion and apply it nationally and that it would essentially put an end to the small refinery exemption program,” said Cooper in one of many interviews he did at the Commodity Classic last week in San Antonio.

Interview with Geoff Cooper, Renewable Fuels Association

Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue confidently told the audience at Commodity Classic on Friday that the decision will mean less small refinery waivers. “I think you will see those waivers significantly reduced this year, which will also help the demand going forward,” Perdue said to applause.

During a press availability, Perdue added, “We were hoping to have an announcement even today but they want to just make sure they get it right and not fast.”
Secretary Perdue SRE comments 1:47

2020 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Audio, Commodity Classic, Ethanol, RFA, USDA

AEM Presents Davidson Awards

Carrie Muehling

For the third year, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) and the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) recognized three innovative products with the Davidson Prize, which celebrates breakthrough innovations in areas of agricultural, food and biological systems engineering.

“The products that have been featured over the past three years represent the diversity of ag engineering, as well as a variety of companies and organizations that continue to bring advanced technology and exciting improvements to the marketplace,” said Darrin Drollinger, ASABE Executive Director.

“We’re excited about the advancement of ag engineering and the positive impacts it continues to have on farmers’ ability to work more efficiently,” said Curt Blades, senior vice president of Agriculture for AEM. “These three products deliver on solutions that truly represent the spirit of J.B. Davidson and the innovative legacy of agriculture.”

The winners are:
John Deere – Quik-Knect System
Smart Guided Systems – Intelligent Spray Control System
Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation – Tractor Implement Management

Drollinger and Blades presented the awards at the Commodity Classic last week.
AEM Davidson Awards press conference 16:47

2020 Commodity Classic Photo Album

AEM, AgWired Precision, Audio, Commodity Classic