BASF Hosts 14th Behind the Science Media Event

Cindy Zimmerman

For the 14th year, BASF held its Science Behind media event prior to the start of Commodity Classic.

“It gives a chance for you to see not just what the product is, but also what are the details behind it – kind of a peek behind the curtain,” said Scott Kay, Vice President, U.S. Crop, BASF Agricultural Solutions.

Much of the program focused on Veltyma™ fungicide in corn and Revytek™ fungicide in soybeans and the experience of more than 1,200 growers across the country as part of the RevX Fields program.

Kay talks about what’s new with BASF in this interview.
Interview with Scott Kay, BASF

2020 Commodity Classic Photo Album

AgWired Precision, Audio, BASF, Commodity Classic

Friday is Deadline to Schedule CRP Signup Appointment

Cindy Zimmerman

Tomorrow is the deadline for agricultural producers and private landowners interested in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) 2020 general signup to make an offer of acres or schedule an appointment to do so with their local USDA service center.

The general signup is available to producers and private landowners who are either offering for the first time or re-offering acres for another 10- to 15-year term in the 35-year-old USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) conservation program.

“Call your FSA county office today to make an appointment to sign up for the Conservation Reserve Program,” FSA Administrator Richard Fordyce said. “As long as you have an appointment scheduled, your CRP offer will be able to compete in this general signup, even if the appointment is in the first week of March. This is the first opportunity for general sign up since 2016, and we want to make sure interested producers and landowners take advantage of this popular conservation program.”

So even if you are at the Commodity Classic, just call your local FSA office and make an appointment by end of day tomorrow. Learn more from USDA FSA.

Conservation, USDA

Veris Technologies Introduces Vision for Decisions™

Cindy Zimmerman

iScan+ embedded tillage sensors alert growers to yield robbing conditions

At the 2020 Commodity Classic in San Antonio this week, Veris Technologies is introducing Vision for Decisions™, a new seeding environment decision support system to help growers improve seedbeds, planter performance, and population scripts. Vision for Decisions utilizes iScan+ soil and implement sensors embedded in tillage tools and planters along with grower input to maximize the seeding environment.

Population scripts using Veris’ patented organic matter and CEC sensors provide the smartest variable seed management. These scripts are easily completed in Veris cloud-based software FieldFusion® and sent to the tractor using API’s.

An added plus is the personalized precision support specialist that comes with every Vision for Decisions system. New in 2020 are moisture/temperature/CEC/OM sensors that easily bolt to field cultivator tines, and new configurations that fit a variety of vertical tillage tools. The SoilViewer tablet displays and records all real-time soil data and implement settings, providing a geo-referenced database to improve future decisions.

Tyler Lund, Veris Technologies Director for Sales and Marketing, talks about the new tools in this interview.
Interview with Tyler Lund, Veris Tech 4:44

Read the release and stop by booth 1379 at Commodity Classic to learn more!

AgWired Precision, Commodity Classic, Precision Agriculture

Documentary Highlights Ranch’s Commitment to Cattle Health

Carrie Muehling

A new documentary shares the commitment of a Colorado ranch family to animal health and the environment.

“They’re raising their sixth generation on the ranch right now, so it’s a big legacy,” said Scott King, cattle marketing team lead for Boehringer Ingelheim. “They’re totally committed to caring for the land and the sustainability of it, and they’re very passionate about animal health and well being.”

King was speaking of the Johnson family, owners of Flying Diamond Cattle Ranch, who are featured in the film. He said the family embodies the concept of “Cattle First” with the passion they have for animal care.

“We really wanted to get that message out there about how our producers are so passionate about their animal and the care for their animals, and we really think that will help ensure a great future for all of us,” said King.

View the documentary at CattleFirstMovie.com. King was at the 2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NCBA Trade Show in San Antonio.

CIC2020 Interview with Scott King, Boehringer Ingelheim 3:56

2020 Cattle Industry Convention and NBCA Trade Show Photo Album

AgWired Animal, Audio, Boehringer Ingelheim, Cattle Industry Conference

Seeing Our Future Clearly at 2020 Commodity Classic

Chuck Zimmerman

Commodity Classic 2020Thanks to a #Classic20 attendee for helping me with this photo outside the convention center in San Antonio. It’s kind of like déjà vu since the weather was pretty nice yesterday and now we’ve got a wind warning and temps dropping into the 20’s tonight. Same thing happened at the Cattle Industry Convention just 3 weeks ago.

I’m getting ready to put the Golden ZimmComm Microphone into serious action as the pre-conference activities start later today and then it all gets busy, including time in the trade show and press conferences. I already have a photo album started in our virtual ag newsroom on AgNewsWire and that’s where fresh content will be published first before we select stories to share here on AgWired.

2020 Commodity Classic Photo Album

Commodity Classic, Corn, NAWG, NCGA, NSP, sorghum, Soybean, Wheat

Farmers Rank Top Products on Precision Ag Reviews

Cindy Zimmerman

Precision Ag Reviews, an independent resource to help farmers make decisions about precision ag equipment, has ranked the top five products of 2019 according to thousands of reviews received by farmers.

“More than 3,000 reviews of precision farming products were submitted to Precision Ag Reviews online and in person at farm shows across the country in 2019,” said Stacie McCracken, Precision Ag Reviews project manager. “For the first time, we are sharing the findings from aggregated data that showcases the precision farming products farmers collectively rated the highest.”

For 2019, the top five products were determined by the highest overall ratings based on a five-star system that includes cost, ease of use, value and support.

Ag Leader, InCommand Display
Climate, FieldView Drive
Precision Planting, 20l20 Display
Ag Leader, Integra Display
Trimble, TMX-2050 Display

The Ag Leader InCommand display topped the list in the categories of ease of use, overall value and technical support, while the Climate FieldView Drive had the highest ranking for cost. The product with the most reviews in 2019 was the John Deere Greenstar 3 2630 display.

Precision Ag Reviews was started in 2017 with the support of the Ohio Soybean Council and the soybean checkoff to provide a reliable, unbiased source of information about precision technology products for farmers based on their own peer reviews.

Interview with Stacie McCracken, Precision Ag Reviews 5:15

Visit with Precision Ag Reviews at Commodity Classic booth #125!

AgWired Precision, Audio, Precision Agriculture, Soybean

Precision Ag News 2/26

Carrie Muehling

  • As the U.S. Department of Agriculture continues 2018 Farm Bill implementation with the release of its Environmental Quality Incentives Program Interim Rule, National Farmers Union is urging the agency to strengthen the conservation program to better support farmers as they work to ensure the longevity of their land and natural resources. In comments submitted to USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and in a subsequent statement, NFU President Roger Johnson emphasized the program’s value and recommended improvements to ensure its efficacy.
  • The American Soybean Association congratulates the regional winners of the 2020 Conservation Legacy Award. Susan and Mike Brocksmith, Vincennes, Ind. (Northeast Region); Frank Howey, Monroe, N.C. (South Region); Nancy Kavazanjian, Beaver Dam, Wis. (Upper Midwest Region); and Nicole and Randy Small, Neodesha, Kan. (Midwest Region) will be honored Feb. 28 at the Commodity Classic in San Antonio, Tex.
  • NewLeaf Symbiotics, Inc. announced that it has raised $20 million in a first close of its Series D financing as it broadens and accelerates product commercialization. Koch Agronomic Holdings, Leaps by Bayer, Otter Capital, S2G Ventures and RockPort Capital were participants in the investment round.
  • The GROWMARK System would like to help 4-H clubs do their part to help sustain and increase honey bee populations. This is the fifth year of the program, open to 4-H clubs, Ag in the Classroom groups, and FFA chapters in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, and Wisconsin. Groups who previously participated in the program have been automatically re-enrolled. Clubs wishing to participate should fill out the online application by March 20, 2020.
  • American Farmland Trust is releasing four new “Accelerating Soil Health” case studies, adding to four studies released in July 2019, to assist farmers who are curious about soil health and technical service providers who want to help farmers adopt soil health practices.
AgWired Precision, Precision Ag Bytes

Partnership Testing 100 Percent Biodiesel in Fleet Trucks

Cindy Zimmerman

A new partnership is conducting a year-long test project to demonstrate viability of 100 percent biodiesel (B100) in high-mileage fleet applications.

Under this partnership, five trucks owned by ADM will be outfitted with Optimus Technologies’ Vector fuel system, an innovative technology that enables diesel engines to run almost entirely on sustainable biodiesel. The trucks will be used in daily fleet operations for a yearlong period, with each vehicle anticipated to travel 160,000-180,000 miles and reduce up to 500,000 pounds of CO2. Advanced monitoring protocols will compare the performance and results of the new technology with five other trucks comprising a control group operating on conventional diesel. All biodiesel used in the project will come from ADM’s refinery in Mexico, Missouri.

The American Lung Association, National Biodiesel Board, Illinois Soybean Association, and Missouri Soybean Merchandising Council are all partners in the project with ADM and Optimus.

“Biodiesel blends have been utilized successfully in millions of miles of real-world applications across the diesel sector over the last two decades, but this project is especially exciting as more fleets look to take it to the next level,” said Kaleb Little, director of communications for the National Biodiesel Board.

Learn more about the project and what it could mean for the biodiesel industry in this interview.
Interview with Kaleb Little, NBB 21:33

Audio, Biodiesel, Soybean

Energy Ag News 2/25

Cindy Zimmerman

  • The Renewable Fuels Association, in partnership with the Industrial Steel Drum Institute and TRANSCAER®, will host safety training in Davenport, Iowa March 4. The free seminars are funded through a Federal Railroad Administration/TRANSCAER grant.
  • Students from Ridgewater College in Wilmar toured Chippewa Valley Ethanol Company (CVEC) in Benson last week to learn about ethanol and dried distiller’s grains with solubles (DDGS) production. The tour was organized by MN Biofuels.
  • According to EIA data analyzed by the Renewable Fuels Association for the week ending Feb. 14, ethanol production grew 0.7%, or 7,000 barrels per day (b/d), to 1.040 million b/d—equivalent to 43.68 million gallons daily. Ethanol stocks built to 24.8 million barrels, up 1.7%.
  • Eco-Energy, a leading biofuel supply chain company, is pleased to announce that it has entered the final stage of construction on its ethanol distribution facility located in Phoenix, Arizona. The facility will be Eco-Energy’s tenth (10th) ethanol distribution terminal and is scheduled to commence operations in 3Q 2020.
    • Uncategorized

    Climate Change and Risk Management

    Carrie Muehling

    Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) Commissioner Rostin Behnam spoke at the 2020 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting about the impact of weather and climate change on risk management and an initiative he is spearheading at the Commission.

    “In my view, it’s critical to have private sector and public sector participants, a public-private partnership, contributing to this evolving, but critical conversation,” said Behnam. “Further, we cannot rest while waiting for the perfect. Action is required now, and every step – however big or small – is a positive step towards addressing these risks.”

    Commissioner Rostin Behnam, CFTC (23:57)

    2020 Crop Insurance and Reinsurance Bureau Annual Meeting Photo Album

    Audio, Crop Insurance