Updated Deere Utility Tractors in the Sunbelt

Cindy Zimmerman

John Deere is updating its popular 3-cylinder 5E Series Utility Tractors for model year 2018 and these versatile machines are on display this week at the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Georgia.

“We lowered the hood down about five inches to give more visibility,” said John Doyle, product marketing manager for Deere. “We increased the size of the operator platform by about 20 percent and we lowered it …. and it has a higher backrest on it to give you more comfort.”

This 5E series was designed primarily for large property owners and non-commercial ag customers with horses and livestock. Learn more in this interview: Interview with John Doyle, Deere

2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo Photo Album

Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by John Deere
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Precision Ag Bytes 10/18

Kelly Marshall

  • The Farm Foundation Forum on Wednesday, November 1 will explore the forces that drive soil and water conservation on farms today. It will begin at 9:00 a.m. at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. Register to attend in person or online.
  • Wingtra, a drone company fast becoming an industry favorite for its aerial data collection, has formed a partnership with Pix4D.  The relationship will provide end-to-end solutions including 2D map and 3D model construction from aerial data, and will offer Wingtra’s users the entire Pix4D software suite.
  • U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt has appointed Jim Gulliford of Missouri as regional administrator for Region 7. Mr. Gulliford will oversee environmental protection efforts in: Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska.
  • Partnership for Ag Resource Management is pleased to announce that 62 Great Lakes Basin ag retailers participating in the program reported 2016 sales of products and services like variable rate technology that help keep phosphorus fertilizer on cropland and out of waterways.  Variable rate phosphorus application in the Sandusky River Watershed increased 19% last year, from 51% to 70% of acreage serviced by participating ag retailers.
  • Jeremy Peters, chief executive officer of the National Association of Conservation Districts, has earned the Center for Behavioral and Experimental Agri-Enveironal Research (CBEAR) prize for Agri-Environmental Innovation.

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BASF Executives Discuss Bayer Acquisition

Cindy Zimmerman

BASF Crop Protection business executives held a conference call with reporters Tuesday to discuss the agreement announced last Friday to purchase significant Bayer assets in the largest deal of its kind in history.

The $7 billion deal includes Bayer’s global glufosinate-ammonium non-selective herbicide business, seed businesses for canola hybrids in North America under the InVigor® brand using the LibertyLink® trait technology, oilseed mainly in European markets, cotton in the Americas and Europe as well as soybean in the Americas. The transaction also includes Bayer’s trait research and breeding capabilities for these crops and the LibertyLink® trait and trademark. In addition, over 1,800 Bayer employees will transfer to BASF, in addition to corporate, manufacturing and research facilities in Germany, the United States, and Canada, the Americas and Europe.

Listen to Paul Rea, Senior Vice President BASF Crop Protection North America, and BASF U.S. Crop VP Scott Kay give an overview of the acquisition and answer reporter questions. Paul Rea and Scott Kay, BASF

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Cotton Growers Seek Right Varieties to Fight Disease

Carrie Muehling

Growers attending the 2017 Bayer Showcase Plot Tour saw a brand new cotton breeding facility and had the opportunity to learn more about current cotton varieties as well as those that are up and coming. Western Region Agronomic Manager Kenny Melton said they especially heard questions about which varieties fit on acres affected by verticillium wilt.

“We have probably the best portfolio of varieties in the marketplace today in terms of verticillium wilt tolerance,” said Melton.

Bacterial blight resistance is also on the minds of producers, along with general yield and quality concerns.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Kenny Melton here: Interview with Kenny Melton, Bayer

Audio, Bayer, Cotton

Farm Bill Listening Session at Sunbelt Ag Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

Opening day of the 2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo featured a Farm Bill Listening Session held in the R.W. Griffin Building and hosted by Rep. Austin Scott (R-GA). Also in attendance were Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA) and Rep. Al Lawson (D-FL) and all are members of the House Agriculture Committee. Georgia Commissioner of Agriculture Gary Black served as moderator.

The session starts with opening statements from the Congressmen and then various interested parties provided statements for them to take back to Washington.

Audio file: Sunbelt Ag Expo Farm Bill Listening Session

2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo Photo Album

Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by John Deere
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GIPSA Rules Withdrawn by Administration

Cindy Zimmerman

The Trump administration today announced it will withdraw controversial regulations under the Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyard Administration (GIPSA) related to the buying and selling of livestock.

The action includes an interim final rule that deals with harm to competition and one proposed related rule issued in the final days of the Obama administration. The interim final rule was scheduled to be implemented this Thursday.

“The concern was that this rule as proposed would lead to unnecessary and unproductive litigation,” said Secretary Sonny Perdue during a conference call with reporters from Europe on Tuesday. “My goal at this point is to make sure that the industry abides by the USDA motto and that is Do Right and Feed everyone.”

Listen to Perdue’s comments here: Secretary Perdue comments on GIPSA rule action

Lawmakers and industry groups applauded the action, including Senate Agriculture Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-KS) and House Agriculture Committee Chair Rep. Michael Conaway (R-TX); the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA), National Pork Producers Council (NPPC) and the National Chicken Council.

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Secretary Perdue in Europe

Cindy Zimmerman

USDA secretary Sonny Perdue greets Pope Francis with FAO Director-General José Graziano da Silva

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue has been on a whirlwind trip around Europe for the past several days, starting with meetings in London before participating in the G-7 ministerial, taking part in World Food Day in Rome and meeting Pope Francis yesterday, and concluding his trip today in Madrid.

“It’s been a very productive trip,” said Perdue during a media conference call this morning. “We’ve had …very frank and direct discussions about some of the restrictions the EU has placed.”

Listen to his opening statement here: USDA Secretary Perdue from Europe

On the call, Perdue answered reporters’ questions about issues such as the this morning’s announced rollback of Grain Inspection, Packers and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) rules, European trade, and NAFTA. Secretary Perdue answers reporter questions

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2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo

Chuck Zimmerman

I am here and ready for the games to begin. Here is the 40th Annual Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition in Moultrie, GA. It is a beautiful sunny day with cool temperatures. Kind of breezy but I can deal with that.

This year the show has 1,211 exhibitors with over 100 of them new to the show. Way back in 1978 the show had 410 exhibitors on 25 acres. The show now has 100 acres of exhibits with 600 acres of research farm. Every year the show has a spotlight state and this year it is Tennessee.

I have to thank the sponsor of my coverage of this year’s show which is John Deere. I’m heading that way first to see what the company is offering to southeast farmers.

So, there is more to come and I’ll see you from here soon. BTW. The show hashtag is #sunbelt40.

I’m just getting started but will be sharing photos here: 2017 Sunbelt Ag Expo Photo Album

Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by Stories from Sunbelt Ag Expo sponsored by John Deere
Agribusiness, John Deere, Sunbelt Ag Expo

Hubbard Robo-Max Custom Feed for Automated Systems

Cindy Zimmerman

As robotic milking equipment is becoming more prevalent in the dairy industry, the need for customized feed to use in the systems is increasing, so Hubbard Feeds came up with Robo-Max Computerized Feeder Pellets.

“What we’ve found is that you really need to fine tune what’s going into your pellet formula by having the right amount of starch or energy available right there at the robot,” said Hubbard Feeds dairy nutritionist Jon Pretz during an interview at World Dairy Expo.

Since the systems rely mostly on the animals desire to receive the feed offered through the robot, a high quality, palatable pellet is essential. “What we like to do is increase that starch level as much as we can to get a high-energy pellet into the robot to drive the cows to the robot,” said Pretz.

Learn more in this interview: Interview with Jon Pretz, Hubbard

2017 World Dairy Expo Photo Album

Coverage of World Dairy Expo is sponsored by Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Alltech Coverage of the Farm Progress Show is sponsored by Hubbard Feeds
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Bayer Proves Strong Commitment to Cotton

Carrie Muehling

With lots of things going on in the cotton industry, Bayer is reinforcing its overall commitment to cotton. The company recently opened a new Cotton Breeding Station in Lubbock, and hosted its 2017 Showcase Plot Tour there. The new facility provides a place for the breeding group and trade development group to collaborate at the same site, allowing them to drive innovation more quickly.

“We’ve got the traits growers need, we’ve got the seed treatment packages and we’ve got all these harvest aids and a variety of things that we can just pull this whole thing together and really help the grower achieve their goals at the end of the year,” said Jason Wistehuff, Bayer Cotton Product Manager for North America.

Wistehuff said in field trials continue to provide the basis of the cotton breeding program, with areas like water use efficiency targets for future improvements.

Listen to Chuck’s interview with Jason Wistehuff here: Interview with Jason Wistehuff, Bayer

Bayer Lubbock Tour

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