Speakers share thoughts on research, soil sampling
Published: Mar 04, 2010 1:09 pm - 0
By Connie Sieh Groop
Farm Forum Editor
About 265 people were on hand for the Precision Ag Conference in Aberdeen last week at the Ramkota Inn. Ag producers were introduced to the latest in technology as well as hearing from experts in precision agriculture.
Gil Gullickson of Successful Farming stumped the audience when he asked who was the first to use precision farming in North America. Gil showed an illustration of Squanto, the Native American who taught the Pilgrims to plant one fish with one seed, according to legend.
Precision placement of nutrients for seeds is the simplified version of what farmers are trying to do today. Discussion focused on various tools: lightbars, auto-steer, yield monitors in conjunction with mapping, variable rate applicators, automatic shut-offs on boom controls on sprayers, air clutches, monitors. It was noted that knowing your planter and what it can do is the most important part of getting proper seed placement.
Precision ag isn’t necessarily new but using technology in a new way. If what you’re doing works, keep on using it until it stops or something else works better.
Remember the cultivator? Some places still use that tool because it works for their operation, Gullickson said.
Should you adopt precision ag? It depends on your operation.
Gullickson explained that yield monitors can show farmers how much field production can change across a field. When combining, the field performance is very evident. How weeds are treated or how nutrients are applied shows up when looking at mapping of the field.
There are hundreds of varieties of seeds with different traits. It’s difficult to sort out which will work best. Combines with yield monitors help map out where the hybrids and nutrients made a difference
Gullickson also said that yield monitors help decide on how to handle dryer and storage facility needs in the fall.
The light bar is an inexpensive way to start using precision agriculture. Auto-steer makes a really big difference in fatigue for operators plus helps with fuel savings. Using this can extend farming careers as well as providing for more efficient inputs.
Gullickson said that payback on equipment is about 4 years time for 6,000 acres. But it climbs to 20.5 years when used on 2,000 acres.
Gullickson mentioned the use of robotic machinery in the future. As these machines could provide more energy efficiencies, more companies are actually looking at it. Go to www.unibots.com for more information.
One farmer uses sky scouts which use infrared cameras to pinpoint disease and check out weed patches. Being able to monitor from the air could potentially save $20 to $40 an acre.
Gullickson also touched on what he called the 5 percent rule. In a study, it showed that farmers doing 5 percent more end up with the biggest increases in income. So if technology can provide the 5 percent difference, isn’t it worth it to expend that extra energy or expense?
Gullickson related that Danny Klinefelter of Farm Credit System in the 1980s saw his share of farm borrowers struggle. Those in the top 25% were about 5% better than average. No big difference accounted for this gap. Those in the top 25% were about 5% better than average in terms of:
1. Crop yields.
2. Cost per unit of production.
3. Returns per dollar invested in machinery and equipment.
4. Average net price received for commodities they produce.
Those in the bottom 25% were 5% below average in these categories.
Over time, seemingly insignificant differences add up to higher profits.
By striving to be 5% above average in key areas, farmers can make a huge difference in their operations.
Research
Gregg Carlson of the Plant Science Department at South Dakota State University shared work done on test plots and yield response curves. He said that farming is one of the few industries that has depended on federal and state grants for research. He said that as government funds dry up, ag will become increasingly dependent on partnering with private companies for future research and development.
“It takes a lot of years to develop new products,” Carlson said. He explained that the small plot research is extremely importantly as they study the yield response curves where yield determines the function of inputs.
What is the maximum economic return? Looking at past data, that will provide insights into the future.
Farmers need to know their cost of inputs and cost of outputs.
Operators have been told for years that they need to collect yield monitors data from fields and archive it. “We didn’t know what we were going to do with it but now we do.” Take that information and make a map of yields in your fields and figure it out. Need to do the basics well to start.
“Use mathematics as a tool in your precision ag tool box,” Carlson said.
Soil sampling
Tom McGraw, owner of Midwest Independent Soil Samplers, said that with all of the technology, a spade is still the most important tool for farmers. Knowing the soil and what is in it or isn’t in it makes all the difference in the world. All the fancy equipment and fertilizers can’t make a difference if you don’t know your soil.
Farmers also need to understand that weather in Brazil will affect price of soybeans and the amount of corn in China will affect prices. “To know what happens in your future, you have to understand the past.”
The attacks on agriculture is toxic waste for farmers, and producers can’t take the misinformation sitting down. This is a way of life and thank God that we do what we do.
“It’s not a time to play nice when our industry is attacked unjustly,” McGraw said. “If we don’t tell our story, we deserve to be left out in the cold. The world belongs to those who show up. We can’t leave it to someone else.”
Referring to a quote attributed to Albert Einstein, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
McGraw asked, “Is that what we’re doing? We have been price takers rather than price makers.”
The most important tool on a farm is a simple spade -- you need to do soil sampling. By putting the shovel in the ground and checking the soil, you can see and check what’s there. You can’t see nitrogen in the soil. And you can’t wait until the plants get above the ground to do something about it.”
McGraw predicted that there will be a huge problem with drainage. And there is a big need to save the nitrogen loss that’s now going into the water. Nitrogen needs to be managed. About 60 to 70 percent of the water in the world is used for crop irrigation. McGraw said, “We have to get better at managing that resource.”
McGraw asked, “Do only the strong survive?” And his answer was, “A smart farmer changes before they have to.”
Extension Educator Mark Rosenberg, one of the organizers, was pleased with the attendance and interest in this year’s PAC. The video will be posted through the Today’s Ag website at some point in the future. The speakers were generally given high approval for their information and the interactive session drew a lot of interest from both private companies and public agencies for participant background and interest.
Hands-on opportunity
I had to leave before the break-out sections. The farmers I sat with told me that was the best part of the event. They looked forward to seeing how the new tools worked and learning what possibilities exist. Representatives were from John Deere, CNH, Butler, Ag Leader, Trimble and Raven Industries.
Farm Forum Editor
About 265 people were on hand for the Precision Ag Conference in Aberdeen last week at the Ramkota Inn. Ag producers were introduced to the latest in technology as well as hearing from experts in precision agriculture.
Gil Gullickson of Successful Farming stumped the audience when he asked who was the first to use precision farming in North America. Gil showed an illustration of Squanto, the Native American who taught the Pilgrims to plant one fish with one seed, according to legend.
Precision placement of nutrients for seeds is the simplified version of what farmers are trying to do today. Discussion focused on various tools: lightbars, auto-steer, yield monitors in conjunction with mapping, variable rate applicators, automatic shut-offs on boom controls on sprayers, air clutches, monitors. It was noted that knowing your planter and what it can do is the most important part of getting proper seed placement.
Precision ag isn’t necessarily new but using technology in a new way. If what you’re doing works, keep on using it until it stops or something else works better.
Remember the cultivator? Some places still use that tool because it works for their operation, Gullickson said.
Should you adopt precision ag? It depends on your operation.
Gullickson explained that yield monitors can show farmers how much field production can change across a field. When combining, the field performance is very evident. How weeds are treated or how nutrients are applied shows up when looking at mapping of the field.
There are hundreds of varieties of seeds with different traits. It’s difficult to sort out which will work best. Combines with yield monitors help map out where the hybrids and nutrients made a difference
Gullickson also said that yield monitors help decide on how to handle dryer and storage facility needs in the fall.
The light bar is an inexpensive way to start using precision agriculture. Auto-steer makes a really big difference in fatigue for operators plus helps with fuel savings. Using this can extend farming careers as well as providing for more efficient inputs.
Gullickson said that payback on equipment is about 4 years time for 6,000 acres. But it climbs to 20.5 years when used on 2,000 acres.
Gullickson mentioned the use of robotic machinery in the future. As these machines could provide more energy efficiencies, more companies are actually looking at it. Go to www.unibots.com for more information.
One farmer uses sky scouts which use infrared cameras to pinpoint disease and check out weed patches. Being able to monitor from the air could potentially save $20 to $40 an acre.
Gullickson also touched on what he called the 5 percent rule. In a study, it showed that farmers doing 5 percent more end up with the biggest increases in income. So if technology can provide the 5 percent difference, isn’t it worth it to expend that extra energy or expense?
Gullickson related that Danny Klinefelter of Farm Credit System in the 1980s saw his share of farm borrowers struggle. Those in the top 25% were about 5% better than average. No big difference accounted for this gap. Those in the top 25% were about 5% better than average in terms of:
1. Crop yields.
2. Cost per unit of production.
3. Returns per dollar invested in machinery and equipment.
4. Average net price received for commodities they produce.
Those in the bottom 25% were 5% below average in these categories.
Over time, seemingly insignificant differences add up to higher profits.
By striving to be 5% above average in key areas, farmers can make a huge difference in their operations.
Research
Gregg Carlson of the Plant Science Department at South Dakota State University shared work done on test plots and yield response curves. He said that farming is one of the few industries that has depended on federal and state grants for research. He said that as government funds dry up, ag will become increasingly dependent on partnering with private companies for future research and development.
“It takes a lot of years to develop new products,” Carlson said. He explained that the small plot research is extremely importantly as they study the yield response curves where yield determines the function of inputs.
What is the maximum economic return? Looking at past data, that will provide insights into the future.
Farmers need to know their cost of inputs and cost of outputs.
Operators have been told for years that they need to collect yield monitors data from fields and archive it. “We didn’t know what we were going to do with it but now we do.” Take that information and make a map of yields in your fields and figure it out. Need to do the basics well to start.
“Use mathematics as a tool in your precision ag tool box,” Carlson said.
Soil sampling
Tom McGraw, owner of Midwest Independent Soil Samplers, said that with all of the technology, a spade is still the most important tool for farmers. Knowing the soil and what is in it or isn’t in it makes all the difference in the world. All the fancy equipment and fertilizers can’t make a difference if you don’t know your soil.
Farmers also need to understand that weather in Brazil will affect price of soybeans and the amount of corn in China will affect prices. “To know what happens in your future, you have to understand the past.”
The attacks on agriculture is toxic waste for farmers, and producers can’t take the misinformation sitting down. This is a way of life and thank God that we do what we do.
“It’s not a time to play nice when our industry is attacked unjustly,” McGraw said. “If we don’t tell our story, we deserve to be left out in the cold. The world belongs to those who show up. We can’t leave it to someone else.”
Referring to a quote attributed to Albert Einstein, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”
McGraw asked, “Is that what we’re doing? We have been price takers rather than price makers.”
The most important tool on a farm is a simple spade -- you need to do soil sampling. By putting the shovel in the ground and checking the soil, you can see and check what’s there. You can’t see nitrogen in the soil. And you can’t wait until the plants get above the ground to do something about it.”
McGraw predicted that there will be a huge problem with drainage. And there is a big need to save the nitrogen loss that’s now going into the water. Nitrogen needs to be managed. About 60 to 70 percent of the water in the world is used for crop irrigation. McGraw said, “We have to get better at managing that resource.”
McGraw asked, “Do only the strong survive?” And his answer was, “A smart farmer changes before they have to.”
Extension Educator Mark Rosenberg, one of the organizers, was pleased with the attendance and interest in this year’s PAC. The video will be posted through the Today’s Ag website at some point in the future. The speakers were generally given high approval for their information and the interactive session drew a lot of interest from both private companies and public agencies for participant background and interest.
Hands-on opportunity
I had to leave before the break-out sections. The farmers I sat with told me that was the best part of the event. They looked forward to seeing how the new tools worked and learning what possibilities exist. Representatives were from John Deere, CNH, Butler, Ag Leader, Trimble and Raven Industries.
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