September 2016 Sourcebook

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

To The Point: A Dose of Perspective

By Mike Lessiter posted on September 5, 2016

Perspective often comes when and where you don’t expect it, including faraway lands. Our staff returned recently from our 3rd Annual National Strip-Tillage Conference in Bloomington, Ill., which drew a crowd of 351 from 22 states and 4 countries. Among the international attendees were two farm managers who traveled from Thailand to learn how to leap-frog their operation forward (farm practices in Thailand, they say, lag the U.S. by 50 years). The pair found us via Facebook, and reached out ahead of time so we could help them arrange on-farm visits ahead of the conference.
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Special Report: What's Trending in Ag Application Technology?

Can Application Technologies Reduce Ag Input Costs?

Three years of low grain prices are forcing farmers to minimize production costs. Developments in how they apply inputs will be an important part of growers’ cost cutting.

By Farm Equipment Staff posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

Proper placement of seeds in the soil is considered by many to be the single most critical step in producing high yielding row crops. This is because success with planting operations sets the stage for everything that takes place with the crop afterward.
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SPECIAL REPORT

Making a Case for Curbing Spending on Inputs

Few signs point to a recovery in crop prices in the near term, which is making it imperative growers find ways to hold down costs.

By Dave Kanicki posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

As the industry downturn is well into its third year, producers are now taking an even harder look at minimizing the use, and thus the cost, of crop inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, wherever possible without sacrificing crop yields. The quest to reduce inputs without giving up crop productivity presents dealers and manufacturers with opportunities to work closely with their farm customers to improve everyone’s bottom line.
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SPECIAL REPORT

What’s Trending in Ag Application Technology?

Developments in applying crop nutrients and pesticides have come fast and furious during the last decade. Many of the newest breakthroughs are aimed at ‘site-specific’ management of inputs, nozzles and individual nozzle control, and soil applications.

By Dave Kanicki posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

“We’ve been diverted from innovation for a while in the spray industry as we tackled spray drift issues,” says Ken Giles, University of California-Davis professor of agricultural engineering. “In the next 10 years, the focus is going to shift from drift reduction to precision placement of chemicals. We’re going to focus on targeted coverage and how consistent application can be within that targeted coverage.”
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SPECIAL REPORT

Take Care of Basics Before Adopting New Sprayer Developments

By Dave Kanicki posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

While aerial application of pesticides is still utilized extensively, on-the-ground sprayers continue to gain favor for applying crop chemicals. In all likelihood, their use will continue to expand, especially with the introduction of newer precision technologies with the capability to reduce chemical usage through site-specific application methods.
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SPECIAL REPORT

Focus of Nutrient Application Technology Must Be the ‘4 R’s’

By Dave Kanicki posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Precision Ag Sales & Service, Niche Equipment Markets

When it comes to nutrient application, “The focus of the industry has to be the 4 R’s,” says James Fehr. “We’ve got to make sure we’re constantly talking about the right source, right rate, the right place, the right time.”
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SPECIAL REPORT

Developments in Site-Specific Management & VR Sprayers

By Dan Crummett and Dave Kanicki posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

The “precision placement of chemicals” and “consistent application within a targeted coverage” area that Ken Giles spoke of 5 years ago is a reality today, and is often referred to as “site-specific management” or, in some cases, “variable-rate application."
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SPECIAL REPORT

Growers Find Individual Nozzle Control Saves Inputs with Precision Application

By Dan Crummett posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

Richard Preston says his Kentucky grain farm represents the “worst-case scenario” for efficiently and responsibly spraying chemicals. His fields are located between creeks and timber and back up to ever-growing residential areas near Elizabethtown, Ky.
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SPECIAL REPORT

Nozzle Selection Governs Sprayer Performance

By Erdal Ozkan posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

Nozzles are typically the least costly items on a sprayer, but they are key to the final outcome from a spraying job: achieving maximum efficacy from the pesticide applied while reducing the off-target (drift) movement of pesticides to a minimum. Pesticides work well if the rates on labels are achieved during application. This can be achieved only if the right nozzle type and the proper size of the nozzles are on the sprayer — and the sprayer is operated properly.
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SPECIAL REPORT

Control Technologies Aim for One Weed at a Time

By Dave Kanicki posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

There’s just no winning with weeds. If we don’t kill them, they’ll choke out our crops and devastate yields. In earlier days, we removed them by labor intensive hoeing and cultivating. More recently we started spraying herbicides to control them. Unfortunately, this unwanted vegetation figured out how to beat the most common of the weed killers being used, leaving us with as big of a problem, we had before we started spraying.
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SPECIAL REPORT

Getting to the Plant’s Roots

By Dave Kanicki posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

Research at Oklahoma State University on nitrogen uptake in corn has shown that almost two-thirds of the nitrogen is taken up within 7 inches of the plant, according to Ron Lloyd, director of agronomy for 360 Yield Center, Morton, Ill. In corn, he says, “We know that most corn roots are within 4-6 inches horizontally of the stalk.”
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SPECIAL REPORT

Chemigation: Feeding Crops Nutrients When They’re Needed

By Kim Schmidt posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

For growers already utilizing irrigation to grow their crops, chemigation — applying agrichemicals through an irrigation distribution system — offers an alternative to other application methods. The method can be used to apply a variety of chemicals, from fertilizers to livestock waste, insecticides, herbicides and more.
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People & Profits

How to be a Dynamically Neutral Leader

By George Russell and Erik Thompson posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Department Management

Joe Founder, who is 68 years old, has two daughters working for him. Jane is 5 years older than Julie. They’ve respected each other’s contributions for many years, and Joe thinks the dealership is stronger with both of them. Both have the option to work elsewhere.
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Ahead of the Curve

Farmers Look to Hay & Forage to Improve Income

By Dan Crummett posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Operations & Finance

With the slump in commodity prices over the past 24 months, and increasing overall price volatility for farm products, Cole Carling says many farmers are looking for ways to stabilize their income and are searching for new enterprises to spread out their financial risks.
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Featured Articles

Featured Articles

Special Report: What's Trending in Ag Application Technology?

Can Application Technologies Reduce Ag Input Costs?

Three years of low grain prices are forcing farmers to minimize production costs. Developments in how they apply inputs will be an important part of growers’ cost cutting.

By Farm Equipment Staff posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Data & Forecasts, Operations & Finance, Precision Ag Sales & Service

Proper placement of seeds in the soil is considered by many to be the single most critical step in producing high yielding row crops. This is because success with planting operations sets the stage for everything that takes place with the crop afterward.
Read More

People & Profits

How to be a Dynamically Neutral Leader

By George Russell and Erik Thompson posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Best Practices, Department Management

Joe Founder, who is 68 years old, has two daughters working for him. Jane is 5 years older than Julie. They’ve respected each other’s contributions for many years, and Joe thinks the dealership is stronger with both of them. Both have the option to work elsewhere.
Read More

Ahead of the Curve

Farmers Look to Hay & Forage to Improve Income

By Dan Crummett posted on September 5, 2016 | Posted in Operations & Finance

With the slump in commodity prices over the past 24 months, and increasing overall price volatility for farm products, Cole Carling says many farmers are looking for ways to stabilize their income and are searching for new enterprises to spread out their financial risks.
Read More