Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) has awarded a contract for frozen diced carrots to Inn Foods, based in Watsonville, Calif.
The contract total is $311,691.60. Product will be shipped from plants in Hart, Mich., Walkerville, Mich., Quincy, Wash. and Brockport, N.Y.
USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service is reminding producers that time is running out to respond to the 2022 Census of Agriculture. The ag census allows producers to help shape decisions that will impact their operations, communities, and the future of the industry for the next several years. The ag census data are used by agribusinesses, educators, researchers, federal and local government, and many others when making decisions about farm programs, loans, insurance, rural development, disaster assistance, and more.
If a census recipient produced and sold $1,000 or more of agricultural product in 2022, or normally would have produced and sold that much, they meet USDA’s definition of a farm. However, landowners who lease land to producers, those solely involved in conservation programs, and even those who may not have farmed in 2022 are still required to respond.
Producers can respond online at agcounts.usda.gov or return the form by mail.
What goes up, must come down.
Just how aerial fungicide applications come down is essential for efficacy and safety. To help make aerial application viable for growers struggling to make timely fungicide applications, the National Agricultural Aviators Association holds fly-in clinics across the country.
Technology advances continuously improve the quality and reliability of aerial application. Through fly-in clinics, pilots learn how to use that technology.
Garrett Lindell, pilot and executive director of the Illinois Agricultural Aviation Association, also touts the value of calibration events, which he says are held in Illinois twice each year.
Demand for services like Lindell’s has grown with the use of in-season fungicides to prevent and control diseases and improve plant health in corn, soybeans, small grains and other crops. He estimates that in-season fungicide treatment makes up about 85% of his business.
Timely Treatment
The agronomic window for fungicide applications depends on crop maturity, disease pressure and weather conditions. Rain not only can delay application timing, it also can speed up both crop and disease development.
“There’s a tight window to apply these products, and we can apply them substantially quicker,” Lindell says. “When it rains, airplanes can get back to work as soon as the weather passes.”
Aerial application often is the better option following rain because running equipment through wet soils causes compaction, and that can lead to long-lasting adverse crop impacts, especially in heavy clay soils, says Blake Miller, agronomic service representative for Syngenta in central Illinois. Plus, growers sometimes struggle to navigate equipment through wet soil and end up rolling over crop rows, reducing yield.
Applied Technology
Some farmers are uncomfortable with aerial application, which happens at high speeds over their fields.
From those farmers, Miller says, “common questions include ‘Will applications be accurate?’ and ‘Will the right field be sprayed?’”
Syngenta sponsors calibration events like Operation S.A.F.E. to address accuracy. Miller believes the calibration process ensures growers get the best application possible, especially when coupled with the technology currently available in fungicides.
SDHI fungicides provide residual action that prevent disease and allow most fields to be treated just once, which Miller says is ideal for both farmers and aerial applicators.
Aerial Calibration
Calibration means the right spray volume leaves the aircraft for every acre covered, according to Bretthauer.
Pilots use speed, airflow, nozzle type and more to push fungicides into the crop canopy, while mitigating drift. For each calibration series, a pilot makes three passes over an established flight line, spraying water containing fluorescent dye. Each series of passes targets a specific spray volume and droplet size goal, Bretthauer says.
An Operation S.A.F.E. fly-in clinic addresses three main dynamics:
Confidence in Coverage
Matt Gill, University of Illinois Extension specialist in application technology, often works calibration events. He helped develop the current software used to analyze data collected from each spray pass.
“This iteration of the software uses new technology to analyze spray patterns,” Gill says. “A digital spectrometer measures the dye captured on the cotton string the planes fly over. It provides a significantly more detailed picture of spray patterns than the previous technology.”
Cotton string and cast-coated paper cards, which are color-sensitive, measure spray deposition during calibration. Using a high-resolution scanner, Gill scans the cast-coated paper cards. The software isolates and measures each droplet stain from the spray, then back-calculates the droplet size that created it. After each stain is measured, the overall droplet spectrum is determined.
During the clinics, pilots receive a report with a pictograph showing their spray pattern and swath width, as well as their droplet size. Using this data, each pilot consults with the Operation S.A.F.E. analyst, addressing areas of concern and other factors to improve application. If warranted, additional calibration passes are made that same day until pilots achieve the desired spray pattern and droplet size.
As a pilot, Lindell uses this information to improve accuracy and show proof of the results.
“I can put my calibration paperwork in front of potential customers to reassure them that we’re doing the best job possible,” he says. “They can see the value of aerial application.”
SOURCE: SYNGENTA
Offering premium power and versatility to its customers, John Deere debuts its 2024 model-year upgrades on its lineup of 3R- and 4-Series compact utility tractors. In addition, John Deere unveils its latest 4-Series model, the 4075R Compact Utility Tractor, equipped to tackle jobs for customers in the commercial snow removal and large-property owner markets. Highlighting increased reliability and technology readiness, the updated 4R-, 4M- and 3R-Series machines feature a variety of improvements to help elevate tractor performance and operator experience, especially in heavy-duty work applications.
Watch the latest outlook with Dr. Ed Seifried, economist, university professor and nationally recognized speaker and author. In his presentation, Dr. Seifried shares insights and reactions following the release of major economic reports. Highlights include:
SOURCE: AgWEST Farm Credit
Miedema Auctioneering , Inc. is holding two online equipment auctions in Michigan, both closing on May 23.
V & W Farms, Inc. in Byron Center, Mich. has a New Holland TS135A tractor, a John Deere 224 tractor, an Allis G tractor, and a IH Farmall BN forklift. Also up for auction: Takeuchi TB260 excavator, Proptec sprayer, sub soiler, disc, mechanical transplanter, bed shaper, bin piler, irrigation pump, produce wagons and much more. (pre-bidding is open online now)
B & P Farms in Grant, Mich. is selling an onion packing line, baggers, sizers, conveyors, forklifts, a John Deere tractor, a manure spreader, semi-trucks, and much more.
A growing number of property owners of every type are looking for ways to manage their equipment and the work it does. Because of this, John Deere has created John Deere Property Center, a mobile-friendly web-based tool that allows you to plan and track maintenance for your equipment, buy parts, and learn how to do key jobs around your yard or acreage.
Property Center connects you with your equipment information anytime, from anywhere. This one-stop equipment management tool provides easy access to operator manuals, warranties, product support and a library of how-to videos to help you manage your weekend projects – all customized to your specific equipment. Property Center can also help you track and plan routine maintenance to ensure your equipment operates at peak performance.
“As a homeowner or simply an outdoor enthusiast responsible for maintaining a property, understanding how equipment operates and how it best does a job is critical to a good experience. Property Center provides a simplified way to connect to your equipment, your dealer and your job,” said Kaylene Ballesteros, product marketing manager for John Deere. “You can use Property Center to look up and order specific parts with confidence, manage your John Deere Financial accounts, and even watch how-to videos and review tips for common equipment jobs like maintaining your gravel driveway or building a fence.”
If your John Deere equipment is equipped with JDLink connectivity, additional features like tank levels and engine hours can be viewed on the Property Center website.
Property Center is free to use. You can sign up today at PropertyCenter.Deere.com. To learn more visit Deere.com or contact your local John Deere dealer.
Stokes Seeds has announced the hiring of Anna Young as Territory Manager for North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Kentucky.
In this position, Anna will be responsible for seed and service to growers in the region, providing commercial vegetable seed recommendations. In representing Stokes Seeds’ comprehensive product line, she will collaborate with growers to match seed options to their production and profit goals.
“Anna’s background, work experience, and passion for serving commercial vegetable producers will make her an asset to growers in the region”, stated Scott Rush, Southeast Sales Manager for Stokes Seeds.
A native of North Carolina, Anna earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Agriscience from North Carolina State University. She was a public relations representative for the North Carolina Watermelon Growers Association and former North Carolina Watermelon Queen.
Anna brings a strong agricultural background to the Stokes Seeds team with experience in crop production and retail sales. She resides in the Alexander, NC area.
Stokes Seeds is a leading distributor of commercial vegetable seed in the United States and Canada, with operations in Buffalo, NY, Vineland, NJ, Holland, MI, Moultrie, GA, LaBelle, FL and Thorold, Ontario. With twenty-five experienced territory managers, exciting new varieties from world-class vendors and exceptional customer service, Stokes Seeds continues to be the seed supplier of choice for growers across North America.
For more information, contact Stokes Seeds at 800.263.7233 or www.StokeSeeds.com.
Vegetable growers in Michigan have long sought a more rapid and efficient method to screen for the damaging plant disease, aster yellows. Primarily affecting carrots and celery in Michigan, aster yellows causes plants to have stunted or deformed growth, distorted or discolored foliage and a bitter taste, rendering infected plants unmarketable.
Nearly a decade ago, in stepped Michigan State University associate professor and vegetable entomologist Zsofia Szendrei to address disease response. Szendrei’s research, teaching and outreach center around the ecology and management of arthropods that occur in vegetable production. One such arthropod, the aster leafhopper, carries the pathogen causing aster yellows.
Szendrei has employed a laboratory procedure using a molecular biology technology called polymerase chain reaction – which amplifies samples of genetic code, allowing researchers to analyze it more clearly. It tests leafhopper specimens to estimate the percentage of aster yellows infected insects in any given field. Funding for Szendrei’s research came from MSU Project GREEEN, MSU AgBioResearch, the Michigan Vegetable Council and the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD).
“The original protocols for aster yellows screening sometimes took days to get results. Growers can’t afford to spend that much time waiting to know if they need to spray, so we had to come up with a better solution for them,” Szendrei said.
Szendrei’s lab partnered with the Michigan Celery Promotion Cooperative, Michigan Carrot Committee, and MSU Extension to build a diagnostic network for the screening of aster leafhopper infestations. Growers, field managers, scouts, or MSU Extension specialists conduct periodic sweeps of vegetable crops around the state to collect leafhopper specimens that are then brought to the lab. In as little as 24 hours, Szendrei can send a group-text to the growers with the results.
“The growers have really embraced this program,” Szendrei said. “Having this technology at their service and being able to receive accurate data in real-time has made a big difference in their fields.”
Michigan’s carrot and celery growers are integral to the state’s agricultural economy, which prides itself on its variety of commodities as the second most agriculturally diverse state in the U.S. Michigan’s carrot growers produce approximately 150 million pounds of carrots, worth $15 million per year. The celery industry generates approximately $19 million annually from 110 million pounds grown. The state ranks fourth nationally for carrot production and second nationally for celery.
Deere & Company has released the names of eight companies chosen for its 2023 Startup Collaborator program. The Startup Collaborator was launched in 2019 and helps John Deere enhance precision technology in its agriculture and construction equipment.
“This year’s group shows the importance of connecting with the startup community across a broad range of applications and technologies,” said Julian Sanchez, director of emerging technology at John Deere. These connections help John Deere better understand opportunities to advance precision technology in agriculture and construction.”
The eight companies participating in the 2023 Startup Collaborator include:
Albedo, a startup company developing low-flying satellites that will collect visible and thermal imagery at ultra-high resolution.
ANELLO Photonics, a company that is disrupting the navigation industry with their Silicon Photonics Optical Gyroscope, a low-noise and low-drift optical gyroscope smart sensor for autonomous applications.
GrAI Matter Labs is in the business of Life-Ready AI – artificial intelligence that feels alive, delivering brain-inspired chips that behave like humans do and makes devices assisting humans act, and react, in real time.
Impossible Sensing, an aerospace company developing and applying space technology to the agriculture industry to help the world become carbon neutral.
IntelliCulture, a company providing farm equipment management software that helps drive sustainable farming practices through actionable insights, efficiency improvements and risk mitigation.
Precision AI, a startup that’s creating the world’s first artificial intelligence-powered agricultural drones for plant-level herbicide applications at broad-acre scale.
RodRadar, a company transforming excavation. Its Live Dig Radar™ technology provides real-time, on-site, automatic alerts to prevent damage to underground utility infrastructure during excavation.
Vega is the window that certifies agribusiness sustainability to the world. Supporting sustainable production, Vega impacts the entire agri-food chain through traceability, risk analysis and monitoring of Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices.
“The Startup Collaborator is an exciting way for big ideas to grow into something larger,” said Michele Kaiser, business development manager for the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group. “As John Deere continues searching for new and interesting ideas, we can add value to our customers – even if we’re not sure exactly how that might look. We are trying to help farmers solve big challenges in efficient ways. To do this, we need access to a lot of great ideas, so it’s exciting to welcome these companies into the 2023 Startup Collaborator cohort and to see what we can learn from each other by working together.”
The Startup Collaborator, now in its fifth year and includes notable alumni such as Bear Flag Robotics, and Hello Tractor. In 2021, Bear Flag Robotics was acquired by John Deere to support the company’s autonomous tractor solutions. In 2022, John Deere also invested in Hello Tractor, a company that connects tractor owners with smallholder farmers through a farm-equipment sharing app.###
Deere & Company (www.JohnDeere.com) is a global leader in the delivery of agricultural, turf, construction, and forestry equipment. We help our customers push the boundaries of what’s possible in ways that are more productive and sustainable to help life leap forward. Our technology-enabled products including John Deere Autonomous 8R Tractor, See & Spray™, and E-Power Backhoe are just some of the ways we help meet the world’s increasing need for food, shelter, and infrastructure. Deere & Company also provides financial services through John Deere Financial.
