Mid-County Messenger Page 3
www.midcountycoop.com
Fall 2008
Mid-County Agronomy
Technology on the farm
Dave Eckhoff
Agronomy Manager
(952) 466-3730
[email protected]
Perhaps the cell phone is the one common piece of
technology on every farm. This simple device can keep
you connected to family, employees, and keep you on
top of communicating the needs of your operation. For
some GPS is the runner up. This diverse tool can be
utilized in everything from variable rate seeding to run-
ning a yield monitor.
The list of technology products is growing at an
ever-increasing pace. From row sensors on combines
giving you the ability to stay on the row as you fill
a grain cart to data management software helping
you keep your farm running smoothly. The biggest
challenge is to find the technologies that fit into your
operation, are cost effective, and increase the efficiency
of the farm.
Another option for some is to outsource their
technology needs to a supplier they deal with. At Mid-
County we have the capabilities to geo-reference field
boundaries, tile lines and county soil survey maps. The
next step may be to soil sample with 2.5-acre grids or break the field into quadrants to combine the soil sur-
vey with a fertility map. An additional layer may be
to include a yield map to make the best decisions for
each zone in the field. Mid-County also offers preci-
sion scouting that can be used to specifically pinpoint
weeds, pests, and diseases found. Scouting can be cus-
tom tailored to your needs to include population maps,
specific variety placement, and yield estimations.
Also offered are a variety of precision custom
applications for lime, dry fertilizers, chemicals, and
anhydrous ammonia. We have installed GPS Auto
Guidance in our application machines and tractors to
increase efficiency and accuracy. Part of the technol-
ogy package on your farm can also include full farm
plans and nutrient management planning. Finding out
what technologies will increase the efficiencies of your
operation that can lead to increased farm revenue, time,
and stewardship to the land.
Please contact Joe, Doug, or Dave to see if Mid-
County can help solve some of your technology needs.
Making nitrogen recommendations is a lot like try-
ing to guess how many times you are going to have to
plow your driveway this winter. IT DEPENDS!
It depends on a lot of variables including but not
limited to soil type, tillage, crop history, manure his-
tory, hybrid, precipitation amount and timing, and tem-
perature amount and timing. With all of these variables
working it is a little difficult to determine before plant-
ing how much nitrogen is going to be economically
optimum for the coming growing season.
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA)
along with the NRCS has been sponsoring an On-Farm
Nutrient Management Evaluation Program. I’ve done
two of these sites over the last three years for nitrogen
and one for phosphorous. They have given me a little
more insight into how much nitrogen and phosphorous
we need to grow crops in Carver and the surrounding
counties.
As more plots are put in and years of data are col-
lected, it should give us a better idea when and where
to apply fertilizer. Check the website for more informa-
tion: http://www.mda.state.mn.us/protecting/soilprotec-
tion/nmi.htm.
The Nutrient Management Initiative (NMI) program
is available to farmers in southern Minnesota. The
NMI program provides a framework for farmers to
evaluate their own nutrient management practices
compared with nutrient rate guidance promoted by the USDA-NRCS. Results will assist the USDA-NRCS
in assessing their nutrient management guidance on a
regional scale.
Farmers receive $1200 for providing data and com-
pleting the program requirements. Participants are
required to work with a certified crop adviser. The
certified crop adviser assists with site design, and
validates cropping information, and yield results. The
farmer’s normal application rate and a rate promoted
by the USDA-NRCS are each replicated three times
allowing for comparisons of crop yield and economic
outcomes. Nitrogen rates must maintain at least a 30
pound rate difference between comparisons. Results
from the program are presented to the farmer in an
economic analysis report based on their actual nutrient
costs and crop yields.
Funding for the program is through the Environmen-
tal Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and administered
by the Minnesota USDA-Natural Resources Conserva-
tion Service (NRCS). The Minnesota Department of
Agriculture assists through promotion, data collection,
and compilation of data for the program.
With our current Variable Rate Technology it is
fairly simple for us to custom apply these NMI plots.
If you are interested in doing this for next season please
contact me and we can discuss some more of the details
about setting up the plot.
Nitrogen recommendations
Joe Forner
Agronomist
(952) 466-3730
[email protected]