Corn
Thumb-sized plastic beans, packed with a world of sensor circuitry, may soon be ready to monitor grain bins and storage facilities. Toss in a magic BeanIoT pod to check grain vitals. One bean to mind them all.
Timothy Gertson kicks up dirt off Texas’ Gulf Coast, southwest of Houston in Wharton County. He’s a young 31, but Gertson is an old-school farmer with no time for ideology and no wish to curb his options. Field decisions across his 2,000 acres at G5 Farms are dictated by dollars, and in 2016, he’s found a profit window in organic corn.
Hell or high water, producers are often forced to chase markets. However, solid data stacked over multiple years shows the peaks and troughs of a consistent crop rotation system.
Sunlight into energy means fuel for plant growth – the crucial role of phosphorous in crop fields. Cell elongation and division may be the proper scientific description, but a simplified explanation is a better fit: Phosphorus cranks up plant horsepower.
Timing and location are crucial when applying phosphorus to crops. Depending on soil type and condition, application should parallel plant needs to utilize space and tools available.
Good data is the cornerstone of zone management. Management zones must be identified and not created, advised presenter Isaac Ferrie at the 2015 Farm Journal Corn College in Heyworth, Ill.
Peter Blezard believes the most significant technological leap in agriculture for 100 years is waiting on the cusp of farmland -- nitrogen fixation. If he’s correct, agriculture may have an opportunity to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use by 50% in all major global food crops within a decade.
Switching part of your acres to no-till is as simple as just parking the tillage tractor, right? Maybe not. Here are a few considerations before trying no-till for the first time.
When farmland draws a premium, you’d expect the soil to be in good shape, right? More landowners are considering fertility clauses in their farm leases to ensure tenants don’t suck the soil dry.
Just days on the job, a Biden-Administration is giving a glimpse into the new administration’s priorities. How could a focus on climate and COVID recovery impact farmers and ranchers? We explore on U.S. Farm Report.