Ag tech newsletter summer 2014

Precision Ag U P DAT E Summer 2014

HOW VARIABLE RATE IRRIGATION WORKS: . Pivot and pump must be VRI ready. This can be section (span) control or full control down to each nozzle.

. Field Data is gathered and VRI maps created for water application control

. Pivot is loaded with VRI map and the water application is controlled through the VRI system

UPCOMING EVENTS July 24 -26 Southern Peanut Growers Conference Panama City Beach, FL August 13-14 Citrus Expo 2014 North Fort Myers, FL October 14-16 Sunbelt Ag Expo Moultrie, GA.

VARIABLE RATE IRRIGATION

Water - When And Where You Need It The advent of center pivot irrigation systems in the 1970s allowed famers to tap into vast groundwater supplies for the first time, rather than relying on rainfall as their primary water source.

The number of center pivots in Georgia alone soared from 87 in 1970 to more than 11,000 today.

Groundwater withdrawals continued to grow until a severe drought hit southwest Georgia in 1998, lasting until 2003. Suddenly water tables fell and pumping costs rose as farmers were faced with water scarcity for the first time in more than 20 years. In 2001, the Georgia General Assembly passed the Flint River Drought Protection act, a legislative attempt to maintain a minimum flow in a river by paying farmers to reduce pumping during extreme drought.

This need for more efficient irrigation practices was a driving force behind the development of variable rate irrigation (VRI), employing soil moisture monitors and wireless technology to collect real-time information on thousands of irrigated acres. Using this information, farmers today can make adjustments to their irrigation schedules and apply water, along with the necessary nutrients, only where and when it is needed.

In addition to the water savings, VRI offers significant time savings. Farmers can gather more information very quickly using the remote soil moisture monitors and wireless network—especially compared to driving from field to field for firsthand evaluations.

With the emergence of VRI and other precision agriculture products and practices, many farmers are seeing an increasing need for a technology consultant who understands all aspects of precision ag.

“Each farmer, each field, has unique needs and variables,” says Robbie Tabb, Ag Technologies Regional Sales Representative for Southwest Georgia/Southeast Alabama. “Our team at Ag Technologies can come in and evaluate each situation to help the farmer determine what level of VRI he needs for each field in order to collect the data required to make sound decisions for the future.”

As farming becomes more and more technology driven with more options available every day, it is increasingly important for growers to determine the best bang for their bucks with their precision ag purchases.

“Our role,” says Tabb, “is to assist farmers in getting the information they need from each field and aid them in making the right purchases to get the best return on investment for the dollars they spend on technology.”

The Southeast’s Leading Precision Ag Company

VARIABLE RATE IRRIGATION Q&A

Travis Kelley, Ag Tech’s Executive Vice President of Technology, answers your questions about variable rate irrigation.

What is variable rate irrigation?

Variable rate irrigation is the complete solution that allows you to vary your water application in certain areas of your field.

How is variable rate irrigation implemented?

There are a few different ways to vary your water across the field. One of the most common ways to vary your water application is through speed control. This is normally a manually entered setting that the user changes because of his knowledge of the field and/or crop. Other versions of variable rate can control down to the span or nozzle like Trimble's Irrigate IQ. This is most effective when you have VRI maps for that particular field.

What is the benefit?

Varying your water application can produce higher yields, reduce watering costs, and preserve water resources in your area.

How do I get started?

The best way to get started would be to identify what fields you have that would benefit most from VRI. This could be fields that hold more water, have largely varying soil types, etc. Then see which option might fit your site best with the equipment you have and/or plan to invest in.

REGIONAL SALES REPRESENTATIVES Central Georgia 855. 601.4477 | Ernest Cook Southwest GA / Southeast AL 855.602.4477 | Robbie Tabb | D. J. White South GA / North FL 855.603.4477 | Adam Anderson East GA 855.604.4477 | Elliott Marsh | Jesse Neidlinger Central / South FL 855.605.4477 | Andrew Bryan | Ken Lodge South Carolina 912.682.9712 | Elliott Marsh

Authorized Ag Dealer

TEAM MEMBER SPOTLIGHT Travis Kelley

CORDELE, GEORGIA Executive Vice President of Technology EXPERIENCE This fall I will celebrate my 10th year with Ag Tech. Prior to Ag Technologies, I worked in Andersonville doing Systems Support. I graduated from Georgia Southwestern with a BS in Computer Information Systems.

PRODUCT SPOTLIGHT Irrigate IQ Because every drop matters, every decision you make about irrigation is critical. With the Irrigate-IQ™ precision irrigation solution, you can precisely apply the right amount of water, fertigation, chemigation, or effluent in the right place—while minimizing nutrient and chemical runoff. Use the Irrigate-IQ solution to control pivot irrigators, plan irrigation plans, perform variable rate irrigation, and receive reports.

Benefits: • Improve crop quality and yield • Optimize water resources • Increase water use efficiency • Minimize input costs of water, fertigation, chemigation or effluent • Reduce energy costs for fuel and electricity • Reduce trips to the field • Ensure even application to reduce run-off and leaching • Safely dispose of effluent while nurturing your field • Choose to apply water only to the best producing areas within a field

RainWave As part of the Connected Farm solution, RainWave simplifies and integrates operations management by providing information exchange across the entire farm. This RainWave service can provide you with vital rainfall data you can use to better manage your crop production.

Using RainWave, you can set up a virtual rain gauge by entering GPS coordinates for identified locations to receive a rainfall report for those locations. Since on-site rain gauges are not needed, you no longer need to monitor dispersed gauges or manually track precipitation. You will now be able to obtain this rainfall information through your Connected Farm dashboard.

RainWave's convenient, accurate rainfall information allows you to make better management decisions by optimizing irrigation plans and application timing, and comparing yield against rainfall to plan for next season's crop. This results in savings of time and water usage.

BECASE TRIMBLE KNOWS EVERY DOLLAR - AND EVERY DROP - COUNTS!

BEST THING ABOUT THE JOB I get a lot of satisfaction from working with a team that enjoys what they do, and providing solutions for customers' operations to help them reach their goals.

SPARE TIME I enjoy playing with my boys. I like to run and enjoy competing in triathlons and marathons.

FAMILY I have been married to my wife, Victoria, for 7 years this August. We have 2 boys, Max (4) and Samuel (2). We are also expecting twin boys this fall.

SUMMER PLANS Just working with our new Irrigation Products during the day and getting ready for new babies at night. Hope to get one trip in, but we probably won't venture too far from our doctor!

185 Fish Hatchery Road Cordele, GA 31015

It is our mission at Ag Technologies to provide progressive-minded customers a complete solution of precision agriculture with superior products and a professional staff to help inspire, educate and provide first class service and support.

877.585.4GPS

SoutheastPrecisionAg.com

CUSTOMER SPOTLIGHT CASEY COX, CAMILLA, GEORGIA

The Cox family of Camilla, Georgia, has been farming the same land for 200 years. Generations of sons have carried on the family business, but things are changing. Glenn Cox of Longleaf Ridge Farm is planning to turn over the tractor to daughter Casey Cox when the time is right. For now, Glenn is the principal operator of the farm while Casey manages the forestry practices and provides additional support to the farm operation while working in another capacity for a local soil and water conservation district.

While Casey has not officially taken the role of farmer yet, she says that she has been encouraged by the local agricultural community to be involved and engaged.

“Everyone I interact with has been eager to embrace young people returning to the farm, regardless of gender,” she says.

Longleaf Ridge grows sweet corn, field corn, and peanuts, employing precision ag products like Trimble’s auto-steer system, which the Coxes credit with contributing significantly to their efficiency and maximizing their yield capacity.

“Especially with peanuts, this system has saved us a tremendous amount of time and money,” says Casey.

They are also working with Ag Technologies to evaluate Trimble's new irrigation component to assess the beneficial impacts of precision irrigation.

Casey counts consumer detachment as one the greatest challenges farmers face today.

“I am very lucky to be one of the few people in the country with a direct connection to my food source, but because agriculture is such a small sector of American society, only 2%, it is exceedingly difficult for the vast majority of people to understand all of the time, effort, and costs that go into producing the world's safest and most abundant food supply. It is a challenge to educate the 98% of people who work in other capacities so that they know the issues we face in agriculture to preserve our livelihood.”

Even so, Casey is thankful to be able to return to the family farm she loves.

“I am the sixth generation of my family to come back to the farm.

I am so grateful for the opportunity to be the next generation of my family to provide food for a growing population and manage our land with the core value of stewardship.”