Ag Leader Technology Blog

Across the nation this year, many areas were challenged with “off” weather. From the drought in Texas, to the record rainfall in the northeast, and wind through the corn belt, yield maps across the country likely have a different look than they have in previous years.
It is years like this that a new feature in [...]

It’s that time of year again when we start to discuss the new features coming out with the next release of SMS software from Ag Leader.  We have been working all summer on updates to SMS and SMS Mobile to add new tools and improve existing functions to maximize your time.  We hope you’ll take [...]

In a past blog post, I recalled a story from my years working at a co-op where I was given directions to a field based on a tree and explained the importance of satellite imagery in SMS.  In version 11.0 of SMS, we have expanded on that even more and now have the capability to display [...]

Regular readers of this blog may have picked up that some of the authors are farmers themselves. Most of us work our normal hours here, and then take to the fields on the weekend or evenings to take care of the crops. Some are directly involved with their own operation, and some help their family farm in the busy season. So we often know the ups and downs of the lifestyle that our readers make a living from. We are also subject to those production issues that make a person sigh in frustration when something goes wrong. I had one such event this year on our farm.

Prescriptions are synonymous with treating a problem differently than the rest of the group, be this in the medical field or the farm field. When a drug company conducts trials to treat illnesses, they always have a control group to monitor the effects of those that received the treatment, as well as those that didn’t [...]

In recent years, many growers have started utilizing their precision ag displays to log hybrids in the field.  Quite often, these displays are controlling clutches to prevent overlaps, changing population on the go and even monitoring seed tubes and population. (How far we have come since those little, dim blinking lights.)
So what benefits do you [...]

Last week, we introduced our “Value of Data” series where we will discuss topics to show how data has the potential to help you increase yields and profit on your operation. One such topic is your nitrogen use efficiency. Does your car or truck have an electronic miles per gallon readout?  Have you ever compared that [...]

Over the last several years, we have heard more and more about the environmental impacts in the Gulf of Mexico with regard to the Hypoxia zone where the Mississippi enters the Gulf of Mexico.  While the size and impact of this zone changes from year to year, the region has had a difficult time dealing [...]

I have a new recommendation that you won’t find at any university.
If you are a regular follower of some of the blog postings over the last few months, you know that I have provided some tips to make the soil sampling process go smoothly, as well as tips to collect the “best” soil test for [...]

If your farm is like ours, we have a regular cycle of soil sampling our fields to keep tabs on the soil fertility we are dealing with.  Whether you are grid sampling or zone sampling, it is a good management practice to take regular samples to ensure fields don’t become deficient in essential nutrients and [...]

A widely debated topic in the precision agriculture industry is its role in how to help you manage your farmland.  When it comes to soil sampling, I am not advocating any particular practice, or method, as your local area may have a method that works better as compared to other methods, but I will advocate [...]

Have you ever gotten directions from someone who referenced land marks rather than distance and directions?  In my earlier years I had a summer job at our local coop tendering some late spring spraying.  I thought I knew the area fairly well, so I didn’t hesitate.  One day as I approached the field the radio [...]

When we were developing SMS Mobile several years ago, we had three main goals in mind.
Ÿ         Make it useful.

Ÿ         Make it easy.
Ÿ         Make it take a few strokes off my golf game.
Well, two of the three goals were implemented more during the development stages than the later, but since the product has been released, we [...]

How many of you keep track of rain or other weather events on a calendar throughout the growing season? That information (when recorded) is very valuable and easy to reference.  However, what about two years ago? Can you find the information for that season to help remember if it was wet, dry or average?  Some [...]

Yeah, I know it’s a dirty trick.  While I try not to watch much TV, I have seen some shows that just before they have the big reveal they go to commercial.  I realized when writing this that I am now a contributing member to this added drama.
As I mentioned yesterday, we have some big [...]

Just like you look at maps and reports to see what your fields are telling you and later make a prescription recipe that will improve your profitability, we collect all of the feature requests and other items you have asked for and we implement them into newer versions of SMS Software.
In SMS Advanced Version 10.0, [...]