Purdue News
Purdue News
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June 10, 2004 Purdue Top Farmer Crop Workshop fast-forwards to futureWEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Yield monitors make it possible for grain farmers to determine yields per acre while harvesting their crop. In the future, farmers also will be able to look inside the grain without leaving the combine. Grain quality sensing is the next leap forward in crop production technology, said Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer, a Purdue University agricultural economist and director of Purdue's Site-Specific Management Center. Midwest farmers who want to get an early peek at the technology can attend Purdue's Top Farmer Crop Workshop. The 37th annual event takes place July 18-21 in Stewart Center on Purdue's West Lafayette, Ind., campus. "Grain quality sensing is like yield monitors, which now sense only grain quantity – the amount of grain," Lowenberg-DeBoer said. "This new technology will sense protein levels, oil content and starch content, allowing producers to do a better job of managing and marketing quality grains. If they are producing, for example, high-oil corn, they'll know when the corn has an oil content sufficient to qualify for the premium price and when it should be marketed." Grain quality sensors are used in Australia. The technology will be introduced in major wheat-producing states this year, with systems designed for corn and soybean production available in a year or two. In addition to information on grain quality sensors, the Top Farmer Crop Workshop features about 55 sessions on farm topics ranging from cash rent arrangements to new products made from corn and soybeans to rootworm-resistant corn to soil fertility management strategies. Around 60 speakers are scheduled, including agriculture industry professionals, farmers and specialists from Purdue and other universities. Top Farmer attracts leading crop producers who use cutting-edge technology and production practices, said Lowenberg-DeBoer, workshop coordinator. Those attending the 2003 workshop farmed an average of 2,300 acres each. Three themes run through the 2004 workshop, Lowenberg-DeBoer said. "One of those is making better on-farm comparisons," he said. "Almost all farmers make some sort of on-farm comparisons of new technology or seed or something else, and many of them have yield monitors. This is where we'd like to help them make better use of that data in making those comparisons. "A second theme is nitrogen management. We have a couple of speakers talking about doing a better job of uniform rate nitrogen management across the boom or applicator. The third theme is global positioning system guidance that takes over steering of the equipment in the pass that helps avoid skip and overlap." Another emerging technology called GreenSeekerâ will be covered during a nitrogen management session. "GreenSeekerâ is a technology to manage nitrogen in sidedress applications," Lowenberg-DeBoer said. "It has a sensor that looks at the light reflected from the crop. If it's dark green, then the crop has enough nitrogen. If it is pale, it needs a little bit of extra nitrogen. Farmers receive software that helps them make those distinctions and control the nitrogen as they go through the field." Wheat growers in Oklahoma and Texas already use GreenSeekerâ . NTech Industries Inc., the company marketing the technology, is conducting field trials in the Midwest this year to develop a version for use by corn growers. Other Top Farmer sessions of note include strategic management for farm policy and marketing. As always, farmers attending the workshop can run a computerized machinery cost budget. This year the computer program also will include yield monitor data analysis. Registration for the Top Farmer Crop Workshop is $250 per person and $75 for each additional person from the same farm. Registration fees include two meals, coffee breaks, a workshop proceedings notebook and the use of Purdue computers for the cost analysis. Lodging and other meals are extra. Enrollment is limited and is recommended by July 1. To register, contact Tom Robertson of Purdue's Conference Division at (765) 494-7220, by fax at (765) 494-0567 or e-mail at tlrobertson@purdue.edu. Reservations for the Purdue Memorial Union Club Hotel should be made by July 3 in order to confirm accommodations. The hotel is adjacent to Stewart Center. The hotel's toll-free number is (800) 320-6291. Other lodging options are available by contacting the Lafayette-West Lafayette Convention and Visitors Bureau at (800) 872-6648. For more information about workshop sessions and speakers, contact Lowenberg-DeBoer at (765) 494-4230, lowenbej@purdue.edu. Additional details also are available on the event Web site. Writer: Steve Leer, (765) 494-8415, sleer@purdue.edu Source: Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer, (765) 494-4230, lowenbej@purdue.edu Related Web sites: Purdue University Department of Agricultural Economics: Ag Communications: (765) 494-2722; Beth Forbes, forbes@purdue.edu
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