Remote control of seed
The convenience of wireless is now available on Lundell Plastics’ FreeFlo Telescoping Tubes. The FreeFlo wireless remote lets growers quickly and efficiently distribute seed from container to container with minimal spill. The remote snaps into place on the FreeFlo Telescoping tube handle, which gives growers fingertip control of the seed. Or the remote may be detached from the handle, and the auger or conveyor may be controlled remotely. The wireless remote is waterproof and designed to handle all types of weather.

Price: $199. Contact Lundell Plastics at 877/367-7659, visit http://www.lundellplastics.com.

New fungicide
Evito fungicide is now approved for use on corn and soybeans. The Arysta LifeScience product is considered the next-generation, low-use strobilurin fungicide. Because Evito features an increased potency, less active ingredient is used. Another feature of the fungicide is a technology that allows the product to begin protecting the plant within 15 min. after treatment. Arysta also states that Evito allows increased carbon assimilation, nitrogen fixation and water utilization — actions that help increase yield potential and keep the plant healthy.

For more information, visit http://www.arystalifescience.com.

Online financial video
Farmers who want a refresher course in finances can go to a Web site that presents a wide array of free videos on the topic. The Web site, created by the University of Minnesota’s Center for Farm Financial Management, is called Interpreting Financial Statements and Measures (IFSaM). Each educational session provides benchmarks based on actual farms that producers can use to evaluate their own financial position and performance. Visit http://ifsam.cffm.umn.edu.

Weather text
Growers can sign up for free local weather updates from The Weather Channel that are sent daily by text to a cell phone. The weather updates include a forecast, soil moisture levels, and wind speed. The sign-up for the texting is on the Farmers’ Forecast, an online site designed for farmers by The Weather Channel in partnership with Monsanto. Visit www.weather.com/farming.

Rating rhizobia survival
Improved survivability of rhizobia and other components used to treat soybean seed is the focus of the new Vault HP product from Becker Underwood and the company’s new component viability rating system.

The multicomponent growth-enhancing system shows up to a 100% increase in rhizobia survivability in lab tests, according to Becker Underwood. As a result, Vault HP receives an on-seed survival rating of 60 days or more for rhizobia and at least 240 days of viability for the growth enhancer and biofungicide portions of the system, the company says. Because the U.S. does not have a minimum standard for live rhizobia on seed, Becker Underwood uses the standards from Canada, which require a minimum of 100,000 live rhizobia per soybean seed.

Becker Underwood has developed its own rating system for comparing multicomponent seed treatment technologies. Its new Component Viability Rating (CVR) system will help retailers and soybean farmers compare the differences between biological seed treatments. “Using our CVR system, Becker Underwood intends to clearly state the days-on-seed survival for each individual element of our multicomponent inoculants products,” reports Charlie Hale, Becker Underwood marketing lead.

For more information, visit http://www.becker underwood.com.