The 2012 Precision Ag Conference will be held in Sioux Falls March 27 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel, Exhibit Center. The program includes sessions for precision ag users of all levels, says Kurt Reitsma, SDSU Extension precision ag specialist.

Among the sessions:

Precision Ag Conference March 27 in Sioux Falls

Achieving high yields in South Dakota
Variable rate seeding
Risk management in volatile markets
Slingshot – what it is and what it does
WiFi connection of vehicles, hardware and software
JD Link
Integrating soils data and drainage design
Trends in emerging precision ag technology
Profit potential of technology
Planter and Seeding control
Practical uses of satellite imagery
Improving knowledge with R7 placement
Conducting on farm research
Doubling corn yields
Identifying knowledge gaps

Keynote speakers include Tom Doerge, Corporate Life Scientist and Agronomist with John Deere & Co.; Barry Anderson, Agronomy Research Manager with Pioneer Hi-Bred International; and Don Roose, the Founder and President of US Commodities, West Des Moines, Iowa.

Other speakers include Brian Hefty, Hefty Seed Company; Dough Prairie, Raven Industries, John Illich, Agri Imagis Technologies, Missy Olsem, Winfield Technology, Eric Tufton, John Deere; Dustin Bartling, Trimble; Larry Osborne, Pioneer; Paul Fuller, Westside Implement; and Dan Humburg, Chris Hay and David Clay, all of SDSU.

Tom Doerge is a Corporate Life Scientist and Agronomist with John Deere & Co., Moline, Ill. Doerge is currently the Corporate Agronomist for John Deere and has world-wide responsibility for identifying agronomic trends that could affect the equipment solutions growers will demand. Previously, Doerge worked in the seed industry as an Agronomy Research Scientist with Pioneer Hi-Bred in Johnston, Iowa, and before that as a Soils Specialist with Arizona Cooperative Extension. He has worked extensively with SDSU's Gregg Carlson, Bob Berg and Dave Clay on a variety of Precision Farming topics.

Barry Anderson is currently serving as the Agronomy Research Manager for Pioneer's Northern Business for Pioneer Hi-Bred International's Unit based in Mankato, Minn. His focus is on generating agronomic information that has high value for growers by maximizing the benefits of new traits, technologies through best management practices and strengthening communication to the grower. Anderson has also worked extensively leveraging precision farming tools and information management technologies to improve crop management and increase the value of Pioneer products. He has also worked with SDSU's Gregg Carlson on variable rate seeding projects.

Don Roose is the Founder and President of US Commodities, West Des Moines, Iowa . U.S. Commodities is a full service grain and livestock marketing and management firm founded by Roose in 1986. Prior to founding U.S. Commodities, Roose was a grain analyst for Merrill Lynch and Clayton Brokerage Services. He is a nationally recognized commodity analyst performing seminars for both national and international commodity groups. Roose serves on the board at many farm and commodity groups, and is a regular analyst for national groups such as the Chicago Mercantile Exchange Group (CME). His market comments are frequently quoted and can be heard and read through many major media publications, such as Investor's Business Daily and The Wall Street Journal.

For More Information Contact Kurt Reitsma, SDSU Extension at (605) 782-3290 or [email protected].

Source: SDSU Extension