Does New Technology Fit Your Farm?
Evaluating new technology for the farm is not one-size-fits-all. What works successfully on one operation may have a lower-than-expected return on investment (ROI) on another. However, best practices can help you determine when to try out an innovative product or practice on your farm and how to evaluate its impact. Consider these three tips: 1. Know your agtech temperament. Be aware of your level of risk tolerance and how that compares with the upside potential of the new technology. Be honest about your ability to implement it. Do you have the time and patience to adopt the skills and [...]
Finding Ways to Connect With Technology
Farmers rely on new ag technologies to provide efficiencies and advantages needed to grow crops profitably. Agtech companies rely on farmers for input and testing to ensure those innovations meet their on-farm needs and expectations. That synergy is the idea behind an exciting Illinois Soybean Association (ISA) project for 2021. AgTechConnect connects farmers interested in new technologies with agtech companies seeking on-farm testing partners. This program brings Illinois soybean farmers a tremendous opportunity to be among the first to try the latest agricultural innovations—an opportunity increasingly embraced by many farmers across the state. Technology testing has put ISA board [...]
Protein, Oil and Amino Acids: Where Illinois Soybeans Ranked in 2017
By traditional protein and oil quality measures, the 2017 Illinois soybean crop performed well compared to the national average. Protein was slightly lower. Oil was slightly higher. And by a relatively new measure—the composite feed value based on seven essential amino acids critical to livestock customers—the 2017 Illinois crop also performed well compared with the national average. Bottom line: In addition to being the leading soybean state in the U.S. in terms of total production (611.9 million bushels) and average yield (58 bushels/acre), Illinois soybean farmers can be proud of producing soybeans with high end-user value based on important [...]
and then