Ag News for America
Jarred Karnei, John Deere product marketing manager, AG CONNECT ’13
Attendees got to see lots of products and solutions on display from John Deere at Ag Connect 2013 in Kansas City.
Jarred Karnei, John Deere product marketing manager tells Brownfield Ag News, talked about John Deere’s FarmSight™, explaining that, “We see ourselves as a solutions provider. We don’t just want be able to provide a product to the customer. We want to be able to provide a total solution to the customer.”
Technology is changing the way farmers farm. New smartphone and tablet applications give farmers a bird’s eye view of their operation.
As these new technologies come on-line farmers have more opportunities to be more efficient. Daryl Star with Lafayette, Ind. based Advanced Ag Solutions says that technology could be as simple as changing fungicide applications to a different day, with a slightly different rate than what was originally anticipated or it could even mean turning irrigation systems on and off when needed or even making seeding and nitrogen rate changes on the fly. Ultimately, though, he says it is about dynamically responding to the farmer’s environment.
Star’s company has just released their Optimizer 2.0 app. Star tells Brownfield their app provides farmers with information that is related to their management practices.
Star says technologies can benefit any size farmer. “For example,” he says. “Our target is anyone that grows corn in the lower 48 states.”
He notes it could be a farmer that has a small piece of ground that is just trying to manage it well or it could be the farmer with tens of thousands of acres that he is trying to keep track of all the farms. Star adds, “there is something for everyone.”
Iowa Senator Charles Grassley has accused the White House and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) of catering to the lobbyists of the now-bankrupt wireless company LightSquared and of stonewalling his investigation into the case.
In a recent speech on the Senate floor, Grassley noted that LightSquared hired dozens of lobbyists, including a former governor and nine former members of Congress, to push for approval of its planned high-speed wireless network. But Grassley says while those lobbyists provided entry into the FCC and the White House, they couldn’t change the fact that LightSquared’s network couldn’t co-exist with GPS.
The FCC granted LightSquared a conditional waiver last year to develop the network, but later pulled the waiver and blocked the network after tests showed it would interfere with GPS devices. Many agricultural groups opposed the LightSquared plan, fearing it would interfere with farming GPS devices.
Grassley says he still wants to know why the FCC granted LightSquared the conditional waiver in the first place.
“It seems strange that a project that was so obviously flawed was allowed to go so far, but LightSquared had help,” Grassley said, pointing to the influential lobbyists.
The FCC has denied giving LightSquared any special treatment.
LightSquared has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.
LightSquared is the company that wanted to build a high-speed wireless broadband network across the U.S. But the plan met with stiff opposition from agriculture and other industries over concerns that the service would interfere with GPS systems.
The bankruptcy filing was not a big surprise. Bondholders had given LightSquared a Monday deadline to come to an agreement about restructuring the company’s debt.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has decided to block the planned development of a nationwide wireless network by communications company LightSquared over concerns that it cannot be fixed to coexist with global positioning systems (GPS).
The FCC move is subject to public comment and agency commissioners could overturn the decision. But observers say that, given the line-up of federal agencies expressing concern over the land-based tower network, chances aren’t good for LightSquared.
In a statement, LightSquared expressed disappointment with the decision which it contends is based on “a severely flawed testing process that relied on obsolete and niche devices.”
The company goes on to state it is committed to finding a resolution with the federal government and the GPS industry and fully expects to build its 14 billion dollar network.
Among those applauding the decision is the American Soybean Association (ASA). ASA president Steve Wellman says it’s a great relief for farmers across the country who use GPS technology to produce more food with fewer inputs.
At the same time, Wellman says LightSquared’s efforts do underscore the pressing need for better broadband service, especially in rural America.
A key federal committee charged with testing the LightSquared network has determined there would be significant interference with GPS from the mobile broadband carrier.
The National Space-based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Executive Committee—which is made up of nine federal agencies—unanimously agreed that none of LightSquared’s proposals to combat GPS interference would work.
However, LightSquared is claiming that those tests were rigged to fail.
The company argues that the devices from GPS manufacturers that were used in the testing were “cherry picked” in secret and that independent authorities were not allowed to partake or oversee the test or test results.
LightSquared says the test was rigged by the manufacturers of GPS receivers and government end users to produce “bogus results.” It says the tests focused on obsolete technology that is only used in “niche market devices”—receivers least able to withstand potential interference from wireless networks.
According to a story on the web site redorbit.com, LightSquared is calling for further testing from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA). If it doesn’t succeed in those efforts, the article says, the project appears to be doomed.
The use of GPS has really revolutionized farming. It has greatly increased efficiency and productivity.
That’s why many farmers are watching very closely the ongoing skirmish between GPS manufacturers and users and the wireless broadband company LightSquared.
Tom Oswald of Cleghorn, Iowa is one of them.
The battle between GPS manufacturers and users, and wireless broadband company LightSquared, continues.
In the meantime, Cleghorn, Iowa farmer Tom Oswald is doing what he can to inform his fellow farmers about the implications of LightSquared’s plan and the impact it could have on auto-guidance and precision farming.
Oswald, who is a director at large and treasurer of the Iowa Soybean Association, discussed those concerns in an interview with Brownfield’s Ken Anderson.
A U.S. government test shows the proposed LightSquared wireless service caused interference to 75 percent of GPS receivers.
That’s according to a Farm Equipment magazine report.
The government test involved GPS used for automobiles and boats. The results of the test will be presented to government officials at a meeting in Washington this Wednesday.
A government test on high-precision receivers, including those used in farm equipment and scientific instruments, will take place next year.
Lightsquared has proposed offering high-speed mobile Internet service to as many as 260 million people using 40-thousand base stations. The service would operate on airwaves formerly reserved mainly for satellites, and near those used by GPS devices.
Makers of GPS devices say the service will disrupt navigation, including agricultural uses. U.S. regulators are withholding approval of LightSquared’s plan as they check on claims of interference.
Meanwhile, LightSquared CEO Sanjiv Ahuja wants to know how the media got a hold of that government report before its official release. Bloomberg broke the story Friday and Ahuja wants a formal investigation. Ahuja contends the report is flawed in that the testing assumed LightSquared would operate the network at 32-times more power than it actually will.
Last Thursday LightSquared released what it called “it’s most concrete claims so far that its LTE network will not interfere with GPS services across the U.S.” The company says the extensive tests on devices from three GPS vendors indicated the company was “well on its way to demonstrating that GPS interference concerns have been resolved.”
Adding to the situation—hedge-fund manager Philip Falcone is facing investigation by the Securities and Exchange Commission and the U.S. Attorney’s office for possible preferential treatment given some investors. Falcone’s Harbinger Capital Partners has invested billions in LightSquared.
Brownfield’s Bob Meyer contributed to this story.
Precision ag technology is being used by more and more farmers for increased yields and overall better operations. Ag Leader Technology Marketing Communications Specialist Katie Monroe tells Brownfield that precision ag is their only focus. She says their new Versa display puts all precision controls in one small, efficient package.
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