The first InfoAg conference was held in 1995. In 2001, I attended my first conference as a fresh hire at Crop Quest. It seems like a long time ago, but I can still remember the excitement that came with it. Precision Ag was in its infancy and there was always something new to discover. But then again, I suppose that's the nature of being on the cutting edge. There [...]
Did you realize that agriculture is the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow? That question may have you shaking your head in complete disbelief. However, there are people and companies out there that think just that. Ever since Monsanto bought Climate Corp. for nearly ONE BILLION DOLLARS, every venture capitalist investment firm [...]
To answer that question, you must look at what impacts profit. Profit = Income – Expense The equation is simple at first glance. Dig a little deeper though and growers discover ways to improve a farm’s bottom line. For example, yield influences both the income and expense side of the profit equation. That makes understanding [...]
Wheat harvest will wrap up shortly across the High Plains. It was an interesting year. A dry fall and winter was followed by an unusually wet spring. Late freeze and snow events added to the roller coaster that is growing wheat! As you prepare for sowing wheat again this fall, it is time to look [...]
Recently I was asked to contribute to an article Precision Ag Professional was putting together. The point of view from the corn belt on split applications was interesting. I was a little surprised at the implied low number of split applications being made in the corn belt since this is a well-established practice under a [...]
In addition to traditional crop input decisions, Crop Quest customers utilize their consultant to help make extensive crop planning decisions centered around technology and biotechnology tools. The growth in the collection and use of data is changing the way decisions are made on the farm. With all these advancements, Crop Quest is growing right along [...]
The current commodity prices have growers everywhere going through their crop budgets with a fine-toothed comb. Finding a trusted advisor to make sure expenses are managed properly is important in this environment. With slim margins, average isn't going to cut it in 2017. It's going to take exceptional management during these difficult times to sustain [...]
Crop Quest Celebrates 25 Years of Service to Production Agriculture 2017 brings a milestone to Crop Quest. In February, Crop Quest will celebrate 25 years in business. We have served farmer/producers across the center of this great country for a quarter century now. In that time, we have all witnessed huge changes in production agriculture. [...]
I have often been asked over the years, “So what do you guys do in your slow time during the winter months?” I have to admit, the pace of the winter months isn’t nearly as hectic as the summer months when crops are growing, but this period is far from slow. With the constantly increasing [...]
When I started with Crop Quest in 2010, the term precision agriculture was only meant for the producers who were on the cutting edge of technology. In just this short amount of time the meaning of this term has changed tremendously. Now it encompasses a wide variety of tools, and is utilized by most agricultural [...]
Utilize common sense and new technology to your advantage. Tough economic times tends to tighten everyone's belt, and that is when farmers need to be aware of how they separate the necessary from the unnecessary. With so many products on the market today all claiming that your crop can’t do without them, it’s difficult to [...]
Being from Missouri, interning with Crop Quest in Southwest Kansas was a huge change and learning experience for me, as the agriculture industry is completely different here from what I am used to! There was one thing I was all too familiar with though; water management. During my time with the Precision Ag Team, I [...]
As we head toward the back end of the growing season, there are many clues we can look at to determine whether some of our management decisions this year paid off. Of course, Mother Nature has a way of laying best laid plans to the side, but we can still learn something from what we [...]
Risk management appears to top the list of reasons. Weather causes uncertainty, which leads to questions about nitrogen movement. Nitrogen (N) losses and nitrogen use vary with the weather. Many areas this spring were wetter than normal, so growers ask where did the nitrogen go? Do I have enough N remaining in that field to [...]
Communication is a valuable skill that Crop Quest cultivates in our employee-owners. As a group of consultants, we deal in information. Our services are built around knowledge and sharing that knowledge. So when a new tool for communicating like SST Sirrus is revealed, we do all we can to take advantage of it. When scouting, [...]
