Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 7662 / SEEDWORLD.COM FEBRUARY 2017 Exploring ideas and views on all aspects of the seed industry. ALLIANCE SHOWCASES TECHNOLOGY IN AGRICULTURE At the largest consumer electronics show in the world, the U.S. Farmers and Ranchers Alliance (USFRA) introduced a new commu- nications concept, called SMART Farm. The concept aims to bridge the gap between the acceptance of innovation that’s a part of con- sumers’ everyday lives with the science and technology happening on today’s farms and ranches. “Science and technology are embraced by consumers in all aspects of their lives,” says Brad Greenway, USFRA chairman and South Dakota farmer. “We want to demonstrate that farmers and ranchers are using similar technology to produce food in a way that is good for the soil, air, habitat and water on and around our farms and ranches — without compromise on cost, quality or taste.” While at the consumer electronics show, USFRA and its partners showcased a few examples of these innovations that, for example, result in better care for animals, fewer trips across the field and more precise application of water and crop inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides. In the coming year, the alliance will incorporate 360 videos, infographics, events and speaking opportunities and more, to demonstrate SMART Farming practices. CROP INSURANCE A PRIORITY IN NEW FARM BILL Iowa Republican Senator Chuck Grassley says his top farm bill priority in the 115th Congress is to preserve a vigorous crop insurance program, noting that there is no safety net more valuable to farmers and taxpayers. “It not only saves the taxpayers money, because obviously if we didn’t have crop insurance and you had disasters in agriculture, the taxpayers would be [responsible for] 100 percent of it,” notes Sen. Grassley, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. “In addition to saving the taxpayers money, we also are encouraging farmers to plan ahead and manage risk … 95 percent of farmers in Iowa do that.” This is not the first time that Sen. Grassley has taken to the airwaves to tout crop insurance’s importance. In September, he was outspoken in an Iowa Agribusiness Radio Network interview about the importance of crop insurance as eastern Iowa began rebuilding in the wake of severe flooding. And just two months later, he joined Committee Chairman Pat Roberts (R-Kan.) in an interview with KIOW News and, again, emphasized that the policy works well for both farmers and taxpayers. Grassley adds that farm bill discussions are set to begin soon with hearings in the Agriculture Committee. NEW TOOL AIMS TO IMPROVE SOIL HEALTH The Soil Health Institute (SHI) released the Soil Health Research Landscape tool, an online resource for agricultural and environmental scientists, industry leaders, agricultural producers, conservation policymakers, agricultural journalists and others interested in soil health. “In addition to the most up-to-date information on soil health and its relationship to soil amendments, cover crops, erosion control and other agricultural and land management practices, the tool will include data, metadata, methods descriptions, standards and related economic impacts,” says Steven Shafer, SHI chief scientific officer. The information will be available publicly through the Institute’s website. The Institute will assess no fees for using the Research Landscape tool. The initial library includes more than 1,000 scientific research papers, research progress reports and other publications and references. Building the tool’s library of soil health papers and information will be an ongoing effort. “The Soil Health Research Landscape tool allows users to connect soil health problems, management actions and desired outcomes with research addressing their particular situation,” says Wayne Honeycutt, SHI president and CEO.