Cogent3D, Inc, announces contract award to assist USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service to re-engineer their mobile workforce with a new Mobile Conservation Planner App using iCropTrak to allow NRCS staff to spend more time with client collaboration and conservation efforts in the field.

Currently in West Texas, we are in one of the worst droughts since the 1930's and 1950's. We are now entering the third year of this drought. Recently, I did some research on the drought of the 1930's and 1950's. In my hometown of Plainview, Texas (average annual rainfall = 20.17 inches), our rainfall for 2011 and 2012 was 5.63 and 10.48 inches respectively. In comparison, the two lowest years of precipitation during the 1930's was 10.16 and 13.75 inches in 1933-1934 and for the 1950's was 11.29 and 10.39 inches in 1953-54.

There is no doubt that strip-till and precision farming go hand-in-hand. Strip-tillers use RTK and variable-rate technology to get the most out of their inputs. Some planters are often equipped with devices that let farmers match seed-depth placement to soil type, and sprayers can regulate nutrient application by the drop.

Scientists at the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service recently developed a simple, web-based tool that helps producers easily understand the quality of water flowing off their fields, the Water Quality Index for Agricultural Runoff (WQIag).

Jerry Baysinger of Bruning, Neb., shares his strategy for hitting the nutrient zone in strips, despite a wet spring. Baysinger adapts his operation by off-setting strips with each pass of his 12-row strip-till unit to leave a wider gap and plants off the side of each strip with his 24-row planter.

Goss's wilt of corn often is most severe after fields are exposed to high winds and/or hail damage, because the causal bacterium readily infects corn leaves through wounds.

Orthman Manufacturing has added two members to its growing dealer support network in the southern U.S. Heath Carlton is the territory manager for Arkansas, Georgia, Alabama and Missouri; Bill Adams is a product specialist for dealers throughout Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Florida and North and South Carolina.

Josie Dallam, a freshman majoring in Life Sciences Communication, is the first recipient of the Frank Lessiter Ag Media Scholarship, an annual award that recognizes a Univ. of Wisconsin Agricultural and Life Sciences student pursuing a career in agricultural trade media. She was awarded the scholarship this week at the Life Sciences Department's annual Recognition Reception at Union South in Madison.

The agronomic side of strip-tilling is an important component and Mike Petersen, agronomist with Orthman Manufacturing, offers some primary tips, in an agronomic sense, that successful strip-tilling provides, including reduced nutrient loading to lakes and water courses, elimination of unnecessary pre-plant passes through the field and increased natural residue breakdown.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that theNatural Resources Conservation Service's Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) will provide nearly $175 million in funding for up to 12.6 million additional acres of enrollment this year.