The FAR Letter Volume 25, No. 1
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Message from the Director
The challenges of meeting the food, feed, fiber, and fuel needs of the world have never been greater. World stocks of many major food crops are low, and supplies are tight in many cases. The result has been total restructuring of the economics of crop production and marketing. More is likely ahead. With this situation, the economics of crop input and management decisions have also changed. The
cost of being wrong-with either too much or too little of key inputs-has never been greater. As the same time, the value of better-informed decisions has never been greater. Information has become a valuable resource.
Farmers and their advisers who have worked to develop a good record keeping system and a series of on-farm research plots to learn more about their soils-climate-management system are in a much better position to make the right decisions. Farmers who have built and maintained their soil nutrient levels are now better able to take advantage of their forward planning. For others, the challenges are greater, because they find themselves without the information to make decisions, and with depleted nutrient resources that must be replenished to take advantage of the current crop markets.
FAR and IPNI continue to work to provide new information to support the tough decisions, evaluations of new products, practices, and technologies, and educational opportunities to help farmers and their advisers keep abreast of the latest developments. The issue of
The FAR Letter features some of our newest projects, programs, and publications. We hope they are on track to give you and your clients and customers the support you need. Make use of our websites and publications. Let us know how we can be even more supportive of your needs.
For our past contributors, we hope you will renew your support for FAR. If you are not a contributor, we hope you will consider becoming one. We need your help! Details of how to contribute and how we use your support may be found on the FAR website:
www.farmresearch.com. Take a look at what we have to offer and how you can further encourage these efforts.
Calendar of Events
Please mark the following events on your calendar and take advantage of these important activities that are part of the educational opportunities sponsored by FAR and IPNI.
9th International Conference on Precision Agriculture
Details of the 9th International Conference on Precision Agriculture (ICPA), July 20-23, Denver, Colorado, are posted at:
www.icpaonline.org. Over 300 oral and poster presentations will provide an update of the latest precision farming research from throughout the world. The A to Z sessions will include 40 presentations on practical applications of the technology. And the exhibit hall will feature about 40 different vendors of technology products. Complete information on
registration,
exhibiting, and
sponsorship opportunities are posted on the ICPA website.
FAR/IPNI Research Showcase
September 24-25, 2008, Beck Agricultural Center, Purdue University ACRE farm, West Lafayette, Indiana. Details on next page and at the FAR website:
www.FARmresearch.com.
InfoAg 2009
Planning ahead to next year,
InfoAg 2009 will be held July 14-16, 2009, in Springfield, Illinois. This popular conference focuses on practical applications of precision farming and information management technology, and provides an excellent environment for networking among participants. Mark it on your calendar and plan to attend.
FAR/IPNI Research Showcase September 24-25, 2008
FAR and IPNI will host a Research Showcase September 24-25, 2008 at the new Beck Center at the Purdue University Agronomy Center for Research and Education (ACRE). This event is planned to spotlight some of the new research initiatives we are implementing, as well as highlight some of the ongoing projects. Selected researchers from around the country will review their progress. IPNI staff will lead discussions on research needs and IPNI and FAR efforts to address them. Purdue staff will provide field visits to some of the studies underway at the ACRE facility, including the new IPNI/FAR-sponsored Global Maize study site, on of our new global intiatives.
The conference is being presented to thank contributors for their support, and to help recruit new contributors. It is a first-hand opportunity to learn more about what FAR and IPNI and our research and education programs. The opportunity to meet with some of our key research cooperators and get a personal insight into what they are learning will be an added benefit. Preceding the Research Showcase, there will be a
Nutrient Management BMP Field Day on Monday, September 22, and a
Midwest Crop Production and Renewal Energy Tour on Tuesday, September 23.
The ACRE center is about 7 miles northwest of West Lafayette, Indiana. Details will be posted on our website along with lodging and travel information. Current contributors will receive a special mailing later this spring. We encourage anyone who has been a FAR contributor, or is interested in becoming one, to join us for this event.
FAR and IPNI Global Framework for Best Management Practices
FAR is assisting IPNI in developing a research and education program around a Global Framework for Best Management Practices (BMPs) for nutrient management. As shown in the diagram, this framework addresses the economic, ecological, and social aspects of nutrient management through objectives of improving profitability, productivity, cropping system sustainability, and the biophysical and social environment. Ultimately, it boils down to putting the
right nutrient sources at the
right rate in the
right place at the
right time. A detailed paper describing the Global Framework is available for downloading from the IPNI website:
www.ipni.net/conceptpapers.
Global Maize Initiative
One of the new programs being developed in support of the Global Framework is the Global Maize Initiative. This is the long-term, multi-location, multi-disciplinary program aimed at identifying the yield potential for maize (corn) production in six major corn production areas of the world, and working toward identifying changes in practices needed to developing a management system that will consistently produce at least 85% of that yield potential. This effort to narrow the yield gap will be done with careful monitoring of agronomic, economic, and environmental factors so that yield is increased in a way that is economically sustainable and minimizes the environmental footprint of the production system.
The attached summary outlines the Global Maize project plan. We are currently working to identify specific locations and specific research projects, form partnerships with various university, government, and industry researchers, and seeking funding from a variety of sources.
Watch for further information in upcoming publications and on the FAR and IPNI websites. If you would like to be a partner in helping support this effort, please contact us.