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Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), 8 September 2014 EFITA newsletter / 661 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment 
To correspond with me (GW), please use this address: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net An old passion of mine (but only with a very very modest success): Fontainbleau forest is close to Paris and close to the paradise! See: http://www.theguardian.com/travel/2014/aug/28/bouldering-rock-climbing-fontainebleau-france The future is better than you think See: http://diamandis.abundancehub.com/ How to Ask the Hard Questions and Be “Realistically Positive” See: http://www.thebeaconblog.org/how-to-ask-the-hard-questions-and-be-realistically-positive/
Blog: Innovator expands wi-fi product line I first ran into Bill Moffitt a few years ago when he was traveling the country talking to media to discuss his new AyrMesh wireless network tool. His idea? Take your best broadband connection at the farm and extend it across a wide area over wi-fi using a series of interconnected hubs. Moffitt is president, and founder, of Ayrstone Productivity, and he's making good on that promise with the AyrMesh Network - and he keeps adding new tech too. See: http://farmindustrynews.com/blog/innovator-expands-wi-fi-product-line Forbes.com: FAA UAV Rules 'Government Regulation At Its Worst' precisionag.com A Forbes.com contributor argues that current FAA policy regarding commercial UAV use is antiquated and needs reform. See: http://www.precisionag.com/equipment/forbes-com-faa-uav-rules-government-regulation-at-its-worst/ Climate Pro introductory pricing announced Climate Corporation has announced its pricing on the Climate Pro subscription advisory services for corn at $3 per acre for 2015. In addition, they’re offering more services to customers. The company’s new premium service will include additional higher value offerings.- Each of these advisory services is offered through retailers with local expertise that can help farmers get the most value from these tools.- Brent Sharff, who farms in the Oelwein, Iowa area, said in a release, “Using Climate Pro’s Advisors as they have been introduced has allowed us to work smarter, and I am looking forward to how this technology will help increase my yield.” See: http://farmindustrynews.com/climate-pro-introductory-pricing-announced Interview with David Friedberg, CEO of The Climate Corporation - Agri-Pulse - 01-Sep-2014 David Friedberg, CEO of The Climate Corporation says new sensor technologies, data management and storage is bringing a transformation to the agriculture industry. His company is a pioneer in data science gathering pertinent data to create a perpetually evolving model allowing farmers to better predict outcomes in their farming operations. Acquired by Monsanto last year, The Climate Corporation is now covering 50-mllion acres with their free service "Climate Basic" and introduced a $3 dollar per acre subscription advisory service fee for a premium service "Climate Pro" this past week at the Farm Progress Show in Boone, Iowa. See: http://www.agri-pulse.com/Open-mic-David-Friedberg-09012014.asp Aerial photos reveal problems in corn, soybean fields See: http://cornandsoybeandigest.com/corn/qa-aerial-photos-reveal-problems-corn-soybean-fields#slide-5-field_images-90991 Snapshots From Space Cultivate Fans Among Midwest Farmers See: http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/farmer_imagery.html
Small vs. Large: Which Size Farm is Better for the Planet? The Washington Post - 02-Sep-2014 - By Tamar Haspel (…)The idea that we should replace the large, polluting farms with the small, diversified farms ignores what might be the best solution: Get the large farms to stop polluting. There are some hopeful signs that it’s already happening. Cover cropping and no-till farming, which help improve soil health and reduce runoff, are on the rise. Recent droughts have underscored the importance of building up organic matter, which retains water, in soil. (…) See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/food/small-vs-large-which-size-farm-is-better-for-the-planet/2014/08/29/ac2a3dc8-2e2d-11e4-994d-202962a9150c_story.html Novozymes and Monsanto Showcase New Ag Innovation Novozymes and Monsanto Company leaders this week highlighted how the companies’ BioAg Alliance is working to develop innovations for agriculture to boost productivity and further support the management of natural resources on the farm. The Alliance is expected to expand the research and commercialization of a new generation of microbes to help farmers meet the world’s demands for food and feed in a sustainable way. This year, the companies conducted research across 170,000 field trial plots in 70 locations throughout the United States, and the companies expect to more than double the number of research field plots next season. “The early results from 2013 showed a lot of promise – we discovered several microbes that are demonstrating increased yield in corn and soybeans. We have expanded testing this year and believe we are on track to discover transformational microbial products farmers can add to their toolbox,” says Robb Fraley, executive vice president and chief technology officer, Monsanto. Microbial-based solutions are derived from various microbes such as bacteria and fungi. The BioAg Alliance is researching the next generation of these solutions, and has already introduced two types of microbial products: inoculants products, which help plants take up nutrients, and biocontrol products, which help protect plants against pests, disease and weeds. The products can be utilized by farmers that grow broad acre crops such as corn and soy, and on fruits and vegetables. “Microbials have a significant potential to transform modern agriculture and help meet growing global demand for food. The goal of The BioAg Alliance is to bring cutting-edge innovation in microbials to farmers, so they can produce more crops with fewer inputs,” says Thomas Videbæk, executive vice president for business development, Novozymes. Microbials make up about two-thirds of the agricultural biologicals industry today, and build on the successful application of microbes in everything from personal healthcare to food processing and production. Today, microbials such as Rhizobium offer farmers ways to replace or complement traditional fertilizers, while Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) sprays continue to be used in organic and conventional agriculture. Novozymes and Monsanto formed The BioAg Alliance in February 2014. The Alliance brings together Novozymes’ capabilities for discovering, developing, and producing microbes and Monsanto’s discovery capabilities, field testing, and market reach. See: http://www.novozymes.com/en/news/news-archive/Pages/ Novozymes-and-Monsanto-showcase-new-ag-innovations-expected-to-increase-sustainability-on-the-farm-.aspx Agriculture: Can foreign direct investment benefit smallholders and investors? As global demands for food and biofuel escalate, foreign investors have shown a keen interest in African land. The furious pace at which large-scale land acquisition investments are occurring have raised questions about the underlying motives,... See: http://wle.cgiar.org/blogs/2014/07/22/can-foreign-direct-investment-benefit-smallholders-investors/
Frozen Crabs, a Lawyer and the Blonde Flight Attendant A lawyer boarded an airplane in New Orleans with a box of frozen crabs and asked the blonde stewardess to take care of them for him. She took the box and promised to put it in the crew's refrigerator. He advised her that he was holding her personally responsible for them staying frozen, mentioning in an arrogant manner that he was a lawyer and threatened what would happen to her if she let them thaw out. Shortly before landing in New York, she used the intercom to announce to the entire cabin, "Would the lawyer who gave me the crabs in New Orleans, please raise your hand?" Not one hand went up... So she took them home and ate them. There are two lessons here: 1. Lawyers aren't as smart as they think they are. 2. Blondes aren't as dumb as most folks think. PS: What does it mean when someone tells you “I have got crabs”? It means that he/she caught “ little lice, that lives in the pubic hair, it is a sexually transmitted disease, but easily treated”…so "who gave me the crabs!" The distribution of this efita newsletter is sponsored by vitisphere.com Please, contribute to the content of your efita newsletter, and advertise your events, new publications, new products and new project in this newsletter. Without your support, it will not survive! Contact: Guy WAKSMAN E-mail: guy.waksman(a)laposte.net To read this newsletter on our web site See: http://www.informatique-agricole.org/gazette/efita/efita_140908_661.htm
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