The Farmers Cooperative Company to Now Report Growing Degree Unit Data Using New NK Brand Electronic Monitor

 

The Farmers Cooperative Company, located at Hinton, Oyens, LeMars and Akron,  has partnered with Syngenta Seeds, Inc., marketer of NK® Brand seed products, to provide local area farmers convenient access to important crop management data with a new monitoring device conveniently displayed in-store.

          Beginning this month, the Coop will be able to provide farmer-customers with localized Growing Degree Unit (GDU) data collected by a unique electronic device, the new NK Brand® Agrometer™ from Syngenta Seeds.

The NK Brand® Agrometer™ uses internal chip technology to capture localized GDU information. Those data are displayed in three digital read-outs: year-to-date GDUs, plus/minus multi-year GDU average for the county, and alternating time and outdoor temperature readings. 

As part of its partnership, Syngenta Seeds provided The Farmers Cooperative Company the NK Brand® Agrometer™ to install at the dealership.  Measuring approximately 10-inches square, the unit hangs on a wall like a clock. A cable connects it to a digital temperature sensor placed outdoors.  The Agrometer unit itself will be supplemented with a display containing updated, localized literature from Syngenta agronomists explaining how GDU levels are impacting corn and soybean crop performance in the immediate vicinity.

          “We’re pleased to join The Farmers Cooperative Company in providing growers the first-ever access to convenient, localized, GDU data on a daily basis,” says Jack Bernens, vice president of marketing at Syngenta Seeds.  “These readings will improve a farmer’s ability to better predict hybrid performance, and consequently to make more informed crop management and marketing decisions.”

Leading agricultural experts have determined that the growth and development of corn is highly dependent on GDUs, which are calculated as the amount of heat accumulated over time to achieve crop maturity levels.  In fact, some agronomists believe that GDUs have slightly greater influence on overall crop performance than either soil moisture or rainfall.

          “We are committed to providing farmers the tools and information they need to manage their businesses successfully,” says Ron Lorenzen, Agronomy Manager,  “Localized GDU data will provide yet another useful measure of what they can anticipate in terms of this year’s crop performance.”

          The Farmers Cooperative Company joins a network of over 800 dealers and farm news media throughout the Corn Belt who have been selected by Syngenta to receive the NK Brand®  Agrometer™.  Syngenta Seeds will supplement readings collected by the units with frequent updates from its team of agronomists about how current GDU levels will likely affect corn crop performance.