Regional Manager Shares Insights at Market Outlook Seminar

Zimmatic Midwest Regional Manager Brad Dunbar grew up on his family farm in central Nebraska and has spent his entire career in agriculture. Between he and his father, who still farms in Frontier County, you could say they’d seen it all. But the 2022 growing season is proving to be unique in many ways.

Unpredictable weather events, high costs of inputs and global conflict have combined to form an environment that offers unprecedented challenges, but also unique opportunities for growers across the United States. Earlier this week, Dunbar joined fellow agricultural experts at the annual Brock Associates Decisions 2022 Summer Seminar in Grand Island, Neb., to share insights related to changing irrigation needs and the benefits of precision irrigation scheduling. Updates on land prices, seasonal weather predictions and a market outlook from Richard Brock, president of Brock Associates, rounded out an informative afternoon for growers.

Principal among challenges Brock outlined for growers were rising input costs, particularly fuel and fertilizer. He did, however, share promising news that in his estimation, peaks this high in input markets are unlikely to be reached again this cycle. “The chances of another peak this high are slim to none and slim left town two weeks ago,” said Brock. He also noted both corn and soybeans hitting 10-year pricing peaks. He said both crops are currently in the midst of a heat-driven weather market. Currently, the heat is good for getting crops going, but in a few more weeks, consistent high temperatures may cause damage.

“Unpredictable weather, dry conditions and lengthy drought across many parts of the country really paint a picture of the importance of precision irrigation scheduling,” said Dunbar. “We know growers have a lot on their plate and more considerations need to be taken this season than in a typical year. We are helping to take the guesswork out of irrigation management with our FieldNET Advisor solution so  growers have real-time data and insights customized to their specific field.” He shared an example of a grower he worked with recently who was navigating a unique field and struggling with irrigation efficiency. Four soil types within a single field were causing uneven water retention, which was demonstrated by maps displayed in Lindsay’s FieldNET remote management platform. FieldNET Advisor provided recommendations to tell the grower when, where and how much to irrigate, saving time and precious water resources.

Currently, growers can upgrade to FieldNET Advisor and save up to 65% off the annual subscription cost for the first year. They can visit their local dealer for more details or upgrade directly from the FieldNET app.

To learn more about Brock Associates visit https://www.brockreport.com/. For more on FieldNET or to find your local Zimmatic dealer, visit www.lindsay.com/fieldnet.