Heartland Ag (Ames, Iowa) and AG Systems (Hutchinson, Minn.) have announced a merger of the two organizations effective March 1, 2019.

The AGXTEND range of precision farming technologies will provide agricultural equipment users with productivity and efficiency enhancing solutions that deliver sustainability benefits. The company is planning a phased rollout is throughout the first quarter of 2019 across the entire EMEA Region.

Last week, CNH and Farmers Edge, a Canadian-based decision ag developer, announced an exclusive strategic partnership to expand data management and agronomic solutions for Case IH and New Holland dealers. The agreement gives dealers access to the Farmers Edge FarmCommand platform.

Announcing the introduction of the third member of their precision disc drill family, Case IH presents the Precision Disc 500DS Air Drill at the 2018 Farm Progress Show. Taking existing technology from the series, Case IH has taken these successful concepts and included a unique, redesigned row unit to the production.

Case IH takes another step forward in introducing their AFS Connect Portal, an advanced farm management tool. The new portal features a number of features to improve the farm data management of farmers and dealers alike.

Last month, I stopped by Nebraska Equipment, a Case IH dealer based in Seward, Neb., to discuss hiring in the precision industry with sales manager Kenny Pekarek. The timing of the visit was fitting, as the dealership was just one week into hiring its first precision intern, not coincidentally during the heart of planting season.

The path some farmers take in their strip-tillage journey is to quickly adopt — and heavily invest in — RTK farm-by- the-inch technology. But for Tom Cotter at Cotter Farms near Austin, Minn., he would rather first get research need vs. want and properly develop prescriptions before going to deep, too fast.

Collaboration with precision farming organizations and OEMs on the Internet of Food and Farm 2020 (IoF2020) project delivers new proof of concept.

Rob Zemenchik and Leo Bose discuss the planned progression of Case IH's autonomous vehicle program, including field testing in 2018 on a large scale vegetable producer's operation in California.