Agriculture Technology Podcast

In this episode of the Agriculture Technology Podcast, host Tony Kramer sits down with Scott Schumacher, General Manager of Construction Technology at RDO Equipment Co. in Grand Forks, ND, to discuss the groundbreaking John Deere Path technology, Deere's newest precision mapping solution for snow removal operators.

Join RDO Equipment Co.'s Agronomist and Podcast Host, Tony Kramer, as he reviews the top 5 episodes of the Ag Tech Podcast from 2024. In this episode, Tony recaps expert insights from the Millennial Farmer and RDO's founder Ron Offutt, along with the latest John Deere product launches and technologies, including Precision Upgrade Kits and the John Deere Operations Center. Watch to see how these insights, product launches and new technologies have shaped the ag tech landscape this year.

This year, the Ag Tech Podcast has covered John Deere precision upgrade kits (PUKs) for planters, sprayers and combines. To round out our year on precision upgrades, Tony sits down with Clint Chaffer, Product Marketing Lead for Precision Upgrades at John Deere, to talk about the origin of PUKs. Starting with planters, the technology footprint of precision upgrades broadened across each season. Chaffer gives us insight into how growers can retrofit older equipment with PUKs, allowing farmers to save money and learn at their own pace. The approach is simple: meet customers where they are on their technology journey and do what makes sense for their operation. Listen to what sparked the ideas, how they evolved from machine to machine and what Chaffer sees for the future of PUKs.

Tony Kramer is joined by Bill Edmondson, RDO's UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle) Product Manager to discuss drone solutions. He shares how early on, the team worked diligently to understand the capabilities of UAV products, ensuring that whether you're working with crops in the field or on a construction job site, there are a variety of solutions these products can provide. But that's not all — RDOai offers a variety of additional advantages to help customers achieve the best results, which are highlighted throughout this episode.

Getting more done in less time — it's something we all dream of, especially in the field. Lucky for us, John Deere had the same goal in mind when creating and redesigning some of their latest tillage tools. In this episode of the Agriculture Technology podcast, Tyler Z., tillage technology product manager at RDO, joins Tony to introduce Deere's first coulter chisel tillage implement, the CC Series, as well as the redesigned Minimum Tillage (MT) series. Tyler walks us through the highlights, differences, benefits and more of both the CC Series and the MT Series.

Harvest has kicked off in many places of the country, which means it's only fitting for today's Agriculture Technology podcast topic: precision upgrades for your combine. In this episode, host Tony Kramer is joined by Wyatt Johnson, Precision Ag Product Specialist out of the RDO store in Webster, SD. They give a detailed description of how these upgrades could help your farm.

Precision upgrade kits (PUKs) take your sprayer to the next level. How? Mike L., one of RDO Equipment Co.'s Precision Ag Product Specialists has the answers.

Welcome to the milestone 200th episode of the Agriculture Technology podcast. Today, Ron Offutt, founder of RDO Equipment Co. joins host Tony Kramer to reflect on the past 60 years of agriculture and look to the future.

Ready to choose your planting adventure? Colin Artz, a 20-plus-year ag industry veteran, discusses John Deere's planter Precision Upgrade Kits (PUKs) with Podcast Host and Planting Technology Product Manager Tony Kramer. Artz explains that farmers can select the improvements they'd like — planter speed, seed planting quality or input savings with ExactShot technology. Listen to learn how farmers can customize their PUKs to fit their current planter.

From Precision Agriculture Essentials Kits and new C-Series Air Carts to the highly anticipated S7 and X9 combines, Podcast Host and Planting Technology Manager Tony Kramer gets the scoop on the latest equipment and technology solutions from John Deere Go-to-Market Managers. during this year's Commodity Classic. Discover key features of these John Deere products, their development and how they will work in the field.

Zach Johnson, the Millennial Farmer creator on YouTube, returns to the podcast to discuss farming technology adoption and its effect on efficiency and profitability with Podcast Host and Planting Technology Product Manager Tony Kramer. As a 5th generation farmer, Johnson first spoke with Kramer during episode 86 when he started to promote agriculture and share his day-to-day experiences. Johnson and Kramer talk about precision upgrade kits on planters, including ExactRate™ Liquid Fertilizer System and ExactShot. Johnson shares his experience with these precision solutions and the John Deere Operations Center™ — as he monitors the planter's progress and performance through his app, providing peace of mind.

Planting Technology Product Manager and Podcast Host Tony Kramer discuss John Deere Operations Center™ and its applications for small grains growers with John Deere's Go-to-Market Manager, Ryan Stien. John Deere's recent partnership announcement with SpaceX increases service to rural areas, and Stien, who focuses on digital products, says increased connectivity will revolutionize accurate data collection. Stein and Kramer emphasize field boundaries as a foundational step to automate data collection for planting times, locations, and crop varieties. With this database of information later, small grain farmers can discern where and when they may need to apply nutrients or fertilizer. Listen to learn how the Operations Center – a no-cost solution – empowers small grain farmers to make informed operational decisions during each growing season.

Product Manager of Planting Technology and Podcast Host Tony Kramer sits down with turf and utility professionals, RDO Account Manager Alex Mitchell and Josh West, Owner of JT Lawn Services & Landscaping. West has over a quarter of a century of experience in lawn care, landscaping and snow removal. He has grown his business from one machine to multiple machines equipped with technology, all powered by an expert team. Mitchell shares West's growth through optimizing his operation with John Deere Operations Center ™. Once considered a Farm Management System, many turf and utility business owners like West have discovered the Operations Center's ability to manage daily operations. Listen to learn how turf and utility fleet managers use John Deere Operations Center ™ to monitor equipment performance and optimize business decisions.

RDO Equipment Co.'s Agronomist and Podcast Host, Tony Kramer, sits down with RDO's Technology Solutions Manager, Joel Kaczynski, to review the 2023 growing seasons. With decades of precision ag technology experience, Kramer and Kaczynski highlight equipment, like ExactShot™, and software tools, like Data Sync, that benefited growers in 2023. Hear what they've learned, and how these tools work, and how growers discern insights from their year-end review. Listen to this episode to reflect on the last 12 months of precision ag technology equipment and software.

RDO Agronomist and Podcast Host Tony Kramer sits down with Precision Ag Technology Product Specialist Jesse Santillan to take a closer look at John Deere's Large Square Baler's evolution. They discuss the technological advancements that help farmers to make bales of precise weights and sizes. Listen to this episode to learn how Large Square Baler's integrated machine control and monitoring technology helps farmers unlock potential through data-driven decisions.

In this episode, Tony discusses everything about John Deere's Self-Propelled Forage Harvesters with Product Manager Jason Artz. Discover how these machines have become more user-friendly and improved harvesting through sensors and data collection.

In this special episode recorded at Field Technology Days this Fall, Tony speaks with Jared Roelofs, Product Specialist at RDO Equipment Co., about the latest precision ag capabilities for guidance displays. They dive deep into guidance displays' history, G5 Displays' updated features and their effect on any operation. Still hungry for Agriculture Technology Podcast Episodes? Check out an in-the-cab video of this episode on RDO's YouTube channel here: https://youtu.be/SNzQgns1nMk Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment/resources/podcasts

Data Sync eliminates time spent creating and transferring setup files between John Deere Operations Center™ and the latest John Deere Displays. Your data can automatically sync to your in cab display or mobile device. In this episode, Tony talks to Jakson Lane, Product Specialist in Precision Ag Technology, on what type of data you can sync, the hardware requirements, and how Data Sync can benefit your operation.

John Deere's Smart-Apply Intelligent Control System uses LiDAR to fluctuate its spray to give you the right rate, at the right place, at the right time. RDO Agronomists Tony Kramer and Erin Hightower take a deep dive into the application and benefits of this system. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment/resources/podcasts

Technology advancements are growing exponentially. In this episode, Tony sits down with Adam Gilbertson, Senior VP of Technology at RDO Equipment Co., to get his insight on the benefits of technology. From early adoption to data integration, technology is important for both ag and construction. Automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence are beginning to make their presence known across multiple industries. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment/resources/podcasts

Spring has sprung! RDO Agronomist Tony Kramer and special guest Erin Hightower take us through planting season 2023 in the Northwest, Southwest and Midwest. While all regions have different challenges heading into this season, they're here to explain how using data analytics with a precision agriculture strategy can help any operation's efficiency. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment/resources/podcasts

With more than 180 episodes and 8 years of production, we are back with new episodes to kick off Spring 2023. You'll hear about precision agriculture, the latest in machine technology, how data analytics can help your production and so much more. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment/resources/podcasts

In this episode, Tony covers the newly released ExactShot technology from John Deere. Working with high-speed planters, this technology takes the approach of fertilizing each plant, not the entire field, helping reduce fertilizer costs and run-off.

Whether it be analyzing your data to help reduce costs on fertilizer application or communicating better with your partners or dealers, RDO Equipment Co. Agronomist expert Tony Kramer starts off Season 8 with a refresher on how on-farm research can help growers better optimize their operations.

After a year of learning John Deere Operations Center, Machine Sync, See and Spray Ultimate and TruSet Tillage, Tony highlights the best hits from the year.

See what's happening in your operation right now, plus learn from your performance over time through analyzing data in the John Deere Operations Center. Whether you are targeting a specific area or want a full report on certain crops, RDO Ag Expert Tony Kramer highlights how to use the Field Analyzer tool and its benefits for your operation. From tillage, to planting, to harvest, the data the operations center collects can help you make educated decisions year after year that save time, optimize yield, and maximize profits.

RDO Ag Expert Tony Kramer introduces us to TruSet Active, available on 2024 models for tillage. TruSet Active can automatically make adjustments to depth with a sensor on its frame, which is an industry first. This tool, coupled with documenting the precise depth can improve precision and impact yield.

In this episode, Tony covers the newly released ST series strip till applicators from John Deere. From nutrient application, to configurations, to tillage reduction, Tony gives us a broad overview of the benefits and options of this equipment. And to top it all off, we dig into the pros of pairing your strip till applicator with John Deere Precision Ag components. There are so many variations of equipment and technology to make strip till work for your operation.

Whether it's custom harvesting, a business partner or your agronomist, sharing data has become essential to your operation's success and decisions moving forward. In this episode, Tony digs into how to customize and share data from John Deere Operations Center or any farm management information system. And in today's world, this can all be done without the hassle of passing off flash drives — in fact, all it takes is a simple click of a button.

Fall is underway, and a lot of farmers are in the "hurry up and harvest" mode. But how can we ensure we are getting accurate readings of our yields across all machines? In this episode, Tony breaks down "Post-Harvest Calibration," its easy accessibility and the benefits if you have multiple combines or if something isn't quite matching up. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts

From applied downforce, to speed, to application, agronomic data has been benefitting operations since its emergence in the mid-1990s. In this episode, Tony takes us through the layers of documenting tillage passes and how it can potentially benefit planting and harvest.

In this episode, we talk John Deere Machine Sync: the benefits, similarities and differences between versions, and how to utilize the automation. With bigger equipment in today's world, John Deere Machine Sync can assist in more ways than one on your operation. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment/resources/podcasts

In this episode, we're going to be talking about a John Deere Combine feature called Remote View and Adjust - allowing you to remotely view and adjust a variety of combine settings for all the machines in your fleet. Visit www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts to catch all episodes.

In this episode, we will be talking about Tillage - but more specifically, we will discuss updates to the John Deere 2680H High-Performance Disk. Visit https://www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts to catch all episodes.

Learn more about two new John Deere Operations Center connections: Climate FieldView Raven Slingshot. Visit https://www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts to view show notes and all past episodes.

Get prepared for this year's harvest with the latest episode from our team of experts. Tony breaks down the ins and outs of Variety Locator Files, and what you can do now to ensure success for #harvest22. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts

Episode 171 takes us through the John Deere Data Manager tool. From downloading the program off the John Deere Operations Center, to transferring files from a local drive, Tony takes us through the functionality of the John Deere Data Manager tool and the first steps to traditional data transfer. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts

Wrapping up our 3-part series of the John Deere Operations Center, Tony takes us through functionality available on the web version of the program, specifically focusing on Machine Analyzer and Machine Reports. A John Deere Operations Center account is cost-free to any user; the mobile app is also free. Visit to create your account and get started. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts

Building off last episode's overview of John Deere Operations Center, Episode 169 focuses specifically on equipment. One of the unique aspects of John Deere Operations Center is that it's not specific to agronomic data, but also provides tremendous insight into a producer's equipment. Get caught up on every episode on our website: www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts

The Operations Center Mobile app connects with John Deere Operations Center and allows you to monitor completed field activities – which helps you determine the productivity and quality of each field for a given operation. It's powered by an easy, reliable connection between you and your machines through JDLink™ Connect. Tune into to episode #168 as Tony talks through ways you can make the most out of the Operations Center mobile app this season.

Nathan Wright, RDO product expert, sits down with host Tony Kramer to discuss See & Spray Ultimate, John Deere's newest solution for targeted, in-crop spraying. Catch all podcast episodes here: https://www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts

For many in the Midwest and Upper Midwest, this spring has been a challenging one. As we turn the calendar to May, there are many growers who haven't gotten a single crop in the ground due to wet and cold conditions. This latest episode covers technology and solutions that will help your operation be more efficient and productive during short windows of time that many are facing in the weeks ahead. Visit www.rdoequipment.com for more planting solutions, expert advice, and resources for your growing season.

Meet Kari Olson, a fourth-generation farmer from Hawley, MN. Kari, along with her dad, Rob, produce corn, soybeans, and spring wheat. They are fully no-till and have been experimenting with cover crops for the past several years - which is very unique in the Red River Valley. For Kari and her family, They continue to follow no-till farming practices because, according to Kari, it is important, “To make sure the land we are given is in equal or better care than when we got it.” This week's episode of the podcast discusses the ways in which technology can help growers, no matter the farming practices they use.

Any farmer knows - there are a lot of attachments out there for your planter. In fact, you could break the bank trying to get the latest and greatest enhancements for planting season. This week's episode is meant to serve as a guide - to help talk through considerations when evaluating what needs you might have when it comes to your planter. What's your problem? Is there a solution on the market that can solve that problem? Can we gain better seed placement? Can we gain a better plant stand or emerged stand? Can we increase our yields? Can we decrease our costs? Tune in as Tony talks through planter attachments solutions. Visit www.rdoequipment.com for more planting solutions, expert advice, and resources for your growing season.

In this episode, host Tony Kramer takes listeners through spring season pre-planting tips, to help make sure that you are ready to roll when the soil is fit to go. Visit www.rdoequipment.com for more planting solutions, expert advice, and resources for your growing season.

Earlier this year, John Deere unveiled revealed a fully autonomous tractor, available for large-scale production. The machine combines Deere's 8R tractor, TruSet-enabled chisel plow, GPS guidance system, and new advanced technologies. Tony dives into this release from John Deere and answers the questions growers have. Visit www.rdoequipment.com/more/resources/podcasts to find all episodes and view this episode's transcript.

Emma Westman's passion runs deep for the ag industry and her role as a Service Technician. Growing up on a farm, Emma saw first-hand the role equipment maintenance and upkeep played in her family's operation and is what led her to pursue her education in diesel mechanics. Our latest episode takes a look at the role of a Service Technician in today's technological-advanced equipment. Visit www.rdoequipment.com/more/resources/podcasts to find all episodes and view this episode's transcript.

RDO Recruiting Program Manager Andy Luikens joins host Tony Kramer to discuss career opportunities in the equipment industry. Visit www.rdoequipment.com/more/resources/podcasts to find and view this episode's transcript. ----- Missed an episode? Get caught up by visiting the Episode Archive on our website: www.rdoequipment.com/more/resources/podcasts ----- Each month, we share the latest in agriculture technology. Don't miss an episode by subscribing to our podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Have a story idea or a precision ag topic we should highlight? Connect with us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter and connect with podcast host, Tony Kramer on Twitter at: (at)RDOTonyK. ---- Visit us at rdoequipment.com to find all episodes of the podcast, learn more about Precision Agriculture solutions from RDO's team of experts, or browse new and used farm equipment.

2021 is a wrap, and so is another season of the Agriculture Technology Podcast. Host Tony Kramer looks back on the year's episodes and highlights some of his favorite episodes - which would you add to the list? ---- Visit www.rdoequipment.com/more/resources/podcasts to find and view this episode's transcript. ----- Missed an episode? Get caught up by visiting the Episode Archive on our website: www.rdoequipment.com/more/resources/podcasts ----- Each month, we share the latest in agriculture technology. Don't miss an episode by subscribing to our podcast on iTunes, SoundCloud, or anywhere you listen to podcasts. Have a story idea or a precision ag topic we should highlight? Connect with us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter and connect with podcast host, Tony Kramer on Twitter at: (at)RDOTonyK. ---- Visit us at rdoequipment.com to find all episodes of the podcast, learn more about Precision Agriculture solutions from RDO's team of experts, or browse new and used farm equipment.

Rex Guthland, Independent Sprayer Consultant with John Deere, joins host Tony Kramer to discuss the importance of nozzle selection. Recorded while at the North Dakota Ag Expo earlier this month, Rex and Tony discuss the latest in nozzle technology - and why Rex says it's the most exciting time in application technology. --- Additional Resources:: You can find past podcast episodes by visiting: www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts Have precision ag questions? We have the answers. Find a specific channel dedicated to answering your precision technology questions: Precision Ag Answers www.youtube.com/channel/UCRg1QJrJ…rvmB1kvA/featured ----- Have a precision ag topic the podcast should cover? Connect with us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter and connect with podcast host, Tony Kramer on Twitter at: (at)RDOTonyK.

Gary Thompson joins the Agriculture Technology Podcast to discuss GUSS (Global Unmanned Spray System). Learn more about the organization's beginnings in the fields of California, and how a commitment to better feed a growing world is helping solve the challenges today's growers face. Visit https://gussag.com/ to learn more about GUSS. --- Additional Resources:: You can find past podcast episodes by visiting: https://www.rdoequipment.com/resources/podcasts Have precision ag questions? We have the answers. Find a specific channel dedicated to answering your precision technology questions: Precision Ag Answers https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCRg1QJrJqJrEOScrvmB1kvA/featured ----- Have a precision ag topic the podcast should cover? Connect with us on social media: Instagram | Facebook | YouTube | Twitter and connect with podcast host, Tony Kramer on Twitter at: (at)RDOTonyK.