Category Archives: Tools of the Trade

Dave Mayonado on Agricultural Innovation

Dave Mayonado is an expert in the agricultural industry. Having worked for Monsanto for decades, he has witnessed first had the rapid innovations in agriculture that have occurred in recent years. These innovations began to take root with the development of land grant universities and agricultural research stations. Through the research conducted in these institutions, gene editing technologies have been created, such as RNAinterference, CRISPR, and Genome Wide Selection. These technologies have increased yield and nutritional value in produce, while minimizing agriculture’s environmental impact. Furthermore, consuming these crops have been shown to have no negative impacts on consumer health. Dave also provided interesting insights into what it is like to work in the industry. With Monsanto recently being bought by Bayer Crop Sciences, the agriculture industry has surely been shaken up. In a time like this where agricultural companies are growing to match the growing world population, it is crucial that we develop young agriculturists that will join the industry.

Monsanto Overview on Agriculture with Dave Mayonado

On November 12, Dave Mayonado,  a long term Monsanto employee, spoke to AGRI 130 students on the topic of agricultural technology, working in the agricultural industry, and Bayer/Monsanto. Agriculture is commonly seen as a simple, low technology, and low stress job. In reality, agriculture is a field involving cutting edge science, technology, and modern methodology.  Many laws have paved the way for agricultural development through land grant universities, cooperative extension, and research farms. The agricultural field has grown from human and animal labor to steel tools, chemical tools, and presently biological advances. Biological research has led to the first GMO seed in the 1970s. Through genetic modification research, Monsanto has developed traits for pesticide resistance, built in pesticide for corn borers, enhanced drought survival, and the production of an olive quality oil from soybeans. Genetically modified products are regulated by the USDA, FDA, and EPA. Public and private companies conduct research to develop and sell GMO crops. These crops are more successful in harsh environments and result in higher yields. American business is all about evolving and continually providing a customer base with products and services that are valuable. Through innovation on behalf of a company and its employees, an industry will be successful. Agriculture is a field in need of innovative individuals that are knowledgeable and educated in the field. Monsanto was established in 1901 as a chemical producer, but the company moved to the development and sale of crops involving biological technology. Today, Monsanto is the biggest seed producer in the world. Bayer bought Monsanto in 2017 and the deal finalized in 2018. Thank you to Dave Mayonado for sharing agricultural knowledge with AGRI 130 students.

Hoober Field Trip

I’m very sad to have missed this field trip, because I really wanted to drive a tractor! The only experience I have driving equipment that Hoober sells is our zero turn lawn mower we own at home, and smaller tractor I use to do the barn chores. From the album online, I was able to see just how big those tractors are. From the video we watched in class, I got a taste for what precision Ag is, and I think it’s fascinating that this technology is available to us. I also think the use of drones for surveying is a great application of the technology. The only thing that scares me is just how reliant we’re becoming on technology. When I think of driving a vehicle, it’s hard to imagine the functions being almost entirely automatic. Knowing your precise location, speed, efficiency, etc. is very impressive for a computer to do, but what if something goes wrong?

An important takeaway for me is advocacy and education about this type of technology. There are immense opportunities for experts in the tech field to grasp onto and be the people who take this technology into the future. It’s extremely important that people start to become educated about where this industry is heading, and we need those innovative thinkers to help guide us in the right direction.

Hoober Field Trip

Growing up all I could think about was riding with my Dad in the combine or sitting on his lap helping him drive around. Having the chance to drive a tractor again at Hoober`s really showed how highly technology is used and how its improved is amazing.

Technology being a key component on how agriculture has improved and sky rocketed over the years has really opened my eyes about the future of ag. With seeing all different pieces of technology in on piece of equipment is insane, you have every moment monitored whether it showing what you’re planting and where you did plant and how much was planted. Technology has gotten so big to the point where you can literally sit on your hands and the tractor stay on its set path. Its just mind blowing to see how everything has changed and how its improved what we do today and how fast we are able to accomplish certain things. I am happy I was able to have this experience and I want to thank Hoober for the wonderful time there!

Hoober Inc. Lets College Kids Drive Their Inventory

Just off route 301 in Middletown is a tractor and farm equipment dealership called Hoober Inc. On our field trip here we met two employees who showed us around and told us about what Hoober Inc does. In 1941 Charles “Bud” Hoober started selling International Harvester tractors and equipment in Intercourse Pennsylvania. As tractor technology expanded so did Hoober’s company. Hoober Inc. currently has 9 locations and is still owned and operated by 3rd generation of Hoobers. The show room in the dealership and the parking lot had many Kubota products such as zero turn mowers and RTV buggies. While they do sell land scape equipment Hoober is a Case IH dealer. We got a tour through the shop and saw sprayers, tractor, loaders, and combines being worked on. After seeing the shop we walked outside to all of the tractors, sprayers, combines, planters, and more. We got to see how a combine works, from the different kinds of heads to how it grinds up and spreads the unwanted parts of a crop. Did you know a new combine with new heads can cost over half a million dollars? Tractor driving was up next. The group was split in to two groups, one for learning about drones and the other got to drive the sprayer or tractor. The tractor was a Case IH 315 Magnum with duals front and rear. The sprayer was a Case IH 4430 Patriot. The tractor had auto steer which allowed the operator to remove their hands from the steering wheel and the tractor would steer its self. The drone demonstration showed how drones are used in precision ag for birds eye view observation. At the end of the trip we all got Hoober hats and got on the bus, It was a lot of fun.

Hoober Agricultural Equipment Field Trip

AGRI 130 students in front of a sprayer.

On October 20, the AGRI 130 students had the opportunity to visit Hoober Incorporated in Middletown Delaware. We learned about the history of the company and its growth over the years. Hoober now has multiple locations in Delaware and Pennsylvania, but it is still a family owned business. Hoober is successful in the sale of specialty landscape equipment, tractors, and combines, as well as other equipment and parts. We had the opportunity to walk through the repair shop and see Hoober employees servicing a variety of agricultural equipment. It was cool to see a corn combine attachment up close and the engine of a tractor removed from the vehicle. After walking through the shop, we viewed the inner structures of a new Case IH combine. Crops are cut by the attachment and a spinning drum removes the grain from the stalk. The harvested grain is stored at the top of the combine while the rest of the plant material is shredded and spread back into the field. I had the opportunity to drive a large tractor and a sprayer around a field. It was interesting to see the amount of technology involved in modern tractors and sprayers. The vehicle I had the opportunity to drive also had the capability of driving itself using GPS implemented technology. After driving the vehicles, we watched a drone demonstration. Drone technology can be used to map crop fields and much more. Once programmed, a drone can fly (legally) up to 400 feet into the air and navigate a field to take pictures. The images are then used for field analysis so the farmer can specialize water, nutrient, and pesticide application depending on the needs of specific areas of the field. Drone operators must be certified by the FAA for flying commercially or recreationally. Thank you to Hoober Inc for giving AGRI 130 students this experience.

Hoober Field trip

Sadly, I was unable to make the Hoober’s field trip because I was working the Bands of America Regional championship however here is what Christian Riggin has told me about the trip. Christian learned a lot about precision agriculture. Some of the emerging technology includes drones, automated equipment, computer systems, and advancements in old technology. Some of the challenges with precision agriculture include educating the public about precision agriculture, tech support, and impatient people who don’t want to take the time to learn about the technology. You need to have a license in order to fly a drone and you have to register your drone so the government knows that you aren’t a spy.

In order to work in precision ag, one should have background in problem solving, patience, understanding the us and function of the technology and mechanical and technician knowledge. According to Hoober’s, precision ag has allowed farmers to be faster in what they do and also be more efficient. This is most because they can place fertilizer and other needed materials exactly where it is needed with the use of technology telling them where it is needed (drones, NDVI, GPS). Christian was really good at driving the tractor and wasn’t scared one bit until he put it into auto steering. Over all, I’m very sad that I missed this field trip; it sounds like everyone had a really good time, and, on the plus side, there was a working bus!

Importance of Irrigation and Water Management with James Adkins

On October third, the AGRI 130 students had the opportunity to learn about irrigation and water management with James Adkins, an irrigation engineer for the University of Delaware. During the lecture, the students learned about the different methods and technologies of irrigation. Each irrigation method has different downfalls and benefits, depending on the soil quality, incline of the land, and other individual factors. It was interesting to learn how irrigation systems have gone from furrow irrigation, which is digging out areas on inclined land to run water through, to center pivot irrigation, which is a technology that distributes water above the crops in a circular fashion. Technological advances have allowed agriculturalists who irrigate to conserve water and reap twice the crop yield of a traditional farm. Current issues have shown that responsible water management is the key to feeding the growing world population. Field research has enabled agriculturalists to develop and improve irrigation methods. Current advances include crop mapping systems, electronic data collection based on irrigation, and the development of drones for mapping.  The eastern half of US crops receive more water than what is required for growth whereas the western half of US crops receive the minimum amount of water for survival. This is due to the amount of rainfall that occurs on the two halves of the US. The difference in rainfall in the US has caused changes in the methodology of irrigation based on a farm’s individual needs. Thank you to James Adkins for teaching AGRI 130 students about irrigation.

Monsanto: A company that is better than what your friend told you.

Science and agriculture together do seem scary but really that is how we learn, practice, study and much more for everything we create and discover. Monsanto is a large company that does a lot of science work for the agriculture industry.

Science based research and development over the past 100 years have resulted in a huge increase in US crop production via improved agronomic practices, the adoption of ever improving mechanical, chemical and biological tools. This science has allowed Mid-Atlantic farmers to provide steadily larger crops while at the same time improving soil quality and fostering an environment that supports a thriving wildlife population.

The changing tools for agriculture pest management began at hand and animal labor. Then it went to mechanical labor by the use of steel. Next is chemical labor that used small molecules such as no-till. And today biological which uses proteins and RNA through GMOs. “What are GMOs? Biotechnology in plant agriculture has come to mean the process of intentionally making a copy of a gene for a desired trait from one plant or organism and using it in another plant. The result is a GMO (genetically modified organism).” Some commercial products of biotechnology are RoundUp Ready Corn which allows growers to be more effective and efficient in the control of weeds. YieldGard Corn allows growers to manage yield robbing insects without the need to spray. DroughtGard Corn enhances drought tolerance in corn for tough environments. Lastly, Vistive Gold/Plenish Soybeans are soybeans that provide a vegetable oil that is more healthy for consumers.

To date, more than 2,000 scientific studies have assessed the safety of these crops in terms of human health and environmental impact. These studies together with several reviews performed on a case by case from regulatory agencies around the world, have enabled a solid and clear scientific consensus: GM crops have no more risk than those that have been developed by conventional breeding techniques.

Guest Lecture: Michele Walfred

On September 13th, our class received a guest lecture from Michele Walfred about social media and creating our brand. In today’s age where everything and everyone is online, social media is becoming increasingly more important. Many businesses have social media accounts, and will do background check on a potential employee’s social media profiles before making hiring decisions. For example, if you often post on your Facebook about how much you dislike your job, your coworkers, etc., many employers are going to be less likely to hire you because it comes off as unprofessional. Some of the most important things you can do to build and maintain your personal brand are to be consistent (consistent pictures, descriptions, contact information, etc.), staying professional with good oral and written communication skills, having a professional e-mail address, and to always keep in mind that people you interact with, either professionally or personally, can see what you do online and can form judgements based on that information. It is also important to do your “due diligence,” in fact-checking articles before posting them, avoiding drama, thinking before you send, and various other actions. Lastly, and what I think is most important, is always taking an opportunity to teach someone. Whether someone has misperceptions about agricultural practices, are sharing false information, or just giving general information to someone who isn’t as knowledgeable about a subject as you are, teaching others is one of the most impactful things you can do in your life.