Gizmos & Gadgets

New and useful products for the farm and ranch.

compiled by Kasey Brown, associate editor

Completely manage your loads in one place
Livestock Transport Nation’s (LTN’s) Load Management Platform understands running a livestock-hauling transportation company. Through the platform, you can export load transactions directly into QuickBooks^™ the same day as loads are completed — not days or weeks after.

LTN automatically includes dispatch fees, trailer lease fees, load information for every load, then uploads the bill of lading to the QuickBooks invoice so you can send the invoice immediately!

Using the company’s mobile app Cattle Driver, drivers keep everybody in the know.

Updates provided are sent to all load participants in real time:

• pickup;
• delays from weather, breakdowns, etc.;
• delivery; and
• bill of lading

Upon delivery, the bill of lading is then sent to everybody immediately, which means you can start billing immediately.

Send load information directly to your drivers via Cattle Driver, or quickly and easily send it to your Dispatch Network. You can also post it for free to the live load board to get bids, even if you don’t commit.

Watch the video for more information or visit http://bit.ly/ABBLivestockTransport.

Rock River Laboratory releases updated FeedScan app
Rock River Laboratory announces the release of a new version of their FeedScan app for electronic sample data submission. Feed, forage, water and fecal samples can be submitted to Rock River Laboratory for analysis through the app, and with its renovated design and functionality, new innovative tools are easily accessible for nutritionist and farmer decision-making.

The renovated app includes a more intuitive system for adding and selecting farms, ensuring that sample averages from the same farm are tracked across a nutrition team, regardless of who submitted the sample, eradicating duplicates and confusion. Additional new functionality provides data tools for on-the-fly decisions and includes reports view for reviewing the latest analyses right from the user’s smartphone or tablet (provided there is an internet connection) with the option to share the analysis reports easily via text or email. New analytics graphing can also help users create history plots, such as bunk quality changes through time, to use as a visual aid while consulting.

FeedScan provides sample submission through a sample code generation function, to identify the sample through the submission process. The app’s capability to save sample submissions while offline and submit while online, combined with submission confirmation, provides customers with a fail-safe means to confidently submit samples via the app.

FeedScan is available for download at the App Store (search FeedScan) and in Google Play. For app instructions, time-saving tips and other tools, visit the FeedScan Resource Center at http://bit.ly/ABBFeedScan.

H2OExcel protects vegetation from winter desiccation
Winter desiccation, also known as winter burn, is a common type of winter injury that occurs in vegetation when the amount of water lost by chilly winter winds exceeds the amount of water the plant can draw up through the frozen soil. However, winter desiccation can be deterred by maintaining proper vegetation precipitation during the late fall and early winter months and by using natural water conservation agent and soil amendment H2OExcel^TM from Brookside Agra.

H2OExcel water conservation agent

One of the primary ways to deter winter desiccation is to provide adequate water and nutrients to vegetation for as long as the ground is not frozen. Experts suggest 1 inch (in.) per week of water or saturation to a depth of 12-18 in.

H2OExcel can help to reduce soil surface tension and allow hardened soils to absorb water and nutrients 3-5 times faster. Made from a proprietary blend of desert plant extracts, H2OExcel will not harm plants, animals or humans and has been proven to boost plant strength and yield and increase root mass and length, all while using less water and fertilizer.

“Increasing any plant’s winter hardiness should include a good nutrient upload going into dormancy. H2OExcel can help to increase the amount of plant-available forms of nutrients that are delivered to vegetation prior to winter dormancy. In addition to reducing water surface tension, H2OExcel completes the system needed by microbial life forms to convert existing soil nutrients into plant-available forms,” said Tony Arro, Brookside Agra director of sales — specialty products. “H2OExcel also helps water to infiltrate the ground deeper and more efficiently. This effect increases the amount of water available to the plant throughout the winter, even when there is ground cover and freezing conditions. As long as there is adequate moisture in the root zone, the desiccation effect can be reduced.”

H2O Excel, which can be safely blended with fertilizers, pesticides and herbicides, is ideal for use on crops, landscaping, turf, and fruit and vegetable gardens, among other vegetation. H2O Excel’s product ingredients are on the Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) list.

For more information about H2OExcel, visit http://bit.ly/ABBH20Excel.