The 2008 Farm Progress Show is just around the corner. Both Chuck and I will be on-site providing constant updates throughout the event, August 26th through 28th. I’m sure we’ll find plenty of information on precision agriculture, so be sure to check back here for the latest precision farming news from Boone, Iowa.
The show is boasting the following for participants and visitors:
- Field demonstrations: harvesting and tillage
- Ride ‘n Drive
- New product introductions
- GPS display and demonstrations
- Seed and crop technology plots
- Marketing seminars
- Cattle handling demonstrations
- Equine events
- Antique tractors and equipment
- Crafts and collectible farm toys
- 75-acre exhibit field featuring hundreds of top agribusinesses from around the world
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Dr. Simon Blackmore says he has his sights set on the future of agriculture. Not many could doubt that after considering the extensive breadth of research and development the world-renowned agriculturist continually applies to his work in precision farming.
Simon was a leading speaker at the 9th International Conference on Precision Agriculture, sharing his expertise on two main fronts: FutureFarm and Unibots.
FutureFarm is a project that’s meant to conceptualize and then fully manifest the European Union’s ideas on the Farm of Tomorrow. As manager of FutureFarm, Simon says precision agriculture techniques are critical to the development of agriculture. He says FutureFarm is researching and conducting real-world tests of how precision agriculture is reshaping farming practices around the world. It’s a project, he says, that considers and studies integration of information systems, real-time management support, implications of biofuels, socio-economic impacts, the development of robotics and more.
Unibots is the brainchild of Simon himself. Simon is the founder and managing director of Unibots Ltd, a company that commercializes academic research in mobile outdoor robots. Robots, not men, make up most of the labor force in Simon’s vision of the future of agriculture. There are many factors, Simon says, that support the need for such a robotic future. He points out that current technology means farming machinery such as combines, sprayers and plows get bigger to increase output. But, Simon says that trend cannot continue. There will be a point where size gets to big to handle.
Instead, Simon says the ag industry needs to focus on developing more intelligent machines that are sensitive to plant needs. He says replacing large manned tractors with multiple, small intelligent machines would offer numerous advantages. The use of robots, he says, can provide opportunities to conduct operations that are not currently possible or that currently cost too much time and money. Robots can be designed to operate on low energy. They can target inputs intelligently. He says they are also cost effective through incremental investment and integrated fleet management - such as implementing longer working hours, increased working rates and intelligent response to weather. For example, he says robots can work through the night. Or, he adds, they can be programmed to stop working during rainfall or high wind, simply waiting to resume work on-site once weather conditions become optimal again.
Simon isn’t dreaming all this up. His company has already developed robots that can intelligently work through the field, such as a cycloid weed hoe with retracting legs to avoid crop damage, notched disc weeding machines, autonomous tractors, remote controlled tractors, autonomous crop scouting with weed recognizing microsprayers and more.
The agriculturist says he is convinced that equipment will continue to become “smarter.” The industry, in his opinion, will continue improving the automatic control of well-defined tasks and automated data gathering. This, he says, will lead to improved data processing into real information. Simon says the possibility for fully autonomous vehicles with sensible behavior is entirely real and the opportunity for development is now. It’s time, he says, to begin designing and building a new, small and smart mechanization system.
You can listen to Simon give an overview of his extensive work here. I have also spoken with Simon on each topic in two separate interviews that will be posted in the near future.
Dr. Simon Blackmore speaks about FutureFarm and Unibots.
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There is no one idea or definition of precision agriculture if you ask Dr. Rajiv Khosla. Raj chaired the 9th annual International Conference on Precision Agriculture earlier this month in Denver, CO. I attended the conference and, while there, I managed to gather more information on precision than I know what to do with… and there was still an immeasurable amount of information I didn’t even get to touch. Everything I did manage to gather though will be parceled out and posted here, on PrecisionPays.com. So, in the coming weeks, look forward to a wealth of ideas on precision ag science, innovations and applications from experts around the globe.
The first you will hear from is Raj. Raj opened the conference, challenging presenters and attendees alike to think about what, exactly, is precision agriculture. Raj challenged listeners to consider whether precision techniques are only related to technology, innovation, developed countries and large acreages or if they can also include the intercultivation techniques of a single farmer with just a half acre field, who walks through every row using a single wheel and single hoe, his optical sensors amounting an instrument no more complex than his own two eyes.
Raj estimated there were between 450 and 500 participants in this year’s conference, with 250 oral and poster presentations, 34 concurrent sessions on a plethora of precision topics and representatives from 43 distinct countries.
“I think that’s really amazing and very impressive to be able to attract so many people from diverse backgrounds with unique and rich experiences related to precision agriculture,” Raj said.
The precision expert and educator suggests that precision agriculture consists of ideas, technologies and solutions that depend upon where in the globe they’re practiced. He says precision “technology” can, in fact, be quite different from one country to another.
Simply put, precision ag is “the right input at the right time in the right place in the right manner.”
Raj urged listeners to think of precision ag as “something that’s not relative to one place but something that has a place everywhere on this planet.”
“What could be a better time than now to take advantage of precision agricultural technologies when the world is witnessing the largest rise in food prices, energy prices, input prices and the demand and supply of food to the hungry mouth,” Raj said. “Something to think about. I think it is an opportune time for us to take advantage of precision agriculture here and everywhere else.”
You can listen to Raj’s remarks here:
Dr. Rajiv Khosla speaks about his idea of what is precision agriculture.
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The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has announced its plans to host a new international agricultural exposition. The AEM says event will showcase leading innovation and technology within the ag sector and provide a forum for interaction with industry experts. Mark your calendars for the first-ever Ag CONNECT Expo January 12-15, 2010 in Orlando, Florida.
Manufacturers, dealers, distributors and producers from almost every sector of agriculture want to be globally competitive. At AG CONNECT Expo, they will have knowledge-sharing opportunities to better evaluate their position in the world marketplace while networking in a global environment and learning how to gain a competitive advantage.
AG CONNECT Expo will provide industry professionals with insights into U.S. and international ag policies as well as management best practices that producers are using around the world. “Our goal is for AG CONNECT Expo to become the forum for sharing global agricultural ideas and management trends,” O’Brien noted.
Education is a key focus of the show. In addition to showcasing a wide variety of new equipment, technology and services, AG CONNECT Expo will offer information on some of agriculture’s most important business management issues. Internationally recognized speakers will address topics such as high-tech farming, safe equipment operation, alternative fuels, alternative energy sources, general management issues for efficiency and issues pertinent to family-run businesses.
Charlie O’Brien (OQ – into the future.)
Charlie O’Brien (OQ – agriculture comes together.)
Charlie O’Brien (OQ – within their operations.)
Dennis Slater (OQ – bring the industry together.)
Dennis Slater (OQ – other industry professionals.)
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Experts from around the world are gathering in Denver, CO this week. The 9th annual Precision Ag Conference officially kicked off today with it’s welcoming reception. The conference will continue through Wednesday, July 23rd. Experts from around the globe will be presenting the latest techniques in precision farming technology. During the reception this evening, I spoke with precision experts from South Africa, India and Egypt. So far, the general idea seems to be that the U.S. is the leader in developing precision technology while the rest of the world puts it to use. We’ll see if that’s really the case.
I’ll be covering the conference in Denver this week. Updates will be posted on PrecisionPays.com, and most of the content will be used for continued posting on the precision ag Website.
I must say, the reception on the 12th floor of the Hyatt Regency boasted spectacular views of the Rockies. A few of us couldn’t tear ourselves away from the stunning sunset over the mountains and foothills.
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John Deere is launching its new 6030 Tractor Series in England next month. The line will debut during January’s New Horizon Tour. The Stackyard News reports the tour will make at stop at the LAMMA Show at Newark on January 16th and 17th, the Royal Welsh Showground on January 22 and 23, and The Dairy Show at the Bath & West Showground on January 30. But that’s not all. The green and yellow will also be featuring new intelligence packages and precision applications.
This special display will also feature the new 7750i self-propelled forager, 5430i self-propelled sprayer and T560 combine, which were launched in 2007, plus the latest John Deere balers and trailed sprayers. The company’s technical and sales staff and local dealer personnel will be on hand to explain the latest technology behind the new machines, which are spearheading John Deere’s equipment range for the 2008 season.
New levels of power, ‘intelligent’ technology and productivity are offered by John Deere’s 7050 Series self-propelled forage harvesters, which includes models from 380 to 690hp. Designed for high capacity harvesting in grass, maize and wholecrop, this latest range continues to use Deere’s unique infinitely variable length of cut (IVLOC) transmission to enable operators to change chop length on the move.
In addition to the basic models, six new i Series machines will be equipped as standard with an integrated ‘intelligent’ package of precision farming technology. This includes the HarvestLab dry matter sensor, GreenStar 2600 display, Harvest Monitor and Harvest Doc software and StarFire iTC receiver with SF2 signal (offering +/-10cm accuracy for yield mapping). The new AutoLOC feature also provides automatic adjustment of the length of cut depending on the dry matter content of the crop being harvested, based on settings programmed in by the operator on the in-cab GreenStar display.
Click here to view the entire article.
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According to the North Queensland Register, Australia considered him one of the country’s “foremost pioneers of automatic GPS guidance technology with farming.” Now Alan Fetherstonhaugh has retired. But, farmers in Australia won’t forget the innovation he ushered in “down under.”
Alan Fetherstonhaugh spent a decade working with farmers, innovators and the National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture at the University of Southern Qld, resulting in significant new applications for GPS to aid the rural sector.
A founding director of AgGuide, its RowGuide, RigGuide and RotaGuide products brought him recognition via the AgShow/Qld Country Life Farm Inventor of the Year award, as well as awards from other industry shows.
His legacy is that of bringing considerable improvements to precision farming techniques across the row-crop, broadacre, sugar cane and specialist vegetable sectors, as well as enhanced efficiency, cost-reduction, fatigue-management, controlled-traffic and erosion-mitigation.
Click here to view the entire article.
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India is reaping high yields in mangoes this year. The Hindu News Update Service reports that precision farming applications had a lot to do with India’s successful mango crop.
Latest technology was essential to increase the yield and meet the growing demand.
Post-harvest technology and precision farming techniques would scale down post-harvest loss. Proper grading, good quality and uniform colour and size alone would fetch better price to the produce.
To achieve that, mango growers needed latest technologies and innovative farming methods. Scientists must take their innovations from the laboratory to the field to help farmers increase the yield and reduce production costs, Mr. Meena said.
Click here to view the entire article.
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Precision agriculture is solving water conservation problems in India. The Hindu reports that India has reported successes of using precision farming for combating successive spells of drought:
Referring to experiments in precision farming in Krishnagiri and Dharmapuri districts, he said they were successful. Tamil Nadu Agricultural University had been advised to come up with technological options that were suitable to the ground realities.
The problems faced by agriculturists all over the State were not the same. They varied from region to region and crop to crop. “We have formulated our strategies, conscious of inter-district differences and attitudinal responses of farmers.”
Farmers from dry regions were more receptive to technology induction.
Click here to view the entire article.
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One of the biggest client-customer programs offered at the John Deere Agritechnica exhibit is the iSolutions program. Paul Leathem, the manager of John Deere Advertising in Africa, Europe and the Middle East, explains that AMS technology is well known in both North America and Europe, but the technology is less understood in Europe. He says iSolutions is meant to explain the different packages of AMS solutions John Deere can offer to farmers.
You can listen to Paul give a detailed explanation of iSolutions and several packages offered for different types of farmers here:
Paul Leathem, Manager for John Deere Advertising(4:00 min mp3)
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