What’s the next big thing in precision ag?

Jan 31, 2017

Attendees of the Precision Agriculture Conference weigh in

By Diego Flammini
Assistant Editor, North American Content
Farms.com

The Lamplighter Inn in London, Ont. is abuzz as exhibitors set up and farmers settle in at the 4^th annual Farms.com Precision Ag Conference.

The two-day event features industry experts, ag equipment manufacturers and testimonials from the producers who used the equipment with successful results.

Before the event officially kicked off, Farms.com had a chance to catch up with a few attendees to ask them one question:

What’s the next big innovation in precision agriculture?

“I’d like to see a drone capable of herbicide application,” said Todd Smith, customer service manager with Alliance Agri-Turf.

Mathieu Bourbonnais, a cash crop farmer from Embrun, Ont., about 35 minutes east of Ottawa, said there’s one particular product he thinks could change agriculture in a major way.

“I think SmartFirmer will be one of the biggest things for farmers,” he said. “If it can monitor our soil, help us choose our seeds and determine when to fertilize, it could help farmers a lot.”

Chris Creek, regional manager for Precision Planting, the company behind the SmartFirmer, agreed with Bourbonnais.

“I’m biased, because (Precision Planting) introduced it,” he said. "The fact SmartFirmer allows a piece of equipment to sense soil type, the properties of soil in real time, adjust seeding populations and select hybrids for that soil as the equipment is going through the field, I think that’s absolutely ground-breaking.”

The Precision Agriculture Conference officially began at 2:00 Tuesday afternoon and concludes Wednesday evening.

Can’t make the conference but want to keep up with it? Use the hashtag #PAg17 on social media.

Be sure to check Farms.com for more coverage of the Precision Agriculture Conference.

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