Robotics, helicopter demo among leading-edge AgTech displays at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show

Aug 30, 2022

Woodstock, Ont., Exhibitors at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show with a special focus on AgTech are set to showcase leading-edge technology right in the field from September 13, 14 & 15, 2022.

“The world of agriculture evolves at a rapid pace, and we will see many innovative products and equipment displayed at our show this year,” says Doug Wagner, president of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show. “The last few years have seen enormous growth in the agriculture technology space, so it is important for us to have a special focus on the new and exciting technology that exists today.”

Two of Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show demonstrations will showcase the use of aerial agriculture technology, including:

A helicopter spraying demo twice daily from Great Lakes Helicopters. Visitors can watch as a helicopter passes over the field using water to demonstrate height, speed and width of application, as well as condition limits for applying the products.

Agricultural drone debuts from SKY AG Tech twice each day, including the XAG V40, the first tilting twin-rotor structure agricultural drone in the world, as well as the R150 UGV, the world’s first unmanned ground sprayer specifically designed for the horticulture industry.For a look at the future of agricultural automation, three robots will be featured through the Evolution of Farming Demonstration, presented by Haggerty AgRobotics:

Solar Powered FarmDroid: A large-scale robot for vegetable crops that offers precision seeding and weeding. The FarmDroid is 100 per cent solar powered, which eliminates the logistical challenge of having to charge the system.Naïo Dino: An electric robot that offers an autonomous solution for weeding, Dino uses cameras to detect crop rows and automatically adjusts the tools to weed as close to the crops as possible.

Korechi HCW and Electric RowMower: The HCW autonomously navigates up and down farmers’ fields with sub-inch accuracy, while pulling and controlling various electrically powered implements such as mowers, sprayers, spreaders and soil assessment technology.“Having these AgTech highlights at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show, all in one place, really is an exclusive opportunity,” says Wagner. “We encourage farmers to not miss out on seeing new options at the show that can revolutionize their farm.”

An additional celebration of the latest in agriculture technology will take place during the show at the first-ever AgTech Breakfast on September 14. Farmers and AgTech startups can connect during the breakfast to discuss the latest innovation in agriculture and collaborate on solutions for the industry. Partners hosting this new event include Bioenterprise, Desjardins, FCC, Grain Farmers of Ontario and OMAFRA.

Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show takes place at Discovery Farm Woodstock and is Eastern Canada’s largest outdoor farm show. Tickets and a more detailed overview of what’s happening at Canada’s Outdoor Farm Show can be found at outdoorfarmshow.com.

Source : Outdoor Farm Show

Video: Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Turning Plant Defense Into a Management Strategy

Understanding how a plant responds to stress is one thing.

Using that knowledge to make better management decisions is another.

Systemic acquired resistance, or SAR, is the plant's more direct defense response. When stress or infection occurs, the plant begins signaling throughout its system and preparing defensive compounds.

But if we know that response exists, can we help prepare the plant before the stress arrives?

The answer starts with understanding what triggers the response and what the plant needs to carry it out.

The Trigger and the Fuel

Salicylic acid plays an important role in triggering the SAR pathway.

Think of it as turning the truck on.

The engine may be running, but it still needs fuel to do the work.

In this case, manganese plays an important role in supporting the enzyme systems involved in the plant's defensive response.

This makes manganese status an important part of the conversation. Whether a producer is using tissue testing, sap analysis, or simply scouting for visible deficiency symptoms, the goal is to make sure the plant has adequate manganese available.

Manganese is required in relatively small amounts, but that does not make its role small.

If the plant receives a signal to defend itself but lacks the nutrition needed to support that response, it may struggle to carry out the process efficiently.

The trigger matters.

The fuel matters too.

Prepare Before the Stress Arrives

The best time to think about stress management is before the plant is overwhelmed.

Once a crop is already struggling, management can quickly turn into a game of catch-up.

This is similar to nitrogen management. Once a plant becomes severely deficient, correcting the problem does not necessarily erase the time and yield potential already lost.

Plant defense can work the same way.

Low-rate, targeted approaches designed to support the SAR pathway may fit best ahead of an expected stress event rather than after significant damage has already occurred.

That requires producers to think about predictable stress.

We may not know exactly what the weather will do tomorrow, but we generally know summer heat is coming. We know certain field conditions increase disease pressure. We know a herbicide application can temporarily stress a crop as the plant processes the chemistry.

Even a properly timed and labeled herbicide application can create a temporary response in the plant.

That does not mean the herbicide is bad.

Weeds can create significantly more yield loss than the temporary stress caused by controlling them.

The question is not whether we should eliminate every stressor.

The question is whether we can better prepare the plant to manage necessary and predictable stress.

Not All Stress Is Bad

Stress is a normal part of plant growth.

A perfectly stress-free environment does not exist in the field.

In fact, some stress is necessary for normal plant development. A plant responds to wind, temperature, moisture, sunlight, and countless other environmental signals throughout the season.

The environment is stress.

The plant's job is to manage it.

Problems begin when the stress load becomes greater than the plant's ability to respond.

Extreme heat, drought, high salt concentrations, disease pressure, and even certain management practices can add to that load.

This is where understanding SAR becomes useful.

Instead of waiting until the plant is visibly struggling, producers can begin identifying periods when stress is likely and make management decisions around those windows.

ISR Starts With the Soil

While SAR is a more direct defense response, induced systemic resistance, or ISR, brings the conversation back to soil health.

The longevity of a farm is closely connected to the health of its soil.

Carbon plays a major role because it supports biological life within the soil. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms interact with plant roots and influence how the plant grows, accesses nutrients, and prepares for stress.

This is why soil health cannot be reduced to one product or one application.

It is a system.

Keeping living plants in the field longer can support biological activity. Cover crops may fit some operations. Better water management can improve soil conditions.