Precision Ag Technology on full display

Jan 29, 2020

Farms.com Eastern Precision Agriculture Conference and Ag Tech Showcase Kicks off in London

Farmers across Ontario are headed to RBC Place in London today for the start of the 7^th annual Farms.com Precision Agriculture Conference & Ag Tech Showcase - a two-day event featuring expert speakers and tech demonstrations highlighting the immense value of precision technology on the farm. This year’s conference has an expanded dairy focus and will examine the multiple uses of precision ag tech in the dairy industry.

The conference begins with keynote presentations from Dr. Vern Osborne, Professor, Department of Animal Biosciences at University of Guelph, focusing on the future of the dairy industry, followed by a presentation on Real-time Molecular Diagnostics for Herbicide and Pesticide Resistance Testing by Professor Robert Edwards, Head of School of Natural and Environmental Sciences at Newcastle University in England.

Professor Edwards is representing AGRI-INNOVATIONS Limited, a U.K.-based company that focuses on bringing molecular diagnostics testing directly to the farm. The company has developed a small, portable testing device that can detect herbicide and pesticide resistance in weeds, pests, and pathogens. With results in minutes, the rapid-testing allows producers to have answers in real-time rather than days or weeks. This type of testing allows for quick decisions by producers as to which type of herbicide or pesticide will be the most effective in their crop protection strategies.

The conference will cover a range of topics, with over 20 presenters and many exhibitors, including Climate FieldView, GPS Ontario, Kearney Planters, and more.

Video: Season 6, Episode 12: Veterinarians’ Perspectives on Managing Swine Herd Health Across All Phases

Identifying challenges in swine production and turning them into solutions through research and team development is the focus of this episode. Dr. Christine Mainquist-Whigham of Pillen Family Farms and DNA Genetics shares insights on herd health, biosecurity and trial work to improve pig performance. She also discusses her team’s research philosophy, how they evaluate rate of investment and how they gather feedback from employees to address challenges and maintain herd health across all phases of production. Dr. Carlos Roudergue of Country View Family Farms discusses the growing complexity of swine production, especially as technology increases and employee interaction decreases. He also shares how their workforce is shifting toward more specialized roles to support herd health and efficiency.