Olds College will be hosting a two-day educational event next month that will allow participants and visitors hands-on access to some of the latest cutting-edge technology coming into the agriculture industry.
The AgSmart – Growing Profits with Data event runs Aug. 13-14 at the college, which is one of the nation’s top post-secondary agriculture schools.
The college is co-producing the event with Agri-Trade Equipment Expo, with about 5,000 guests from across the province and beyond expected to attend.
AgSmart will feature educational workshops, in-field demonstrations and an exhibit fair featuring some of the latest commercialized products being used in the agriculture industry in the province and beyond.
The Dot Autonomous Farming System is one of the innovative technologies scheduled to be demonstrated during AgSmart.
Known simply as DOT, the system is a 100 per cent autonomous robotic power platform, explains Rob Saik, CEO of DOT Farm Solutions.
The machine is a large wheeled platform vehicle that operates robotically.
“DOT is a U-shaped autonomous platform that is capable of connecting with a variety of DOT-ready implements,” said Saik. “So far what we’ve got is a 30-foot, 300 bushel seed master drill and we’ve got a 120-foot, 1,600 gallon Pattison connect sprayer that can provide all sorts of variable rate technology to farmers. That sprayer, together with the DOT unit, will be featured at AgSmart.”
DOT works without an operator, moving around fields on its own after being programmed.
“We would program in the perimeter of the field, we would program in any obstacles,” he said. “DOT is equipped with a whole bunch of electronic eyes, including radar, so it is using those advanced technologies to basically see around the field.”
He said DOT addresses three challenges facing farmers today: labour shortages, capital costs and operational costs.
The DOT unit and the sprayer would cost about $500,000, he said.
Norbert Beaujot is the inventor of DOT, named after his mother Dorothy.
Saik is one of two keynote speakers at AgSmart, the other being Greg Johnson.
Saik will be releasing his second book titled Food 5.0: How we Feed the Future at AgSmart on Aug. 13.
Other speakers scheduled to appear include the director of applied research at Olds College Joy Agnew, Agricultural Recycling Plastics Group’s Al Kemmere, and Alberta Agriculture and Forestry’s forage extension specialist Grant Lastiwka.
Other agriculture technologies and innovations scheduled to be featured at AgSmart include the following:
• Agri Green Enterprises’ Hay Dryer. The Ag Maximizer will dry six large square bales (3’x3′ & 3’x4′) simultaneously from moisture levels of 15 – 25 per cent down to a moisture level of 15 per cent or lower in approximately 15 to 20 minutes, and will dry down to approximately 12 per cent after a cool-down time period outside the machine. This technology preserves up to supreme quality forage in a variety of conditions.
• Cervus Equipment’s Harvest Mobile. Cervus Equipment will showcase how to optimize John Deere combine performance through interactive combine adjustment (ICA). Harvest Mobile integrates easily with existing John Deere technology and works directly with an iPad to deliver in-cab visuals of mapping layers such as ground speed, wet yield, dry yield and moisture.
• Feedlot Health Management’s automated individual medication delivery system. The iFHMS & Te Pari G20 or V20 livestock dosing guns system is currently used at feedlots and by calf growers. In some cases cow-calf producers would use it as part of their weaning data collection. The hardware developed is a hardware-software bridge to bridge the communication between our software and the Te Pari G20 or V20 guns.
• Future Ag and SIWI Maskiner will showcase the combi hitch solution. The Case-IH Puma 220 tractor will hook to a Supreme International Mixer. The SIWI Combi Hitch solution will show how it connects the tractor to an implement in seconds. This hitch connects the PTO shaft and all hydraulic and electrical connections, without leaving the seat.
• Landview Drones’ UAVs in crop production. The company will demonstrate the capabilities for drone use in crop production. In addition to witnessing the ease of operation, weather permitting, visitors will be able to see the types of sensors used and data produced by advanced remove sensing systems such as the Slantrange multispectral and Sentera NDVI cameras. LandView staff will answer questions about how drone data is used in real farm scenarios and about Transport Canada regulations for sale and legal flight.
Patrick Machacek is the vice-president development and strategy at Olds College.
AgSmart was prompted by a “growing interest in having a public show that would provide a greater opportunity for farmers and the general public to learn about ag technology and where this sector is going,” he said.
“The college has been putting a lot of effort, time and resources toward building our smart ag programming and supports, both for industry and for the students that we educate.
“We’ve got a lot of dynamic exhibitors that are bringing their technology to the show. There will be a whole range of ag technologies on display, and something to learn about in every type of field, whether it's crops or livestock.”
A big part of the AgSmart will be its educational elements, he said.
“We wanted it to be more than just a trade show or an expo; we really wanted it to be a learning experience,” he said. “Both days have a large number of educational sessions that people can take in.”
Giving students a chance to see first hand where ag technology is going moving forward is vital, he said.
“We are really encouraging students of all ages to get involved,” he said. “When we are talking about ag technology we are not just talking about where we are today but where we are going.
“So the future of ag has everything to do with young people and students. We are not only encouraging our post-secondary students to take part, but elementary and secondary students as well.
“We’ve put a large effort into ensuring that students all over the province know about the event. There’s an opportunity for students to take in the event and learn more about the sector.”
There will be two types of tickets for Ag Smart: two-day full access for $165 and an outdoor general administration for $20.
“AgSmart is all focused on data and innovation,” said event co-manager Stacy Felkar. “It’s an education focus. This event is brand new and hasn’t existed before anywhere.
“We do have interest from across Alberta and Canada. We’ve also had international interest in the event as well because our agricultural industry is so well known for being innovative.”
AgSmart will also feature the Great Albertan BBQ and a 90-minute concert by Drew Gregory.
College students are being encouraged to attend AgSmart, with special student ticket pricing in place, she said.
Planning and work on AgSmart began 18 months ago.
Guests will be staying on campus and throughout Olds and community, she said.
“There will be a positive economic impact for the community and we look forward to contributing to the greater ag community with the event,” she said.
To register or to see more information on AgSmart, visit AgSmartOlds.ca.
Olds is located 60 kilometres south of Red Deer on the Calgary-Edmonton QE II corridor.
