28 Aug NDSU Extension to offer educational activities at Big Iron
Multispectral imaging and precision agriculture, grain drying and storage, and market facilitation payment rates are among the topics that NDSU Extension specialists and agents will discuss and demonstrate at the upcoming Big Iron Farm Show.
Big Iron runs Sept. 10-12 at the Red River Valley Fairgrounds in West Fargo, North Dakota.
Extension personnel will have exhibits on a variety of topics in the Hartl Ag Building. They include:
• A demonstration of scanning plants and weeds with multispectral imaging cameras, which are used in precision agriculture
• Grain drying and storage guidelines
• Market facilitation program payment rates
• Live display of the various types of pigweed, including Palmer amaranth and water hemp
• Cover crop species display and information about cover crop options
• A display showing remote monitoring of cattle movement in a pasture
“In addition, Extension agents and specialists will be available to answer questions about crop and livestock production and general horticulture issues,” said Tom Scherer, NDSU Extension agricultural engineer. “This is an opportunity for people to stop by to view the displays, ask questions, pick up publications and provide input or just visit.”
Besides the displays in the Hartl Building, field demonstrations will focus on precision weed management. The field demonstrations will be conducted daily from 1:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. in the field directly south of the Red River Valley Fairgrounds racetrack.
“The field presentations will begin with an update on precision weed research at NDSU, followed by demonstrations by major equipment companies of their precision field sprayers,” said John Nowatzki, NDSU Extension ag machine systems specialist. “The commercial sprayer companies will show how to prepare weed infestation maps of crop fields and use the maps to demonstrate precision herbicide applications at the demonstration field.”
The field demonstrations also will include commercial drones used for precision pesticide applications in field and range conditions
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