DELEGATES expect to ‘learn, share, connect and be inspired about precision agriculture’ at a major industry event in Toowoomba on September 12-13.
The Precision Agriculture in Australasia Symposium is being hosted by the Society of Precision Agriculture Australia and the University of Sydney’s Precision Agriculture Laboratory at the City Golf Club, Toowoomba.
The program includes a wide range of speakers from across Australia on the use of precision agriculture technologies from a range of agricultural production systems. Attendees will hear the latest in research developments in production systems including grains, livestock, sugar, horticulture and vegetables and environment. This will also be supported with practical presentations by farmers demonstrating how precision agriculture is applied at a farm level.
SPAA president Robin Schaefer said the event aimed to provide an insight into, and inspiration from, the work being undertaken to develop and apply PA in a wide range of agricultural industries.
“Farmers, commercial suppliers, advisors, researchers along with government institutions and anyone with an interest in the future of agriculture are welcomed to participate,” Mr Schaefer said.
This year, our international guest speaker is Lisa Prassack founder of the US company Prassack Advisers. With over 20 years in emerging technology, and most importantly, real-life, in-the- trenches agriculture and business experience, Ms Prassack brings expertise translating customer needs into big data applications for informed decisions.
The event will kick off with a presentation from Graeme Cox on precision landforming for irrigation management. The conference also features practical presentations from a number of Queensland farmers including local Ed Windley, from Kalbar, who will discuss PA in vegetable cropping. Also on the program is St John Kent a large scale grain producer from Jimbour, and sugar producer Denis Pozzebon of Ayr.
Mr Schaefer says the use of farmers as speakers is a crucial extension mechanism.
“It’s the practical issues in the field that can’t be replicate in the lab that generally make trying something new on-farm difficult, and learning from others’ mistakes is a way to avoid the pitfalls of new technology,” he said.
Brett Whelan, associate professor in PA at the University of Sydney, said some fantastic novel research would be presented including the latest results on the pest and disease management, remote sensing, moisture probes and UAVs.
Also on the program is Sarah Limpus, a Queensland researcher who has been trying to unravel the benefits of PA for intensive horticulture. She has implemented a range of PA technologies across eight Queensland vegetable farms (e.g. carrots, chilli, potato, sweetpotato, tomatoes, green beans and onions).
“While the majority of technologies implemented could be considered mature in broad acre agriculture; intensive horticulture creates significant spatial, temporal and cultural obstacles that are critical to overcome,” she said.
The conference will also host sponsor and funding partner exhibits for farmers and industry to chat with leading PA equipment providers. They will also be displaying their products and services at the trade exhibition that is available throughout the two days for attendees.
During the symposium, delegates will enjoy several networking sessions designed to encourage discussion on the information presented. A free social event – PA Connections – will follow Monday’s formal proceedings, followed by a two-course dinner.
Excitingly, this year SPAA will be hosting a number of tours in conjunction to the conference, making it an event better than before.
Registration starts at noon with a welcome lunch. The cost to attend is $235/person for SPAA members or $395 for non-members which include the conference dinner ticket. We also have a special to join SPAA and attend at a reduced rate. Registration includes the symposium proceedings, lunch, morning and afternoon teas and invitation to PA Connections.
It is the first time the event has been held in Queensland.
For more information and to register CLICK HERE. Otherwise contact Nicole Dimos on 0437 422 000, email nicole@spaa.com.au
