Dr. Ray Asebedo

Sensing technology and strip-till are a promising pairing. But what are the opportunities and obstacles to adoption and ultimately, a more targeted, field-tested approach to leveraging optical sensors for real-time results.

At its best, information generated by sensor technology offers, “a well-rounded perspective on how the soil and plant are interacting within any given season and any environmental interaction,” says Dr. Ray Asebedo, agronomic consultant and former assistant professor of precision agriculture at Kansas State University.

To fully unlock the potential of sensing technology in a strip-till system, farmers need to take wholistic approach to integrating these new technologies into their system. From soil sensors to drones, Asebedo will dissect how each piece of the sensing puzzle can fit together for a more profitable picture during a general session at the 2019 National Strip-Tillage Conference, Aug. 1-2 in Peoria, Ill.

“The goal is to bring more ROI to the strip-till farmer and further enable them to make better management decisions,” he says. “Right now, lot of farmers look at sensing technologies as independent tools, and aren’t thinking about how get more powerful use of them together.”

 

During a post-conference soil health workshop, “Seeing is Believing: A Visual Validation of Soil Health,” conference attendees will join former USDA soil scientist and founder of Wetland and Soil Consulting Services, Frank Gibbs, in at a nearby farm for a unique and eye-opening demonstration of soil health. Gibbs will conduct his famous “smoking tile” experiment which provides a visual analysis of soil structure, quality and earthworm activity. This workshop costs an additional $99 to attend. Attendees may sign up online or by calling (866) 839-8455 or (262) 432-0388.

The 6th annual National Strip-Tillage Conference will be held at the Embassy Suites by Hilton East Peoria Riverfront Hotel & Conference Center and feature 2 days of strip-till education through an array of thought-provoking general sessions, strategy-packed strip-till classrooms and highly collaborative strip-till roundtable discussions.

For more information and to register for the conference, visit www.StripTillFarmer.com/NSTC.

Title sponsors making the learning and networking opportunities possible for strip-tillers include AgroLiquid, Copperhead Ag, Dawn Equipment Co., Environmental Tillage Systems, Ingersoll, Kuhn Krause, Montag Mfg., Orthman Mfg., Schlagel Mfg., Topcon Agriculture, Vulcan Equipment and Yetter Mfg. Co. All 12 companies will exhibit during the 2-day educational event.

We’ll see you in Peoria!