Agriculture Technology Events

Date: January 4-5, 2018
Venue: Idaho State University

Idaho Ag Technology Boot Camp will be held Jan. 4-5 at Idaho State University in Pocatello for farmers and ranchers in South Idaho. It will present speakers on related technology topics, provide updated business information, and support networking opportunities for producers.

The Boot Camp’s forums will discuss the latest technology available, such as ultra-high frequency ear tags for livestock management, irrigation sensors that preserve water and money, and drones employed to analyze soil, spray crops, and monitor fields.

Ultra-high frequency, or UHF, ear tags provide many benefits for livestock ranchers who seek methods of managing animal information.

According to a study conducted and presented at the International Conference of Agricultural Engineering, these ear-tags allow ranchers to track their livestock from long distances, which lessens stress on both the animals and the workers, and improves the overall safety for both.

Irrigation sensors are a form of precision agriculture that help solve the problem of overwatered and underwatered fields. Farmers rely on sensors to help gauge moisture in the soil, and thus irrigate the crops with the correct amount of water they need. This, in turn, can reduce overwatering of a field, pivots stuck in the mud, and withered crops.

A growing technology that is currently finding new applications in many career fields are drones, which are unmanned aerial vehicles that can perform a multitude of tasks through direct or indirect control.

Drones today are being used for soil and field analysis, crop spraying, crop monitoring, and are being adapted to many other operational uses that make managing farms easier. Attendees interested in developing their knowledge of drones can attend a half-day class that will be held on the Boot Camp’s second day.

These and other technological operations and advances in the field of agriculture and livestock management are on the Boot Camp’s agenda.

The cost is $45 for the Jan. 4 seminar only and $65 for both days of the event.

Those interested in learning more about the boot camp can call (208) 282-3372 or visit cetrain.isu.edu/agtech to register.

Source: https://cetrain.isu.edu/