The Rural Voice, 2000-09, Page 36Farmers who attend
Canada's Outdoor
Farm Show to see
the latest technological
innovations in action will
ha' a plenty new to see at
the Woodstock -area show.
September 12. 13 and 14.
Working displays will
include everything from a
robotic milker in the dairy
area to a new liquid
manure separator from
Taiwan. to state-of-the-art
climate monitoring
equipment from Austria
and a gyroplane crop
sprayer in the cropping
area. It's all part of $ 150
million worth of hardware
being displayed by 400
exhibitors in Ag Expo
2000. The show will draw
visitors from Africa. the
Middle East, Europe, Asia
and the United States.
Adcon Telemetry
supplies the climate -
monitoring equipment.
Linked to computer
models of plant diseases
and insect infestations this
equipment permits disease
forecasting. A network of
field stations, powered by
solar panels, transmits
weather data by radio
signal to the base station
where the crop advisory
service is prepared.
Doug Maguire, sales
manager, Adcon
Telemetry Canada, says
the technology allows
producers to keep watch
on disease hot -spots and
take necessary
preventative measures
when conditions warrant.
"With the Adcon system
growers can time their
sprays to manage a
disease."
The Adcon technology
is in use in many corners
of the world — from
European orchards, to
California vineyards, to
Manitoba's potato farms.
The Ontario Weather
Network, Ridgetown, will
partner with the Adcon
32 THE RURAL VOICE
WHAT'S NEW?
Canada's Outdoor Farm Show provides a
look at new developments. from robotic
milkers to gyroplane crop sprayers
A gyroplane crop
sprayer (top) is one of
the new products on
display at the Outdoor
Farm Show at Wood-
stock. Right, the hemp
exhibit is larger. Middle
right, there will be
plenty of machinery at
work. Bottom, cattle
handling equipment is
demonstrated, Below,
crop plots attract
attention.
exhibit to show how this
system has options for
Ontario farmers.
Of course the heart of
the Seed and Crop Expo is
variety trials, herbicide
tests and plots with insect
resistant forages. The
major seed and ag
chemical companies will
have a full range of
products on display in test
plots and side-by-side
comparisons.
Doug Wagner, co-
ordinator of the Seed and
Crop Expo, says mergers,
take-overs and
acquisitions have certainly
changed the players on the
agri-business team, but it
seems there are as many,
if not more, products in
the test plots this year.
"This is the place that
farmers can see for
themselves what works
well and what works not
so well," Wagner says.
The site, like most of
Ontario, received more
than average rainfall this
crop season. "The wet
weather has been a real
challenge for the
companies and their on-
site plots," Wagner says.
The six acres of
demonstration plots and
side-by-side trials have
made Canada's Outdoor
Farm Show a leader in
practical comparisons for
today's business farmer.
Of course one of the
main attractions for
farmers attending the
show has been the
opportunity to see, touch
and test drive farm
equipment. "We want our
farmer customers to see
equipment in action and
wherever possible have a
chance to test products at
the site," says Clare
Elston, co-ordinator of
demonstrations.
Ag Expo 2000 will
feature a tillage
demonstration that focuses
on handling corn stalk