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NDSU Demonstrations Featured During Big Iron

["NDSU researchers and scientists will talk about tillage, soil health, agricultural robotics and a quarter-scale student tractor.", ""]

The 2012 Big Iron Show set for Sept. 11-13 in West Fargo, will include presentations and demonstrations by North Dakota State University researchers and scientists on tillage, soil health, agricultural robotics and a quarter-scale student tractor.

The daily field demonstrations are scheduled from 1 to 3 p.m. south of the Big Iron exhibit area. The demonstrations will begin with brief educational presentations.

One part of the daily field demonstrations will focus on NDSU’s newly formed soil health initiative. Six NDSU researchers and scientists who conduct soil health research and Extension Service efforts will use a soil pit as an aid to discuss the importance of soils to North Dakota’s vitality. They will discuss crop and range management strategies land managers can use in adapting to changes in climate, cropping systems and environmental situations.

Those involved in the soil health initiative include Ann-Marie Fortuna, research soil health assistant professor; Abbey Wick, Extension soil health assistant professor; Chris Augustin, area Extension soil health specialist; Naeem Kalwar, area Extension soil health specialist; Jasper Teboh, soil scientist; and Ben Geaumont, wildlife and range science research assistant professor.

In another part of the daily presentations, Jodi Dejong-Hughes, University of Minnesota regional Extension educator, will discuss shallow- tillage options for various crop management systems. Dejong-Hughes will describe situations when shallow-tillage is beneficial and other situations when it might be harmful to crop production.

NDSU and University of Minnesota Extension Service personnel are collaborating with tillage equipment companies to feature five types of shallow-tillage machines to help explain recommended tillage practices. Each tillage equipment company exhibiting at Big Iron has been invited to demonstrate a shallow-tillage machine immediately after the educational presentation.

The third part of the session will be presentations and demonstrations on robotics in agriculture. John Nowatzki, NDSU Extension machine systems specialist, will discuss current robotic applications in crop and livestock production.

John Deere Co. representatives will demonstrate their machine sync technology that allows a combine operator to control the location of the tractor and grain cart for automated on-the-go locking of the grain cart into position and adjusting it as needed for optimal cart-filling and unloading.

Terry Anderson, Autonomous Tractor Corp. president, will demonstrate his autonomous tractor. Anderson’s tractor is a 300-horsepower diesel and electric machine that functions in field situations without an operator. The tractor has no facilities for an operator and is programmed to operate autonomously in fields using radio and laser signals. Anderson will demonstrate how the tractor is programmed to know its position and operate within field boundaries. He also will demonstrate the “follow me” mode of the tractor. In this case, a tractor will follow a pickup to the field or another tractor in the field.


NDSU Agriculture Communication – Aug. 1, 2012

Source:John Nowatzki, (701) 231-8213, john.nowatzki@ndsu.edu
Editor:Rich Mattern, (701)231-6136, richard.mattern@ndsu.edu
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