What a joy to be at a live field day! A day full of sunny skies, good jokes, and informative presentations!
Our Lethbridge Plot Hop was a phenomenal success, and we're beyond happy to have spent it with fantastic people. Getting people back in the field for a live field day is a great return to normal.
The turnout was better than expected as we needed to pull out extra benches for our trailer! It was great getting to see everyone's smiling faces in-person rather than through screens - it helps when there's no lag!
Farming Smarter Back in Action
The presentations included several from our wonderful staff researchers, InteliRain's Cam Cotes, and a wicked demonstration from our friends at WeedIt. They showcased the weed-killing accuracy of a high-clearance spraying system. Spot-spraying wasn't the only highlight of that presentation - it even comes with its own jukebox! Can you tell what tune that is?
Farming Smarter researchers delivered a nice variety of presentations. The day started off with Executive Director Ken Coles. Ken gave a research update on irrigated durum agronomy. His talk included the effects of precision planting, growth regulators, seeding rates, fertility, and fungicides on the yield, as well as his usual witty jokes.
It's difficult to follow-up Ken, but Cam Cotes made it look easy. A short presentation about the capabilities of InteliRain micro-zone precision pivot irrigation system blew us away. It was an interesting look at new, innovative technology on the horizon. Be sure to check this out if you're looking at updating your irrigation system in the next few years! You can find more information on the InteliRain website.
Just before lunch, Mike Gretzinger provided us with the results from the Hemp Grain & Fibre Agronomy study. Mike discussed the effects irrigation and precision planting had on the crops and how seeding rates & dates affected the grain & fibre yields.
Following Mike's hemp tour, we were hungry for some lunch. Thankfully, Italian Table was ready with a catered lunch of ribs & steak. Perfect for our Plot Hop and perfect for our bellies. It was the midday boost we needed (and it was delicious to boot)!
Shaking Off That Post-Lunch Slump
After lunch, we caught up with Carlo Van Herk for an overview of the Strip Tillage and Precision Planting for Canola project. The project launched this spring at Farming Smarter. Carlo filled us in on the observations related to canola emergence, growth, and yield. Comparing strip tilled plots to no till plots with a precision planter. Carlo will be working on this project over the next three years, so be sure to stay updated with its developments!
The final presentation at our Plot Hop was from our soil researcher at Farming Smarter, Dr. Gurbir Dhillon. With an expertise in soil health, Gurbir's projects focus on sustainability and productivity of crop production systems. His talk investigated what can be done to combat soil erosion and the use of cover crops.
It was a better day than we could have imagined. After a year and a half of having to do virtual events, it was a breath of fresh air to have everyone out at the farm again. We look forward to hosting more events throughout the year and the opportunity to see more familiar faces around the farm.
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