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"This program features presentations that will provide an
economic evaluation and broad overview of available GPS
technologies," said Jay Solomon, a University of Illinois
Extension educator in engineering technology. "There will also
be demonstrations that will offer hands-on experience to answer
application questions." The program kicks off at 8:30 a.m.
with a presentation by Terry Griffin of Purdue University,
titled "The 'Dollar$ and Sense' of GPS in Agriculture," a
discussion of the economic impact of various assisted guidance
and auto-guidance technologies.
William "Rudy" Rudolph of Mid-Tech will speak to the current
status of GPS technology in agriculture as he presents "Where in
the World is the GPS Industry Today?" Also, Qin Zhang, U of I
professor of agricultural and biological engineering, will
present "To Infinity and Beyond -- Technology: What is on the
Horizon?" Zhang's research has focused on the future use of GPS
technologies in agriculture.
In addition, Solomon noted, concurrent sessions will be
offered. Those sessions, repeated twice, are:
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Session A: "So
You Have Yield Data, Now What?"
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Session B:
"Conservation Farming with GPS -- Farm Bill, FSA and GPS"
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Session C: "The
Future is In Your Hands -- GPS Handheld Technology"
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Session D:
"On-Farm Research With GPS"
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 Industry presentations and field demonstrations will round out
the conference, which ends at 5 p.m.
"If you've been considering adding auto-guidance or GPS data
collection technology to your tractor or combine, then you won't
want to miss this opportunity to actually 'test drive' and compare
several of these equipment options at this conference," said Pete
Fandel, a University of Illinois Extension educator in crop systems.
The deadline for registration is June 16. The $15 registration
fee includes lunch, breaks and handouts. To register, contact the
McLean County Extension Unit at (309) 663-8306.
"There's a lot of new technology in the field of GPS and
agriculture," said Solomon. "It can be a little overwhelming until
you learn just what it can do for you."
The conference is sponsored by University of Illinois Extension
and the McLean County Farm Bureau.
[University
of Illinois College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental
Sciences news release]
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