Author: Stacy White
Planning Unit: Whitley County CES
Major Program: Farm Management, Economics and Policy
Plan of Work: Effective Resource Management
Outcome: Initial Outcome
With ever increasing input costs farmers are finding it more difficult to remain profitable as of late. In response to clientele questions on how to reduce the amount of chemical and seed costs, the ANR agent hosted a precision agriculture workshop focusing on lightbar technology and proper calibration and use of seed drills. The workshop was led by two UK specialists and occurred on a Saturday. The first half of the workshop presented information on lightbar technology that potentially could reduce input cost by allowing the farmers to more efficiently apply chemicals and/or plant crops by reducing overlaps and skips. The second half of the workshop covered calibration and proper use of no till seed drills. Proper seeding rates help to reduce the amount of seed purchased. Proper seeding depth leads to better stand establishment and therefore better returns on investment. Both these improvements lead to more profitable operations. Twelve farmers from 2 counties participated and gained knowledge on the use of lightbar technology and proper seed drill use.
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