Seeing the latest in agriculture equipment and technology first-hand is what it’s all about
Field demonstrations, presented by Meridian OneCap, are a big part of Ag in Motion and they set the show apart from all others.
“That’s the beauty of having an outdoor trade show,” says Ag in Motion Show Director Rob O’Connor. “You can visit the show to see a variety of crop plots, equipment demonstrations and livestock demonstrations.”
People attend trade shows to see what’s new and watch agricultural equipment and crop technology innovations working in a field situation, he adds.
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This year about 500 companies will showcase their products and services during Ag in Motion. Those unable to give a live demonstration will display their products at show booths and in some cases provide video of machinery and products at work.
A live show hasn’t been possible in the last two years because of the pandemic but “innovation did not stop,” says O’Connor.
“There’s been so much innovation the last 24 months.”
He notes a significant increase in electronic and sensor-driven innovation in agriculture that is designed to give farmers new opportunities to improve farming practices.
With a lot of new things to see, O’Connor says he is expecting large crowds at this year’s event. Ag in Motion had seen growth from 2015 to 2019 and “after two years without a large outdoor agriculture event like Ag in Motion, there’s a lot of anticipation in the ag community for it.”
There are many different types of field demonstrations planned, starting with Ride & Drives, which this year will allow producers to test drive high-clearance sprayers. Six units from different manufacturers are expected on site.
O’Connor says it’s the equivalent of taking a test drive at a car dealership, except in this case all the manufacturers are in one place.
“It’s an opportunity you don’t get at most dealerships,” he says, adding that manufacturers like it because they have many producers there at once and can make better use of their demo models.
Farmers like it because it’s easy to compare units and get a feel for the different machines by driving them in a larger field setting. It’s a huge asset in determining which unit best suits their needs, says O’Connor.
There will also be a series of programmed field demonstrations featuring the latest and greatest in air seeders and tillage equipment from about a dozen different companies.
Farmers can get up close and personal with the equipment and compare the results from each unit side by side, said O’Connor.
The tillage demonstrations will include surface, deep tillage and high-speed units.
In the case of dryland planters and seeders, O’Connor says much of the world’s best technology has been developed in Western Canada and the demonstrations will show the latest innovations by various companies.
Several client-led demonstrations are also planned and a major strength of Ag in Motion is its ability to provide adequate land for those demonstrations.
Featured client-led demos include autonomous farming technology from Mojow Autonomous Solutions and Raven Industries and grain handling equipment from Neeralta.
Also featured near the Demonstration Research Tour, drone demonstrations will showcase the latest advances in technology and data capture from multiple drone companies. These will occur just before the Demonstration Research Tour but will not be a part of the tour.
Attendees will have the opportunity to take a test flight with a technician on several mini drones provided by LandView Drones.
O’Connor says drone and autonomous technology is changing quickly, and with two years since the last live event, farmers will see some dramatic steps forward in what can be achieved in the field.
“I think there’s going to be a lot of interest. We all have to learn what’s happened in the last 24 months.”
The final demonstration area will focus on livestock using live cattle. Producers will see cattle worked through some of the latest handling chutes and watch stock dogs work cattle in a ‘real farm’ situation.
