What do terms like IoT and A.I. mean to dealers? For many, these may still be ambiguous references to abstract technologies.

 

Scott Shearer

But the reality is, innovations like machine learning and equipment automation have already arrived, and are poised to alter the way precision farming dealers do business in the future.

The rapidly evolving field of ag tech is being driven by a confluence of factors including automation and sensor densification of agricultural field machinery, connection of this equipment to the internet, remote sensing via unmanned aerial systems and cloud computing.

So will A.I. replace precision specialists, crop advisors or other agriculture professionals? That’s unlikely, says Scott Shearer, Ohio State University ag engineering professor.

“However, A.I. and other disruptive technologies will assist specialists, dealers and farmers to extract actionable information from volumes of data collected from soil and tissue samples, on-board machinery sensors, weather stations and remote sensing platforms,” he says.

During the dinner keynote session at the 2019 Precision Farming Dealer Summit on Jan. 7, Shearer will draw on recent research and academic forecasts to share why dealers need to stay on the forefront of emerging technologies including autonomy and machine learning that could dramatically alter their business models of the future.

Co-located with the 27th Annual National No-Tillage Conference, the 2019 Precision Farming Dealer Summit will be held Jan. 7-8 at the Indianapolis Marriott Downtown. Among the Title Sponsors making the learning and networking opportunities possible for dealers are Charter Software Inc., DigiFarm VBN, Laforge Systems, Montag Mfg., Reichhardt, Topcon, AgDNA, AeroVironment, Praxidyn, Ag Leader, Precision Planting and Yetter Farm Equipment.

For more information and to register for the Precision Farming Dealer Summit click here or visit www.PrecisionSummit.com. Stay tuned for more updates and speaker announcements. We’ll see you in Indianapolis!