Precision Farming Dealer editors encounter a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at various aspects of our great agricultural industry. Here is our favorite content from the past week:

Best of the Web This Week is brought to you by Salford Group.

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As global leaders with the widest range of spinner spreaders and air boom applicators in the industry, Salford Group has got you covered. Backed by over 400 application-specific dealers, eight North American parts distribution centers and revered in-field application support, we’re the partners you need to make your business as productive as possible.

Precision Farming Dealer Scopes Out Latest Ag Robotics Innovations at FIRA USA

Today’s the second day of FIRA USA, the agricultural robotics summit taking place in Fresno, Calif. Precision Farming Dealer editor Noah Newman is at summit talking to manufacturers, dealers and customers about the latest innovations in autonomous agriculture. Follow our Facebook and Twitter for updates from the show.

Microsoft Open-Sources ‘Farm of the Future’ Toolkit

Microsoft’s Project FarmVibes will open-source a new suite of research tools to help farmers collect and use on-farm data, according to this post from Microsoft’s AI Blog. The first release is FarmVibes.AI, a sample set of algorithms that predicts the ideal amounts of fertilizer and herbicide a customer should use, in-field temperatures and wind speeds, ideal planting depth based on soil moisture, and how different crops and practices sequester carbon. Read more about the precision agriculture tools in Microsoft’s blog post.

Andrew Nelson using drone

On-Farm Data Could Help Reduce Fertilizer Use, Emissions

Speaking of on-farm data, Fertilizer Canada is calling for more data to better manage fertilizer usage and practices that reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Canada’s federal government is calling for cutting nitrous oxide emissions connected to nitrogen fertilizer by 30% by 2030. Rather than make assumptions about emissions calculations, University of Guelph Professor Claudia Wagner-Riddle tells The Western Producer that real-life, on-farm data from Canadian farms would give a clearer picture of fertilizer use and emissions from fertilizer.

Karen Proud, president and chief executive officer of Fertilizer Canada, said that more data is needed around fertilizer and beneficial management practices that reduce N2O emissions.

How to Protect Customer Data from Theft, Manipulation

In this webinar from the California Council on Science and Technology, six university experts discuss precision ag data risks, needed cybersecurity measures to protect customer data and if certain crops are more susceptible to data disruptions or theft.

Robot of the Week: Small Robot Company’s Autonomous SlugBot

Andy Hall from Small Robot Company explains the SlugBot, an autonomous slug monitoring and treatment system, in this YouTube video. Developers trained an AI to identify two types of slugs and then spray nematodes onto the slugs to kill them.

 

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Best of the Web This Week is brought to you by Salford Group.

At Salford Group, we have range - in our product lineup and when it comes time to apply. As global leaders with the widest range of spinner spreaders and air boom applicators in the industry, we’ve got you covered. Salford’s BBI and Valmar applicators are proven over millions of acres and range from simple, durable fleet spreaders to precision, variable rate machines engineered for high acreage, custom application. Backed by over 400 application-specific dealers, eight North American parts distribution centers and revered in-field application support, we’re the partners you need to make your business as productive as possible.

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