HCPM25: Soil and Crop Improvement Association to demo. drones, robots at match

BY SHAWN LOUGHLIN

At this year’s Huron County Plowing Match, the relationship between the Huron Plowmen’s Association and the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association continues with another innovative and dynamic presentation at the match.

 

The association has been preparing a presentation for the Huron County Plowing Match for a few years now. The partnership dates back to when the match was in the Brussels area on the Albers family farm.

 

Peter Nonkes from the Blyth area has been involved with the association for about four years - about as long as the presentations have been made at the match - and he says the work being done by the group is innovative and exciting and having a stage from which to herald that work at the match has been a great development for the association.

 

This year, the group is taking a major step forward, bringing some real advanced technology to the match with drones and robots, all in the name of improving agriculture, as well as soil health and quality.

 

The association will be presenting a drone demonstration at the match later this month, featuring drone seeding technology. This technology is generally used for cover crops, such as oats, rye and more to preserve and protect the soil.

 

This kind of advancement, Nonkes says, is very exciting and with it being just about five years old, many farmers would not be aware of its benefits or even its existence, so the match will be a perfect opportunity to show everyone how it works.

 

The second demonstration will be a robot that travels through the rows of crops in a field, precision-applying fertilizer along the way. That’s another level of technology that should be new to a decent sect of farmers, Nonkes says, so the match will be a great place to learn more this month.

 

As part of the association’s set-up, Townsend Tire will also be there with a comparison between increased flexion (IF) and very high flexion (VF) tires.

 

On a bigger scale, Nonkes says that the association being brought into the Huron County Plowing Match fold has been a real boon for the association and for the preservation of crop land in Huron County in general. Being able to connect with new farmers every year, presenting the newest, most innovative technology meant to preserve and enrich the prime agricultural land in this part of the world is a tremendous opportunity for the association.

 

Nonkes himself is still relatively new to the Huron Soil and Crop Improvement Association, but he really likes what he’s seen so far.

 

He was first drawn to get involved for the conservation aspect of it all, but he’s been so impressed with the work being done to preserve and enrich soil, that he’s become a true ambassador for the work now being done.

 

The demonstration will go ahead from 2-4 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 15, the day of the Huron County Plowing Match.