Agriculture in the digital age

INFORMATION technology is playing an increasingly important role in today’s farming practices.
Modern mobile phones – with a plethora of sophisticated applications – keep farmers in touch with their families and business links and up to date on the latest information to help them in their day-to-day operations.
Tractors and many other farm machines can now perform tasks – from sowing to harvesting – within a repeatable two centimetre accuracy over the ground, and with savings in time, fuel, chemicals and dollars among the benefits.
Robotic milking machines and other state-of-the-art electronic monitoring systems hold out the promise of improved farm routines, efficiency, productivity and lifestyle enhancement.
Personal computers, the internet, global positioning system advances and farm mapping services bring a wealth of useful information from throughout the world to the farmhouse.
Farmers can get pinpoint weather forecasts for their properties, upgrade their farm security systems and access farm, livestock and finance management software programs.
These are among the reasons why Farm World this year featrued the theme “IT in Agriculture”.
“The Farm World field days has always been about informed farming,” Lardner Park Events chief executive officer Mark Cockerell said.
“Telstra generously supported and sponsored our 2010 theme and had an impressive display in the Exhibition Centre, which included an auditorium for special presentations and demonstrations.
“Our working machinery demonstrations reinforced the IT in Agriculture theme, focusing on cultivation and GPS -guided equipment.
“Elsewhere, on-site dealers and other exhibitors also showed visitors the technological advances in their machines, equipment and services.”
Machinery exhibits underpin the field days, and some of the latest machines from Europe, Asia, the US and South America were also on show.
Farm World has grown to be Victoria’s largest regional agricultural event, with more than 650 exhibitors.