Châtenay-Malabry (FR - 92290), 6 August 2012


EFITA newsletter / 572 - European Federation for Information Technology in Agriculture, Food and the Environment


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The archives of this newsletter
See: http://www.informatique-agricole.org/category/gazette-efita/


Teagasc Best Practice in Extension Services- Supporting Farmer Innovation
1 November 2012 - DUBLIN
Much has changed in recent years in the delivery of technology supports to farmers. Ireland through Teagasc has maintained a strong technology transfer capacity in its support of innovation in farming and food through co-ordinated research, advisory and education programmes.
As part of the Dublin City of Science events 2012 a major one day conference Teagasc Best Practice in Extension Services- ‘Supporting Farmer Innovation’ is taking place in the Aviva Stadium, Dublin on November 1st 2012.
The conference is aimed at organisations and professionals engaged in knowledge transfer. It includes invited contributions from international experts in the science of technology transfer, managers of advisory services farmers, general advisers, private consultants and researchers. Booking on a first come first served basis; see brochure at http://www.teagasc.ie/events/2012/20121101.asp
Contact: Tom KELLY
E-mail: Tom.Kelly(a)teagasc.ie


Third International Conference on Slow, Controlled-Release and Stabilized Fertilizers
12 – 13 March 2013 - RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil
The 3rd International Conference on Slow- and Controlled-Release and Stabilized Fertilizers will be in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil from the 12th – 13th of March. This event, brought to you in cooperation with IFA (International Fertilizer Industry Association), will be held immediately before the New Ag International Conference and Exhibition. More venue details will follow in September.
If you would like to present a paper on Slow- And Controlled-Release Fertilizers, Fertilizers Stabilized with Urease or Nitrification Inhibitors please follow the instructions…. Please return your abstract by the 30th of September.
See: http://www.newaginternational.com/2013ifapapers.pdf


OECD-FAO Report highlights role of hi-tech agriculture
The importance of agricultural science and technology in meeting the world's burgeoning demands on food, feed and fuel have been highlighted in a major international report.

The latest OECD-FAO Agricultural Outlook report, released earlier this week, concludes that agricultural production must increase by 60% over the next 40 years to meet the rising global demand for food. This equates to an extra 1 billion tonnes of cereals and 200 million tonnes of meat per year by 2050 compared with 2005/07 levels.

Additional production will also be required to provide feedstock for an expanding biofuel market set to consume an estimated 16% of oilseed output, 14% of cereals and 34% of sugar cane by 2021.

But with less than 5% more arable land available to bring into production, and 25% of existing farmland already degraded, the OECD-FAO report concludes that increasing crop productivity on existing farmland will be essential to contain food price rises and reduce food insecurity.

Welcoming the OECD-FAO report ís central conclusion that access to yield-enhancing technologies such as crop protection and advanced plant breeding methods will be critical to delivering these productivity gains, CPA Chairman Stephen Henning endorsed the call for Governments worldwide to create the right commercial, technical and regulatory environment for the development and adoption of agricultural innovation.

"The challenge of feeding a growing world population, in the face of weather-related variability, price volatility and increasing pressure on finite natural resources, will require an integrated approach to the 'sustainable intensification' of global agriculture. This report underlines the importance of controlling pests and diseases using modern pesticide products, and warns that current annual losses of between 26% and 40% of the world's potential crop production could double without the use of crop protection practices."

The contribution of advanced plant breeding techniques, and the significance of biotech crops as the most rapidly adopted crop technology in modern agriculture, are also highlighted in the report, not only as the basis for sustainable yield and farm income gains, but also as a route to developing more climate resilient and resource-efficient crop varieties.

Access to such advances will be essential to address the global food security and sustainable development challenges, and we welcome the report's recognition of the need for science-based regulation, effective intellectual property protection, and a progressive R&D agenda to support the required growth in sustainable agricultural productivity" said Mr Henning.

See: http://www.farminguk.com/News/Report-highlights-role-of-hi-tech-agriculture_23901.html


My remark (GW): I have the feeling that farm information management from book-keeping to management, from information search on the web to information delivery on (or through) the web too, is always underestimated even by the best specialists. Innovation in the agricultural industry seems to me to be not only a question of seeds, tractors, chemicals, etc. It is also a question of book-keeping, follow-up and traceability of farm operations that make necessary the use of ICT.


Cypriot Presidency of the EU
See: http://www.cy2012.eu/en/page/home


Paris in motion
See: http://vimeo.com/46106624


From the Precision Agriculture LinkedIn Group
> Advanced Methods For Analysis Of Multi-Temporal Sensor Data To Support Precision Agriculture
See: http://www.grs.wur.nl/UK/newsagenda/archive/agenda/2012/Advanced_
methods_for_analysis_of_multitemporal_sensor_data_to_support_precision_agriculture.htm

> How small players utilize consumer grade smartphones and tablets for precision ag management?
See: http://www.optmzr.co

> How big players move into the Ag tablets?
See: http://www.topconpositioning.com/news-events/news/product-news/topcon-grs-1-and-tesla-compatible-arcgis-mobile


STI
Soil and Topography Information’s SIS (Soil Information System) is a revolutionary soil mapping technology in which soil information is collected and processed digitally to produce accurate, consistent results, very quickly. Digital soil information from the SIS can be flexibly output as printed or web maps, GIS files in multiple common formats, direct inputs to variable rate controllers, or be distilled into a custom format that addresses a client's specific needs.
See: http://www.soilinfo.com/


The perfect mate
At a local coffee bar, a young woman was expounding on her idea of the perfect mate to some of her friends.

"The man I marry must be a shining light amongst company. He must be musical. Tell jokes. Sing. And stay home at night!"

A cynical male listener overheard and spoke up, "Lady, what you really want is a television set!

Contact: Israel KITRON
E-mail: noga96(a)yahoo.com

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