Brazilian Ag Engineering Congress – Canoas RS

The XXXIV Brazilian Congress of Ag Engineering was held just next door to the Canoas Manufacturing plant this year in the Lutheran University of Brazil. The event which was held between 25th and 29th July was a success according to the organisers, with more than 650 attendees, and speakers from the US, China, Germany and Argentina as well as Brazil.

One of the main speakers on Tuesday, the day reserved for the manufacturer of agricultural equipment was Mark Moore, AGCO Advanced Technology Solutions Strategic Planning Manager who spoke about the importance of integration between the research industry and academics, giving examples of how this is done with AGCO’s support around the world.

At the MF booth the participants had the opportunity to see and discuss technology products like lightbars, GTA software and Datavision terminals as well as the advances in the Aquarius Precision Farming project of which Massey Ferguson is one of the major partners.

Also during the event another Brazilian ISOBUS Task Force meeting was held with the objective of promoting the standard within the academic public. This meeting was a follow up to the one held at the Agrishow in May and caused much interest within the event.

Brazilian Rice Congress – Santa Maria RS

The Brazilian Rice congress was held in Santa Maria in the state of Rio Grande do Sul and was hosted by the Federal University of Santa Maria - UFSM from 9th to 12th August.
Around 720 participants including students, researchers, farmers and professional agronomists participated in the speeches that focused on technical recommendations and important issues for the rice sector (ie. Mutagenic rice) and precision farming.
AGCO was present at the event through its Massey Ferguson brand, supported by the local dealer Itaimbé with a stand area which focused on the Aquarius precision farming project and machinery prepared for rice applications. At the MF stand, a professor and researcher from the UFSM, Reges Durigon, also explained his research into the variability of yield and fertility in the irrigated rice fields in southern Brazil.

3rd International Precision Farming Congress - Sete Lagoas MG

The 3rd International Precision Farming Congress was held from 16th to 18th August in Embrapa’s Corn and Sorghum research center in Sete Lagoas in the state of Minas Gerais.  At the event speakers from USA, Argentina, Chile and Brazil spoke to an audience of more than 200 which included students, researchers, producers and professionals in the area.

As well as the presentations, participants had the opportunity to see and discuss AGCO's Advanced Technology Solutions products offered in Brazil. At the Massey Ferguson stand the main focus was on the advantages and benefits of the Fieldstar Precision Farming system, lightbars, and GTA100 and GTA200 software. The advantages of the system were reinforced by Dr. R. J. Godwin of the National Soil Resource Institute, Cranfield University, Silsoe, England, who showed in his presentation the possibility of using Fieldstar’s Virtual Implement functions as a low cost option for variable rate application.

AGCO also offered a course through it’s agronomic partners BASE on Precision Farming and how AGCO’s products fit into this strategy. The course covered aspects related to the versatility of the systems as well as their importance in planning and farm management.