NWFM Technology
From the Ag Information Network, I’m Bob Larson and this is today’s Fruit Grower Report. It may go without saying, but technology is the now AND the future of agriculture with new equipment coming at an incredible rate.
Keith Veselka, CEO and Co-founder of NWFM, Northwest Farm Management, says one of the big benefits of technology is its ability to cut water use …
VESELKA … “You know, I’m the Washington Tree Fruit Research Commission. I’m the commissioner and co-chair of the technology committee and we developed a technology roadmap and one of the key points on there was irrigation, irrigation automation, precision application.”
Technology, Veselka says can surprise you even if you’re ready for it …
VESELKA … “One of the projects that was funded recently dealt with a young Cosmic Crisp block and through that process last season, what we discovered, Nelson Twig irrigation system, automated, it was dialed in, right. And what we discovered was that we were probably overwatering by 50% in that block which, I thought, we were already, you know, dialed in. So, you just learn a lot.”
And acceptance, Veselka says is almost a sure thing …
VESELKA … “And so, there’s this kind of predictive modeling that looks at past weather, future forecasts and comes up with a calculation equation to help you maintain your growth curves on your fruit. That, I think, is going to be adopted rapidly in the future as these irrigation systems become more advanced.”
Go to the Northwest Farm Management website at https://www.nwfm.biz/ for more information.
