2024 Desert AgTech Conference underway in Yuma

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - The Desert AgTech Conference kicked off in Yuma on Wednesday.

We share some of the ways new technologies are transforming agriculture.

Hosted at the University of Arizona Agricultural Center, vendors from near and far displayed the latest machines, automated systems, and new technologies used in agriculture today.

Todd Rinkenberger, the Vice President of Sales at Farmwise Labs, says "When you look at the challenges of farming today there are a lot of things that growers deal with that are in the way of long-term profitability. So, this is a great opportunity for producers to come and see what is currently in the pipeline for new development from a technology standpoint, or fully deployed equipment like ours,".

The equipment Rinkenberger is talking about is AI-enabled precision weeding, a machine that takes images as it moves through the field, identifying and eliminating weeds as it goes.

This one machine can complete a task that can require dozens of manual laborers in just a fraction of the time.

One AgTech company shares how AI technology is being used to make up for a decrease in manpower.

Justin Hoffman, the Chief Technology Officer of AgTech Logic, says "It's hard to find staff to drive tractors and sprayers. So, a lot of the farmers we're talking to are looking for automated technologies that can drive through rows, still scan, and do scouting to help them understand what's going on by calculating issues on the farm using AI,".

Other new systems on display include new harvesting machines, steam-powered disinfestation, and water conservation models.

The Executive Director of the University of Arizona Center of Excellence for Desert Agriculture in Yuma, Tanya Hodges, shares the ultimate goal of this special conference.

"To showcase the work with the growers and with the researchers that are also here looking at it and then being able to integrate those technologies into our farming systems… And mostly it's about reducing the costs, reducing overheads, or reducing resources," says Hodges.

Part two of the event will take place Thursday at the Yuma Civic Center where those in attendance will discuss ways how to integrate these technologies into their own farming processes.