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Building a basis of creative solutions for the future.
What is the basis for true innovation? In the world of agricultural technology, it’s a network and team approach to produce a business-focused strategy that leads to real results.
AgTech Centre has used this approach to establish itself as a key link between research and applied solutions in sustainable agricultural systems. "Our challenge is to make the latest and best technology available to producers," says Lawrence Papworth, manager and project engineer at AgTech Centre.
Build on history
AgTech Centre’s respected track record, built over a 45-year history of Prairie-based testing and evaluation, plays a key role in technology development. Its broad-based applied research and technology development keeps pace with a rapidly changing agricultural industry.
"We provide ongoing testing and evaluation of equipment and production practices that directly benefit farmers," says Papworth. "Technology development is the key to sustainable agriculture and producer profitability."
The Lethbridge-based Centre was established in 1975 as one of three centres making up the Prairie Agricultural Machinery Research Institute (PAMI). It focused on evaluating tillage, seeding and spraying technology. Later, renamed as the Alberta Farm Machinery Research Centre, it became part of Alberta Agriculture’s Agricultural Engineering Branch.
With an expanding mandate that included research and development, the Centre was established as AgTech Centre in 2001. It continues to have a complementary relationship with many research institutions.
Broad, sustainable focus
AgTech Centre’s objective is to provide sustainable farming solutions to today’s producers. Though the Centre maintains a strong focus on crop production technology, it also examines many of the fundamental issues affecting livestock production such as manure and nutrient management, composting technology, as well as air and water quality. Projects often cross over between these key sectors.
"Recognizing that many aspects of crop and livestock production complement each other, we take a holistic approach in our research," says Papworth. "We investigate technology that can be used or adapted by crop farmers and livestock producers to further their efforts toward sustainable production."
Strong partnerships
The multi-disciplinary approach of AgTech Centre’s research and technology development is based on highly valued ongoing partnerships in the agricultural industry. There’s a distinct producer flavour to that activity that keeps it focused on the technology of greatest value to farmers today.
Partners include producer groups, industry associations, other public research facilities such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, universities and private companies. Through these connections, AgTech Centre leverages resources and develops processes needed to get technology into the field.
Partnership projects can range from helping individual farmers develop and evaluate their invention concepts, to testing high-end equipment for large manufacturers. Support ranges from monetary to intellectual or in-kind support in the form of tools or facilities.
"Partnerships allow us to expand our knowledge base beyond what we could do on our own. And more importantly, they allow us to get the information to producers faster," says Papworth.
Establish core strengths
With a strong emphasis on applied research - making sure technology and practices actually work in the field - the Centre has built expertise in three key areas.
Testing. AgTech Centre uses its expertise and sophisticated evaluation technology to test a wide range of existing and new equipment, products and farming practices. Testing is about measurement. AgTech Centre goes to great lengths to develop new and improved measurement techniques that are statistically sound.
Evaluation and analysis. As an objective partner with no vested interest other than making whatever is tested better, the Centre has the opportunity to make critical evaluations. With its team of experienced engineers and technologists, the Centre can pinpoint problems and provide manufacturers and/or producers with a clear analysis of the issues and the corrective measures needed.
Development. Often the Centre directly assists companies to develop specific technology to test equipment and/or its components.
Bringing technology to producers
It’s critical that new technology and information gets into the hands of producers, says Papworth. "The best technology and latest information has no value if no one knows about it, so making the results of AgTech’s evaluations and analysis available to producers is a fundamental part of our business."
AgTech has a wide range of reports, newsletters and other communication tools available for producers and industry. |