Emerging Technology I: Field Testing Technologies to Improve Decision Making and Crop Quality
9:00am - 11:00am
This session will introduce the GLExpo emerging technology series and how they reflect the changing needs of the industry and seek to engage growers, processors and other industry participants in the AgTech innovation process in Michigan and beyond. This session will also introduce two different field testing technologies to support decision making and crop quality for different crops and production systems.

Introducing the GLExpo Emerging Technology Series
9:00am - 9:20am
This talk will introduce the GLExpo emerging technology series and how they reflect the changing needs of the industry and seek to engage growers, processors and other industry participants in the AgTech innovation process in Michigan and beyond.
Julia Miller-Michigan State University
Joe Affholter-Michigan State University

Redefining Soil Testing: The Future of Soil Health Monitoring
9:20am - 10:00am
Conventional soil testing methods involve lengthy, costly, and property-specific analyses using various instruments and extraction procedures. This technology leverages mid-infrared spectroscopy to innovate soil testing by offering a faster, cost-effective, and waste-free solution. This advanced technique allows for the simultaneous analysis of multiple soil properties in a single scan, significantly reducing the time and cost associated with conventional methods.
Faisal Sherif-Michigan State University
Lisa Tiemann-Michigan State University
 
Electronic-Free Wireless Sensors for Subsoil Moisture and Microbial Activity Monitoring
10:00am-10:40am
Dr. Rahimi will discuss some of the latest technologies his team has developed for the scalable manufacturing of RF sensors with low-cost biodegradable materials. These sensors can be widely distributed in agricultural fields to monitor spatial and temporal physical properties such as electrical conductivity and moisture, as well as microbial activity assessment.
Rahim Rahimi-Purdue University