As precision farming technology continues to grow in importance for the ag industry, so do the semi-annual Plugfest events organized by the Agricultural Industry Electronics Foundation (AEF).
Held every spring and fall, alternatively in the United States and in Europe, AEF Plugfests bring together representatives from dozens of ag equipment manufacturers to test the compatibility of their product offerings against each other. AEM is sponsoring the 2023 Spring Plugfest set for March 8-10 in conjunction with Commodity Classic at the Orange County Convention Center West Concourse in Orlando, Florida. Plugfest registration automatically includes admittance to the Commodity Classic show.
Interested in participating in the next event? The Spring 2023 AEF Plugfest is still accepting registrations for participants and visitors.
In addition to bringing together engineers to assess tractor-implement compatibility between a variety of different brands (so as to ensure there are no problems or glitches for consumers trying to match the products up in the field), Plugfests also offer opportunities for networking between industry professionals. Real-time adjustments are often made by Plugfest participants to ensure product compatibility, while other situations require more work back at the company to complete any necessary changes.
“It’s really amazing to see agricultural electronics engineers from competing companies come together and work toward industry solutions,” said AEM Senior Director of Anita Sennett, who serves as a liaison between AEM and AEF. “In setting aside their competitive differences, companies are able to leverage industry expertise to optimize their products’ capabilities and interoperability, ultimately providing a better product for the farmer. We appreciate Commodity Classic bringing this event right to the farmers at the show.”
The co-location of the event at Commodity Classic allows farmers and others to see engineers in action. A Plugfest tour and Q&A with engineers will be held from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Thursday. No registration is required -- just meet at Room W203B.
Tour attendees will also learn about the AEF ISOBUS database and mobile app that farmers and dealers may use free of charge to check compatibility of different brands and identify the source of any issues between tractor and implement.
For more information, contact AEM’s Anita Sennett at asennett@aem.org.
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