The Sunbelt Agricultural Exposition, to be held October 19-21, 2004, has become a world-class "Center of Learning" for agriculture-related consumers.
"The sophistication of our annual farm show seems to broaden each year, as our exhibitors have made the Sunbelt Expo their forum to introduce new technology," said Director Chip Blalock.
A state-of-the-art DNA Tender- ness Test for beef cattle will be the prevalent topic of the livestock demonstrations at the Sunbelt Expo's Bill Patten Pavilion. Paul Swisher of the American Pinzgauer Association will demonstrate the simple method utilized to collect DNA samples from cows, and discuss the market for "tender" beef.
"Studies show that people will pay $2.67 more per pound for guaranteed tender meat," Swisher said.
The Sunbelt cattle demos will also address another relevant issue, animal identification and the USDA's interim system to register locations as part of a National Animal Identification System (NAIS). The NAIS program is committed to tracing animals and premises potentially exposed to disease within 48 hours.
In the fields this year, the Sunbelt Expo will show the latest development in precision farming--the sub-inch accuracy of RTK (Real Time Kinematic). RTK engages a local ground-based reference station near the farmer's field to calculate a position that is not only accurate from one pass to another, but also repeatable over long periods of time.
"This degree of accuracy is particularly important for farmers who utilize strip till, ridge till, or drip tape irrigation. It is also essential for bed, high-value, and closely-spaced crops," said Andy Pace of John Deere.
The Sunbelt Expo fields will also provide the setting for harvesting narrow-row cotton in a 15-inch-row project coordinated by industry leaders. Previous attempts to grow cotton in this manner have been inhibited by harvesting with a stripper, and subsequent "quality" issues. A new system from John Deere offers a spindle-pick solution.
"There have also been tremendous advancements in seed and crop care technology for growing narrow-row cotton," said Peter Peerbolte of Delta & Pine Land.
Expanding business segments that support agriculture now encompass their own areas at the Sunbelt Expo. The popularity of small utility and recreational vehicles, from ATVs to golf carts, has spawned the Expo's first Test Track presented by Club Car. Buildings, or the new "barns", are available constructed from a variety of materials for specific purposes, again ranging from utility (equipment shelters) to recreational (a rustic log cabin).
A new competition at the 2004 Sunbelt Expo is the Tri-State Hay Contest, which allows producers in Georgia, Florida, and Alabama to strive for top honors in forage quality in a number of categories. The winning entries will be displayed at the Expo, along with educational hay programs.
"We want to emphasize the effect management has on producing quality forage, and introduce the new RFQ (Relative Feed Quality) formula for rating hay," said Madison County Extension Agent Kevin Campbell.
The Georgia Propane Gas Association is cutting the ribbon on its brand-new building at the Sunbelt Expo, with a grand opening marked by a hot air balloon. According to Jenni McKeen, the permanent structure will house a living room, kitchen, bedroom, and laundry room-all equipped with propane-powered appliances and amenities.
New exhibitors coming to the Sunbelt Expo this year run the gamut from Producers Tractor Company, Inc., which offers a Picker Pro Shop repair service that guarantees cotton pickers will be back in operation within 24 hours (depending on shipping), to LaDonna's Art, a Mississippi artist known for her graphite pencil series "The Critters Undercover," with familiar state critters hidden in their natural habitat.
Returning to the Expo are the continual crowd-pleasers-the Family Living Arena, Antique Tractor Parade, American Grand Finals Stock Dog Trial, and Hunting/Fishing Seminars.www.sunbeltexpo.com.
