Learning to Sow, the High-Tech Way

About 3,400 corn and soybean growers from more than 35 states are at the Long Beach Convention Center learning about some of the industry’s rapidly changing tricks of the trade.

At the third annual Commodity Classic, which ends today, farmers are learning about new insect-resistant seeds, satellite technology to improve crop production and a wide array of computer programs.

“Agriculture has become much more high-tech in the last 10 years,” said Kevin Aandahl, a spokesman for the National Corn Growers Assn.

“Already, farmers are using global positioning satellites to decide which areas of their fields to plant.”

The three-day conference is also a time for growers to discuss legislative policies and association agendas.