Do you own an iPad or other tablet device yet? What about a smart phone?

There’s a new application, the Gin Show Mobile App, now available for use in conjunction with the South’s largest indoor farm show — the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show, set for Feb. 25-26 at the Cook Convention Center in downtown Memphis.

“Tablet and mobile devices, as well as smart phones are commonplace and are driving development of applications for those devices,” says Tim Price, manager of 59th annual show that is sponsored by the Southern Cotton Ginners Association, with Delta Farm Press as co-sponsor.

“Ours is quickly becoming an application-driven world. Programmers are rushing to develop applications to make our business and personal lives flow more smoothly. You can find an application for almost anything, from Facebook and Twitter to yoga poses and an app to track your receipts and expenditures.

“The Gin Show Mobile App is a way for exhibitors and attendees to get the most out of the Mid-South Farm and Gin Show. All of the information about the South’s premier indoor farm show venue will be in the hands of many of the most respected and progressive growers in the Mid-south. The Gin Show Mobile App will provide multiple link opportunities for visitors to connect with a company before, during and after the show.”

The mobile application will include daily alerts and breaking news; interactive floor maps; mapping to booths; activities scheduled; download capability (brochures, catalogs, etc.); and social media interaction. The application will be available on all mobile platforms.

“We are keenly aware that farmers’ use of mobile technology is increasing and becoming an important part of how they do business,” Price says. “We are pleased to be able to give farmers and others attending the show a tool to enhance their experience at the show and better connect with vendors who provide the products and services they need.”

The Gin Show Mobile App will feature updates on many show activities, including activities focused on increasing awareness about food insecurity. Show organizers are teaming up with many show exhibitors to fight food and fiber insecurity. The effort involves food and fiber donations, as well as cash contributions to help the Mid-South Food Bank and other local charities address these issues.

Food collection/donation activities were initiated in 2010 when the show joined with Syngenta Crop Protection and its “Weeding out Hunger with Halex GT” campaign to donate more than $3,000 and 500 pounds of food to the Mid-South Food Bank. Those efforts will continue this year, Price notes, and food collection barrels will be located near the entrances to the show.

Weed resistance seminars

A special weed resistance seminar will be held Friday, Feb. 25, beginning at 3:15 p.m., in the Steamboat Room of the convention center. A panel of experts led by Ken Smith, Arkansas weed scientist, will address the management of herbicide-resistant weeds.

Other speakers on the seminar panel include Daniel Stephenson, weed science specialist, LSU Ag center; Jason Bond, rice weed management, Mississippi State University; and Larry Steckel, Extension weed specialist, University of Tennessee. The seminar will be repeated Saturday, Feb. 26, at 1:30 p.m.

A website has been created for farmers to submit questions for the weed resistance seminars. Go to www.farmassist.com/hoods to submit questions. Deadline for submitting questions is February 18.

Ag Update Seminars

Annual Ag Update seminars will be held Friday and Saturday mornings, beginning at 8:30 a.m., in the lobby meeting room of the convention center. Friday’s session will feature industry updates, supply/demand outlooks for rice, wheat, and cotton, and market outlooks for all major Mid-South crops. Charles Parker, Senath, Mo., president of the National Cotton Council; Carl Brothers, Riceland Foods, Stuttgart, Ark.; and Joe Nicosia, Allenberg Cotton, Memphis, Tenn., are scheduled presenters.

The Saturday session will feature popular market analyst Richard Brock, Brock Associates, Milwaukee, Wisc., who will provide an in-depth analysis of grain markets and offer marketing recommendations for the coming year. The session traditionally attracts a standing-room only crowd.

Show hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday. More information about the show is available at www.farmandginshow.com, or at the show Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/farmandginshow.