Drones “The most interesting thing taking place now is the rapid development of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), otherwise known as drones, adapted to agricultural applications, including spraying and scouting for pests and plant growth problems,” he said. Drones can scout a field, including the very center of it, far more quickly than a walkthrough. Infrared and other applications can gauge plant health in a way the naked eye never could. And they can target problem areas, applying more seed, more herbicide, more whatever, just where it is needed. “This results in less chemical applied and enables us to lower potential contamination in other areas,” Albers said. “This is where sustainability can make a difference.”
GPS/GIS
Equipment investment
Even higher in the sky than drones, but already grounded in agricultural production, are satellites – namely, the Global Position System (GPS) and its agricultural applications, often used in conjunction with geographic information systems (GIS). By simply by pushing a button in the relative comfort of a tractor cab, a farmer can obtain immediate information about soil moisture, erosion or other factors that contribute to soil fertility. The farmer can use this information to regulate pesticide or fertilizer application, making it possible to treat the field only as needed, rather than wasting applications where they aren’t required. “The greatest advantage to precision agriculture is the ability to manage the crop better,” Albers said. “We can use variable-rate seed planting on various locations in the field where fertility and growing conditions are better or worse – planting less on wet locations or hillsides, for example.” Albers also referred to row shutoff devices that help keep planter overlap to a minimum and result in seed savings. “This technology depends on GPS, on the planter knowing where it is in the field,” Albers said. “And on the harvesting side, yield mapping will show where there are problems during the growing season, and may help determine where closer field management is necessary.”
Precision agricultural equipment is not cheap, and it might be out of reach for farmers whose acreage is in low triple digits. But Albers said used equipment might be more affordable – and might just be worth the investment. “Take small steps and evaluate your results,” he said. “Examine your machinery needs closely to determine what is critical, and investigate leasing, renting or sharing equipment.”
Sustainability Albers sees two general advantages to precision farming: economic efficiency over the long run and sustainability. “In really restrictive times, as we now face related to crop prices, any input costs that can be reduced without impacting yield are a big deal to the bottom line on costs,” he said. The directed applications synonymous with precision farming are meant to reduce waste and increase efficiency – a combination most farmers welcome. Those concerned with sustainability may well welcome it, too, for the potential to reduce substantially the amount of chemicals – fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides – sprayed onto fields.
2017 College of Agricultural Sciences
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