Cooperative Living September 2021 - 24

CuttingEdge | by Maria Kanevsky, Contributing Columnist
In 2017, Frick Farms LLC
began incorporating precision
agriculture technology into
its Texas farming operation.
Prepare for Precision Agriculture
What it's all about and how it can help you
A
technology advances, farmers
are finding new ways to reduce
costs, improve efficiency and
s technology
advances,
farmers
increase crop yields. The newest trend is
precision agriculture, a strategy by which
farmers use advanced technologies to
control the growth of crops and raising
of livestock.
With a whole suite of benefits, like
reducing costs, standardizing data
and minimizing resource waste, it's no
surprise that technologies and strategies
for precision agriculture are becoming
more commonplace.
GPS devices placed on tractors
ushered in the initial wave of precision
agriculture in the 1980s. Those devices
could automatically steer the tractor
based on the field's GPS coordinates.
This helped reduce any overlap while
driving, making farming practices
more efficient.
DRONING ON
Beyond autonomous tractors, many
innovations in farming technologies
are part of precision agriculture. One
technology is the crop-monitoring
drone, which can take aerial views of
fields and help give the farmer a bird'seye
view of their land. Connecting the
drone to special software and GPS can
also allow the drone to automatically
take photos, making it even easier to
use. When combined with geographic
information system data, the drone
can help analyze the geospatial field
22 | Cooperative Living | September 2021
Alexander Frick Jr., co-owner of Frick
Farms LLC in Texas, uses a smart device
to review data and plans his customized
seed application for the day.
If farmers want to optimize their crop
production, then variable rate technology
can help. VRT allows the farmer to use
a variable rate schedule for application of
fertilizer or for irrigation. Although there
are several different options for using
VRT, the basics consist of a computer,
software, GPS and a controller. Farmers
can choose to use VRT in either a
map-based or sensor-based manner,
depending on need of the farm.
d in eal time for the
data
data in real time for the farmer.
farmer
Using robotics for precision agridata
in real time for the farmer.
culture can be applied to many kinds of
machines. For example, robotic milking
machines can be used to automate the
cow-milking process. These machines
help farmers reduce their labor demands
while also increasing efficiency, freeing
up time. Since the machines are
optimized to work efficiently, they can
also help to remove more milk per cow
and provide more rest for the cows.
SAFETY FIRST
To properly use these new technologies,
some important safety tips must
be considered. When learning to use any
new technology, be sure to fully read the
manual and understand the instructions
before beginning any work. Different
types of farm equipment will also require
different safety precautions. For example,
when working with grain bins, farmers
should be especially careful to follow
training procedures when it is necessary
to work inside the bin.
Additionally, since these technologies
are digital, the threat of cybersecurity
comes into play. Appropriate use of any
USB thumb drives and being aware of
spear-phishing cyberattacks will help
prevent malicious entities from gaining
access to the farmer's confidential data.
Although the benefits are clear,
using these new agricultural technologies
comes with a few barriers. A lack of
high-speed internet access can limit the
use of precision agriculture technologies.
Further, using precision agriculture
comes with a relatively large upfront
financial investment, which may not
produce a quick return on investment.
Before incorporating precision agriculture
technology into any farm, planning
and preparation will be crucial for making
the best use of the technology. 
Maria Kanevsky writes on consumer
and cooperative affairs for the National
Rural Electric Cooperative Association.
co-opliving.com
http://www.co-opliving.com
Cooperative Living September 2021

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