GPS Meets Agriculture for Precision Farming

mskfisher writes "NASA Science News is reporting a story on a NASA project called Ag20/20, which involves farmers using GPS-aided crop and field analysis to improve accuracy and yields. Instead of blanketing the whole area with a set level of pesticide or fertilizer, they can now vary it via computer, based on IR and soil data gathered from aircraft, satellites, and tractor-mounted sensors."

Comments

But the most important thing is...

[gartogg]

the fact that satelite usage is now cheap enough to make this cost effective.

We complain that space is not being pushed enough, and THIS is what will make people invest in NASA's technology. Whenever the demand exists for a product, the market finds a way to deliver it as cheaply as possible, in order to maximize profit margins. This is the technology that will enable the space industry to bring the cost per pound of lifting stuff down.

Of all of the space stories in the past year that I have seen on /., this is the one that makes me most optimistic about the space program.

The only part that worries me is that there are not enough satelites to fill current demand, so planes are being used instead as the inferior alternative.

"Satellite images, which require more time to downlink and process, can take from 2 to 7 days to reach a farmer.

Such delays won't be a problem forever, though. 'Technology is advancing quickly and more of these commercial satellites are being launched each year,' he added."

Bravo!

[Cally]

What an excellent idea! Let's save the environment by using geostationary and low earth orbiting satellites, remote sensing, advanced remote sensing, GPS navigation, image analysts... or what about zillions of nanobots, hovering over the fields, acting as a distributed AI 'hive mind'...

Alternatively we could get a clue and start paying the farmers what the market will bear, instead of subsidising them to produce grossly-resource intensive crap that destroys our health, screws the environment, costs us billions in tax (for subsidies), whilst millions starve, and only agrichemical multinationals and food processors benefit.

some , further reading...