Urban Lehner, head of editorial for DTN/The Progressive Farmer, wrote an opinion piece this week that talks about the need for precision farming technology to help balance high-yield production with environmental needs.
In the piece he writes… “But, for the foreseeable future, technology will be the key to boosting yields and avoiding billions of acres of forests and grasslands morphing into farmland.
Having said that, I’d add that improving yields isn’t the only contribution agriculture should make to the environment. The dictator also wants to maximize soil health and minimize runoff and input use.
Can technology-driven non-organic agriculture do that? There are reasons for hope. GPS, GIS and other tools of precision agriculture enable farmers to use only what’s absolutely needed in the way of seeds, fertilizers, chemicals and fuels. And the high price of inputs motivates farmers to realize precision agriculture’s potential.”