Robots are the future of agriculture if you ask Simon Blackmore. I’ve already acquainted readers with the forward-thinking agriculturist and inventor, exploring both his role with FutureFarm and Unibots. But, both projects are innovative and impressive enough to merit a closer look. In this interview with Simon, we discuss the creation of his own company: Unibots. The company supports research … Read More
The PVI Approach to Estimating Crop Ground Cover
There’s a new way to estimate crop ground cover. It’s called the Perpendicular Vegetation Index (PVI) approach. Traditionally, remote-sensing-related precision agriculture applicaitons use the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) application. But, Nithya Rajan says her research suggests that the PVI way could be the better way. Nithya is a post-doctorate research assistant with Texas Tech University. She says results from … Read More
Precision Drives More Ethanol from Corn
Ethanol production is taking off throughout the U.S. It seems a new ethanol plant is popping up every week. Well, maybe not every week. But, it is safe to say that, with the recent high gas prices and the recent push for alternative fuels, ethanol plants are coming online at an accelerated rate. This recent surge in ethanol production means … Read More
Precision Works for Farmers
We’ve featured various articles from the Precision Agriculture Institute here on precision.agwired.com and that’s because we’ve recognized just how committed the independent media company is to precision agriculture. The time and research the institutes’s journalists pour into the study of precision technology and the stories they publish on PrecisionAg.com is extensive. That’s why it’s safe to say that the institute … Read More
Fertilizer Compliments Precision
Precision ag companies boast that their technologies boast can reduce input costs by reducing the amount of fertilizer farmers need to use. So, at first, it might not make sense for a fertilizer company to be so enthusiastically on board with precision technology as the International Plant Nutrition Institute. But Harold Reetz, the Director of External Support for IPNI, says … Read More
FutureFarm and a Field of Robots
Dr. Simon Blackmore says he has his sights set on the future of agriculture. Not many could doubt that after considering the extensive breadth of research and development the world-renowned agriculturist continually applies to his work in precision farming. Simon was a leading speaker at the 9th International Conference on Precision Agriculture, sharing his expertise on two main fronts: FutureFarm … Read More
Precision Tech Versus Precision Science
The technology of precision and the science behind it are two very distinct things you ask Dr. Joseph Berry. Joseph is a leading consultant and educator in the application of Geographic Information Systems, or GIS technology. He possesses more than 40 years of experience in GIS. As far as how GIS applies to precision agriculture, well, Joseph’s work and research … Read More
Ideas Behind Precision: A Global Perspective
There is no one idea or definition of precision agriculture if you ask Dr. Rajiv Khosla. Raj chaired the 9th annual International Conference on Precision Agriculture earlier this month in Denver, CO. I attended the conference and, while there, I managed to gather more information on precision than I know what to do with… and there was still an immeasurable … Read More
Ag Expo to Debut in Orlando 2010
The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM) has announced its plans to host a new international agricultural exposition. The AEM says event will showcase leading innovation and technology within the ag sector and provide a forum for interaction with industry experts. Mark your calendars for the first-ever Ag CONNECT Expo January 12-15, 2010 in Orlando, Florida. Manufacturers, dealers, distributors and producers … Read More
Hand-Harvested is now Precision Harvested with John Deere
Tracking labor performance and product quality now comes at the touch of a button… or the flash of a scan rather. The all-in-one Labor Performance and Product Quality Management Systems, one of the newest products from John Deere Agri Services, boasts unmatched data collection for hand-harvested crops. The hand-held device measures crew output and productivity, harvest performance, and crop quality, … Read More