Precision Ag – Farmer & Cowboy

‘Precision Ag’ Promised a Farming Revolution. It’s Coming, Just Slowly… Very Slowly

A Glimpse into the Future, with a Side of Reality Check

In an era where we can send rockets to Mars and binge-watch entire TV series in a single weekend, you’d think farming would have joined the tech revolution with equal zeal. Enter precision agriculture — the farming revolution that promises to give farmers superpowers, or at least the ability to know exactly what’s in their soil without stopping for a sniff test. But, like all good things, it’s coming slowly… painfully slowly.

The High-Tech Hope

The story begins with Pablo Sobron, a scientist who spent 20 years figuring out how to sample Martian soil without getting Martian dust in his eyes. Inspired by the high-precision data they used on Mars, Sobron thought, “Why not bring this tech to Earth? Particularly to the farm.” And so, he founded Impossible Sensing in St. Louis, aiming to revolutionize agriculture by mounting high-tech soil sensors on the back of planters.

“The idea is to do exactly what we do on Mars, which is drive and, without stopping, get real-time measurements of every square inch of soil,” Sobron said. Think of it as a Fitbit for your farm.

The Reality Check

But here’s the catch: despite all the hype, precision agriculture isn’t exactly delivering on its promises just yet. Sure, we’ve got tractors that steer themselves using GPS and farmers who can change the rate of seed and fertilizer application on the fly. But the holy grail of precision ag — those sensors that can see into the very soul of the soil — are still a work in progress.

Sobron admits, “It’s not delivering on the hype that it was sold.” Imagine buying a spaceship only to find out it’s just a fancy car with a few extra buttons.

The Government’s Grand Plan

Meanwhile, the federal government is throwing money at the problem, hoping that targeted fertilizer use will become as common as targeted ads on your Facebook feed. U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack declared, “Many of our corn acres are being over-fertilized. Sensor technology is our knight in shining armor.”

Or at least it will be, once we figure out how to make those sensors work reliably and affordably. Until then, it’s like trying to bake a cake without a recipe — you might end up with something edible, but it’s probably not going to win any awards.

Farmers: Cautiously Optimistic

Farmers, the ultimate realists, are taking a wait-and-see approach. Bill Leigh, who farms about 2,200 acres of corn and soybeans in Illinois, summed it up perfectly: “It’s not a jump in with both feet, it’s a process.” In other words, don’t go betting the farm on a shiny new gadget just yet.

Leigh has been gradually adding precision tools to his arsenal since the 1980s, but he’s not about to dive headfirst into the tech pool without knowing there’s water in it. “Experimentation is a risk,” he says, and on a farm, risk is a four-letter word.

The Tech Tug-of-War

It’s not just small startups like Sobron’s Impossible Sensing that are pushing the boundaries. Big ag companies are also vying for a piece of the precision pie, repositioning themselves as tech companies in overalls. Alison Doyle from Iowa State University Research Park notes, “Whatever the government becomes interested in, companies will innovate around.” Translation: if there’s money to be made, you can bet there will be a race to the finish line.

The Waiting Game

But here’s the rub: while the technology holds promise, it’s going to take years before it’s adopted on a large scale. Drones, for example, can take pretty pictures of crops, but turning those pictures into actionable data is like trying to teach a cat to fetch. Jonathan Aguilar, an irrigation engineer with Kansas State University, says, “We’re trying to make sure those pictures are actually useful.” Until then, farmers might as well hang them on the wall as modern art.

The Bottom Line

Farmers like Leigh are the backbone of this technological transition, but they need to see a clear financial return before jumping on the precision ag bandwagon. As Leigh puts it, “There are all kinds of ways to spend money.” And in farming, every dollar counts.

Chad Zimmerman from BioSTL Agrifood sums it up: “We can’t ask farmers to take on more risk without a guaranteed payoff.” After all, farming is already a gamble, with nature and markets throwing curveballs left and right. Adding unproven technology to the mix is like betting on a horse race where the horses might not even show up.

Conclusion

Precision agriculture promises to revolutionize farming, but the journey is more of a marathon than a sprint. As technology slowly catches up with its promises, farmers will continue to balance tradition with innovation, cautiously integrating new tools that offer real, tangible benefits. Until then, we can all enjoy the irony of waiting for our high-tech future to arrive — one cautiously optimistic step at a time.

Disclaimer

The views and opinions (especially the outlandish ones) expressed in this article are the creation of Farmers and a cowboy. They do not necessarily reflect the views of The Evil Empire (Google) or its employees. Any resemblance to actual persons, cows, tractors, or vegetables, or glowing phenomena is purely for the sake of amusement.

11 Educational and Insightful Observations About Precision Agriculture

1. Fitbit for Farms?
   “So now we’re putting Fitbits on our farms? Great, my corn will know exactly how many steps it took today. What’s next, yoga classes for soybeans?”
2. Spaceship Surprise:
   “Precision ag is like buying a spaceship that turns out to be a fancy car. You think you’re getting the Millennium Falcon, but you end up with a Prius that barely goes to the grocery store.”
3. Government’s Knight:
   “The government thinks sensors are the knight in shining armor for farming. Yeah, sure. If that knight keeps falling off his horse and can’t find his sword, we’re in good shape.”
4. Baking Without a Recipe:
   “Trying to make precision ag work is like baking a cake without a recipe. You throw in some flour, a couple of eggs, and hope it doesn’t explode in your face.”
5. Risk as a Four-Letter Word:
   “Farmers hear the word ‘risk’ and break out in hives. It’s like telling them, ‘Hey, why not invest your life savings in Bitcoin? What could go wrong?’”
6. Overalls in Tech:
   “Big ag companies are rebranding as tech companies in overalls. They think if they slap a ‘tech’ label on it, suddenly their tractors will start coding.”
7. Pretty Pictures:
   “Drones taking pretty pictures of crops – farmers are looking at these and thinking, ‘Nice shot, but can it tell me why my corn is drooping like a sad sock?’”
8. Marathon of Innovation:
   “Precision ag is supposed to be a sprint to the future, but it’s turning into a marathon where the runners keep stopping for snacks and naps.”
9. Horse Race Betting:
   “Adopting new farm tech is like betting on a horse race where the horses might not even show up. You’re standing there with your ticket, and the stable is empty.”
10. Yoga for Soybeans:
    “If these sensors get any more advanced, we’ll be setting up yoga mats in the fields. ‘Hey, Farmer Joe, your soybeans are requesting a downward dog session at noon.’”
11. Waiting for Tech Future:
    “We’re all excited about this high-tech farming future. Meanwhile, our tractors are still struggling to get a decent Wi-Fi signal. It’s like waiting for flying cars while still fixing flat tires.”