What is Precision Agriculture?
• Amanagementpracticeappliedattherightrate,righttime,andrightplace
• Customizedfieldmanagement• Nutrients• Drainageorirrigation• Pestsandweeds• Tillageandseedingoperations
Benefits of Precision Agriculture
• Increasedprofitability• Increasedefficiencyofinputs• Reducedenvironmentalpollution
Conventional Agriculture
• Uniformmanagementbasedon• Averagefieldconditions• Bestfieldconditions
• Uniformmanagementignoresspatialandtemporalvariabilityincropgrowthandsoilorlandscapefeatures
• Itleadstooveruseoffarminputs
Precision Farming Management Examples• Tractorautosteer• Yieldmapping• Variableratefertilizer• Variablerateherbicide• Variablerateseeding• Gridormanagementzonesoilsampling
Adoptionratesvaryfrom90%to30%,dependingonpractice.
Precision Agriculture is High Tech!
• GlobalPositionSatellites• GISandmappingsoftware• Yieldmonitors• Computersandmodels• Remotesensing• Proximalsensors• Digitalsoilandelevationmaps• Specializedfarmequipment
Robotics in Precision Agriculture
• Unmannedgroundvehicles UGV• Unmannedaerialvehicles UAV
UseofUAVsinMinnesotaagriculturecouldleadtoathousandnewjobsandnearly$150millionbeingpumpedintotheeconomy. Dept.EmploymentEcon.Development
Variable Rate Nitrogen (VRN)
• Matchside‐dressNfertilizerapplicationtocropgrowthpatterns
• UseremotesensingtodetectNdeficiencyinleaves
Detection of N Deficiency in Corn for VRN
HighresolutionimagescollectedusingadroneareusedtoidentifyNdeficiencyanditsseverity
U of M is a Leader in Precision Agriculture
• PrecisionAgriculturewasdevelopedattheUofMintheearly1980s
• UofMfoundedtheInternationalConferenceonPrecisionAgriculturein1992
• ThefirstPrecisionAgricultureCenterintheworldwasestablishedattheUofMin1995
• UofMfoundedthePrecisionAgriculturejournalin2000
Former Precision Agriculture Center Students• FormerstudentsandpostdocsinthePrecisionAgCenterhaveillustriouscareersinacademia,industry,andgovernment
• TomBruulesma isDirectorofInternationalPlantNutritionInstitute,JoseHernandezisResearchAgronomistatFarmer’sEdge
• DanLongandMarkTomer areResearchLeadersatUSDA‐ARS
• Yuxin Miao,SivaBalasundram,MarthaMamo,andJimThompsonareUniversityProfessorsinChina,Malaysia,Nebraska,andW.Virginia TomBruulesma,IPNI
Multidisciplinary Collaboration Drives Precision Agriculture
• PrecisionAgricultureresearchattheUofMinvolvesoverthirteenfacultymembersfromCFANS 5depts. andCSE 2depts. ,andtheWaseca,Lamberton,andCrookstonResearchandOutreachCenters
• NSFandMNAgencies/LegislaturehaveprovidedmajorfundingforPrecisionAgricultureatUofM
• MnDrive,AGREETenabledhiringnewPrecisionAgriculturefaculty• RoboticsSensorsandManufacturingCenterinCSE
Impact of Philanthropy
• Philanthropyhelpsbuildexcellenceinresearch• MyfacultypositionasanEndowedChairgivesmetheflexibilityandresourcestoquicklydiscovernewresearchinnovations
• Supportforgraduatescholarshipsandfellowshipsiscrucialforattractingthebrighteststudents
• Withoutphilanthropy,PrecisionFarmingwouldn’tbeoneofthetoptenrevolutionsofalltimeinagriculture