ADVANCES IN AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

As global populations increase, new innovations in agricultural technology are essential to meet rising demand for food. In the U.S., farmers are increasingly using “precision agriculture” to maximize crop yields while minimizing the use of inputs such as fuel, fertilizer, pest control products, and water.

 

From self-driving tractors, to crop-monitoring satellites and computerized irrigation, today’s high-tech innovations come in many forms. Some equipment can even monitor and treat soils as farmers drive through their fields. These machines use technology similar to an ink-jet printer. By spot-treating specific areas as small as a square inch in the field with different products such as micronutrients, crops get precisely what they need without the waste or overuse of products.