By Deborah Holmén, M.Ed., NBCT
Farming has come a long way since the days of horse-drawn plows and guesswork. Today, the agricultural industry embraces new technological advancements and innovative farming techniques to increase efficiency, improve productivity and ensure sustainability. Precision farming is one such approach that has revolutionized how farmers cultivate their crops and the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (UF IFAS) is at the forefront of this exciting development.
So, what is precision farming, and how is Greater Gainesville’s UF IFAS contributing to its growing popularity?
Simply put, precision farming is the use of advanced technologies such as Geographic Information System (GIS)/Global Positioning System (GPS), Remote Sensing and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to optimize crop production.
Dr. Ioannis Ampatzidis, Associate Professor of UF’s Agricultural and Biological Engineering Department at Southwest Florida Research and Education Center, said, “It is all about using data-driven insights and precise measurements to make crop management, irrigation and fertilization decisions. By applying the appropriate amount of inputs to individual plants, farmers can boost their yields while minimizing environmental impact.”
Currently, the top issue in Florida’s agriculture sector is labor, according to Ampatzidis. “Due to the difficulty in finding people to harvest crops, growers face a major problem. This is especially true for specialty groups like investable and livestock specialty groups, which are mostly affected. The task of harvesting, such as strawberries, requires a significant number of people who can selectively pick only the ripe ones within a specific time frame, which is a challenging task even for humans. Through automation and robotics, precision agriculture aims to alleviate these difficulties,” he said.
UF IFAS is a leader in precision farming, offering education and outreach programs to Florida’s specialty crop industry through its Agricultural and Biological Engineering extension services. They aim to promote the adoption and utilization of precision agriculture machinery, equipment and techniques.
They employ various technologies as part of their program, from ‘smart’ machinery, such as tractors and planters, to wireless sensor networks, machine vision and robotics- all under the umbrella of precision agriculture.
One of the most exciting and popular components of UF’s Precision Farming program is the use of drones that can capture LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), multispectral and thermal images. These images can be converted into meaningful information to help farmers monitor crop health, detect early signs of pest or disease infestation and track plant growth. More precise methods of predicting plant growth and pest control options leads to optimized crop yields, ultimately resulting in income-boosting productivity.
“In addition to the efficiency and profitability are the benefits of precision farming to environmental sustainability,” said Ampatzidis. “Soil, water and other resources are also saved in the process. By using precision agriculture to make more effective use of inputs, farmers reduce waste and minimize their environmental impact.”
These cutting-edge technologies are for more than just large-scale commercial farming. While significant investments are necessary for the implementation of precision agriculture, UF IFAS works extensively with smaller farmers to ensure that they, too, can benefit from these technological advancements.
UF Innovation in Farming
Agroview is a technology that uses cloud computing and artificial intelligence to analyze agricultural data collected by drones. This can help farmers understand their crops better and make more informed decisions.
Smart Tree Crop Sprayer is an innovation that helps farmers spray crops more efficiently and safely. It uses advanced sensors and artificial intelligence to detect the amount of spray needed on each tree, saving money and reducing waste.
Smart and precision weed management technology manages weeds with precision, using artificial intelligence to create low-cost solutions for controlling weeds.
Automated insect detection and monitoring system in orchards is being used to detect and monitor insects. This is an automated vision-based system, and it uses artificial intelligence to help identify a specific type of insect called the Asian citrus psyllid.
With precision farming growing in popularity, it is clear that agricultural methods and practices continue to change throughout the generations. The exciting contributions of UF IFAS and innovative technologies of precision farming are helping to grow one thing for sure – a promising future for the agriculture industry.
