Today's tractors may have a variety of technologies built in, such as GPS capabilities, autopilot, or improved input efficiency. 77th Alice in Dairyland member Halei Heinzel is photographed with her tractor at the Dane County Fair.
Farm work once involved carrying buckets to the barn, milking cows by hand, and using animals to till the fields. Today, farms around the world routinely use mapping technology, temperature and humidity sensors, robots, aerial photography, and more. These technologies have made farms more profitable, efficient, safer, and environmentally conscious.
Robotic systems are one type of technology used by farmers. Crop farmers can combine precision agriculture with robots to plant, monitor, spray, weed, sort, and pack crops. Farms that raise livestock can deploy robotic systems to feed, milk, and guide animals to where they need to be, clean barns, and more. Monitors can also be used to track animals' heat cycles, activity, potential diseases, and more. These systems can help automate subminimum wage jobs, alleviating labor shortages and lowering food costs.
Precision agriculture is another way farmers are using technology. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Applying the right resources in the right place at the right time benefits both farmers and the environment. This approach, called precision agriculture, allows farmers to use cutting-edge tools to get specific, detailed information about the plants on their individual parcels and fields.” The technology allows farmers to input exactly what their plants need, reducing runoff and over-fertilization, lowering costs and increasing plant yields.
I rely heavily on GPS technology as my Tasmania and I drive across Wisconsin, but it can do much more than get us from point A to point B. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Global Positioning Systems (GPS) work together to provide detailed analysis of real-world information. GIS stores data about spaces like barns, fields, grain bins, and roads, helping to map and store information about places. The satellites that make up GPS technology can pinpoint a user's location and overlay it on GIS information. This information can be used to guide tractors and, according to the USDA, plant fields, spray herbicides, and spread fertilizer with accuracy to within one centimeter.
Technology in agriculture is good for business, animals, workers, consumers, and the environment, and I look forward to learning more about how technology will continue to play a role in the future.
During her time as Wisconsin’s 77th Alice in Dairyland, she will play a larger role in agriculture across the state.
In animal agriculture, technology is used through robotic systems and animal welfare management to ensure animals are as happy and healthy as possible.
Drones can be used to monitor moisture levels, nutrients and crop health, especially in areas that are hard for farmers to access.
