GPS Tracking

With the current rate of population growth not only in the United States but the world at large, food production is commonly cited as a major concern for future generations, and many governments are on the search for new and innovative ways and people that can help make food production more efficient and able to service a needy planet.  Professionals studying precision agriculture focus on how to utilize currently available technological systems such as GPS tracking devices and advanced irrigation infrastructure to produce as much quality food crops at as low of a cost as possible.  The potential for a GPS tracker to make farming more efficient has been realized by the majority of farmers in this nation, and committees such as the National Space-Based Positioning, Navigation and Timing Advisory Board (PNT) encourage the spread of knowledge regarding GPS tracking technology and similar navigational systems across the globe.  Their latest member, Rajiv Khosla, hopes to combine this knowledge with the many useful practices of precision agriculture.

Khosla, a CSU professor of precision agriculture, was currently inducted into NASA’s PNT committee for a two-year term.  During this time, he will provide insights gained from his time teaching at CSU, conducting research, and participating in outreach programs geared toward spreading the word about how a GPS tracker can help enhance crop production.  The board currently comprises 24 experts from GPS tracking-related industries and academia and provides policy, planning, and program management advice to the United States government regarding space-based positioning, navigation, and timing services, many of which encompass the integration of some form of a GPS tracker and mapping service.

Along with his group of contacts at CSU, Khosla has helped to develop an extensive informative program to understand and showcase how space-based GPS tracking technologies can be better utilized to enhance agricultural productivity, profitability, and environmental conservation in a society that values both mass production and ecologically friendly business and farming practices.  In addition, his personal contribution to the realm of precision agriculture has helped farmers to understand how a GPS tracker can be used to provide fertilizer and other agricultural inputs at variable rates and adjusted to specific soil and crop needs within certain farm fields.  With the world’s population expected to reach upwards of 9 billion by 2050, the work of Khosla and other members of the PNT are a vital tool in helping farmers working to feed the globe while keeping their production techniques as cost-effective and efficient as humanly possible.  While we can’t add more land, Khosla and his colleagues are intent on using GPS tracking technology to help us make the most of the arable land we still have left.

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When GPS Tracking emerged in the mid-90s onto farms, the application was limited:  yield mapping for crops.  Now about 15 years later, this technology has made significant in-roads into the way crops are planted which enhances crop yields even further.

To wit, implement manufacturers are now including the wiring and mounting spaces for GPS devices that are built specifically to hold these units.  Also, these units are performing important functions in the planting process that adds specificity heretofore not enjoyed by the farming community. (more…)

When generations farm the same piece land, there comes a time when a man thinks he knows every part of it: every shade tree, every gentle slope, and every scattered boulder.

Now, with the phenomenal growth of GPS tracking, a long-time farmer can learn details about his fields he never thought possible 10 years ago. And he is able to take the guesswork out of growing and harvesting crops and use that information to squeeze every extra penny out of production.

Agriculture is just one more industry where GPS tracking technology is having an impact. Farming will always be a labor-intensive job. But with GPS tracking systems added to their arsenal of farm tools, land owners can do more chores, with less fatigue. (more…)