Precision Agriculture Tool To Solve Fruit Growers’ Problems
March 21, 2011 Precision agriculture technology is not the answer to a fruit grower’s problems; it is a toolbox to help solve those problems. That’s one of the nuggets I gleaned in attending the World Ag Expo this year, which was a real treat. Not only did I enjoy the three solid days of sunshine, I was fortunate to meet a number of exhibitors of precision agriculture technology.
Many of them shared a similar notion when asked why fruit growers were so reluctant to employ the technology. Besides the expected responses regarding limited acreage, etc., they said fruit growers were frustrated by the extraordinary promise of the technology. Growers were frustrated because they viewed the technology as being an answer to their problems, when it’s really just another part of the toolkit to help solve those problems — albeit an extraordinarily useful one.
I got to thinking about that idea in driving home from a visit to the grower who appears on the cover of this issue, Matt Angell. It wasn’t so much what Matt said about precision ag technology, it was the directions he gave me back to the highway. They were remarkably simple, a sharp contrast to the ones I got when I plugged his address into Google Maps before leaving the office. Funny, I just realized that even though I now use an app on my phone to navigate this great country, I still have the habit of entering the address of a new destination into Google Maps. Live and learn.
Don’t Go Straight
Anyway, while Matt’s directions involved two turns, Google advised that I take seven. Many turns, as you might guess, resulted in taking a street for less than a mile. Being the most direct route as the crow flies — if the crow were driving a car — it was essentially a zigzag path through the heart of California’s San Joaquin Valley. While it may have been the most direct route, with all those stops it was certainly not the fastest or easiest, both of which are vastly more desirable. In other words, the mapping technology didn’t provide me the best answer, but it was a useful tool in locating Matt’s farm.
The experience reminded me of a friend who visited a town where I used to live. He too used Google Maps, and was advised to take an old highway that was in fact the most direct route. But a much faster, newer highway not only provided a safer route, it shaved a good half-hour off the drive. The shortest distance between two points may be a straight line, but it’s not necessarily the fastest, the safest, or the easiest.
The reason I point this out is that after ingesting all this information about precision agriculture, I definitely think that most fruit growers can benefit from the use of the technology. But before considering any purchases, take the advice of Michael Gomes of Topcon Positioning Systems. First, take a step back and evaluate your operation. Start by asking yourself a few questions. Where do you believe are the best opportunities for efficiencies in your operation? Are you trying to reduce input costs? Are you trying to increase yield? Grow a better quality crop?
Then take a look at what technology is out there. Ask specific questions. How can it help you be a more efficient grower? Pencil it out. I’m guessing you’ll be pleased to find that by employing the many useful tools that precision agriculture technology offers today, you’ll not only boost your bottom line, you’ll enjoy the drive.
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