United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture awarded two grants for the implementation of the Precision Agriculture training for Alabama farmers: a fully equipped GIS Lab for the Space & Rocket Center and a Portable Lab.  Immersive workshops for Alabama farmers have been very successful, as field-based activities put the participants in the “community of practice” and workshop materials included digital ortho photography and datasets of their own land for them to work on during the session.  Subject matter experts from Auburn University’s College of Agriculture, and the University of Georgia were instructors during the workshops.

The main objective of the project is to teach Alabama farmers how to use geospatial technologies, specifically global positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), and remote sensing, to conduct site-specific management and thus increase the bottom line profit of their land.  The overall goal was to introduce precision farming tools and technologies to agricultural specialists in the State of Alabama.

The U.S. Space & Rocket Center (USSRC) has worked closely with the agricultural specialists at Auburn University, the Tennessee Valley Experimental Substation, the Crop Management Association, the Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES), software vendors, and equipment manufactures from around the country.  In doing so, the USSRC GTAC is able to provide farmers with the necessary concepts and a practical working knowledge of these tools, providing case study projects and field demonstrations.

Through this grant, over 300 farmers attend workshops where they learn to use these tools for monitoring and analysis of their own farming situations.   Project models are constructed to identify specific problems.  The models allow the farmer to experience the analysis firsthand, helping the participant reach a solution that will enhance profitability and the environment.  The participants perform field data collection tasks while at the Tennessee Valley Experimental Station using GPS equipment.  Participants also witness demonstrations of variable rate technology; cotton and grain yield monitoring, light bar guidance, and electrical conductivity.

The learning environment is vendor neutral and is a state-of-the-art wireless laboratory.  The lab is equipped to allow flexibility in matching products and tools to a specific need.   The portability of the equipment allows the group to work in different locations, giving the participants the opportunity to see and use precision agricultural techniques in field situations.

The six workshops were conducted from February 2001 to February 2004 and were attended by over 200 Alabama farmers.  Evaluations from the participants were resoundingly positive and praised the hands-on environment and quality of instruction.  USSRC, Auburn professors, and leading precision agriculture specialists collaborated to develop the two-day curriculum.  In addition, the team conducted a workshop for the Certified Crop Advisors (CCA) in conjunction with the Crop Management Association (CMA) meetings held in Gulf Shores, Alabama.  The curriculum involved using geospatial technologies for soils and water conservation.  The sessions were attended by 45 CMA members and CEU credits were given for participation.

During the grant period, visits to NASA’s Goddard and Stennis Space Centers as well as leading research institutions shed new light on the latest training techniques and uses of commercial remote sensing with regard to precision agriculture.

A Soils and Water Conservation Training Workshop for Certified Crop Advisors (portable lab) was conducted in Auburn University on December 17, 2001.  Twenty-one individuals participated.  The wireless portable lab was configured with all the project data and software needed to conduct the workshop and was very useful in the exercise.

We attended a meeting with Dr. Preston Jones, National Program Leader, CSREES, USDA on April 10, 2002 for progress review and to discuss implementation of resource site for Alabama Farmers.

Throughout 2002 and 2003 work continued on Agravision, the resource site for Alabama farmers.

In February 2004 a much needed Computer Archival and Maintenance Workshop was held to instruct farmers on common data archival, security and maintenance routines to protect the farm records and precision agriculture data.

In summary, the U.S. Space & Rocket Center’s GTAC, Auburn University and the Alabama Cooperative Extension System developed Geospatial Training for Precision Agriculture Practitioners and as a result trained over 200 Alabama farmers in the use of precision agriculture methodologies and practices.  The main objective of the program was to teach growers how to use geospatial technologies, specifically global positioning systems, geographic information systems, and remote sensing, to conduct site-specific management and thus increase the bottom line profit of their land. 

Impact:
Optimizing the use of soil and water resources and chemical inputs (fertilizers and pesticides) helps agriculturalists manage their land for maximum results. The geospatial technologies, specifically GPS, GIS, and Remote Sensing, are powerful tools when combined and used as an integrated management tool. Collection of data is accomplished via GPS-based maps, yield monitors, light bar equipment, and soil sampling. Field demonstrations and practice with these tools is balanced in the training workshops with lectures and project assignments. The expectation for GTAC training workshops is that farmers learning to use these spatial technology tools for analysis and monitoring of their land will increase the yields of their land and thereby positively influence the bottom line.