Precision Agriculture Technicians

Key Responsibilities

• Advise farmers on upgrading Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to take advantage of newly installed advanced satellite technology.
• Program farm equipment, such as variable-rate planting equipment or pesticide sprayers, based on input from crop scouting and analysis of field condition variability.
• Demonstrate the applications of geospatial technology, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), automatic tractor guidance systems, variable rate chemical input applicators, surveying equipment, or computer mapping software.
• Identify areas in need of pesticide treatment by analyzing geospatial data to determine insect movement and damage patterns.
• Prepare reports in graphical or tabular form, summarizing field productivity or profitability.
• Create, layer, and analyze maps showing precision agricultural data, such as crop yields, soil characteristics, input applications, terrain, drainage patterns, or field management history.
• Provide advice on the development or application of better boom-spray technology to limit the overapplication of chemicals and to reduce the migration of chemicals beyond the fields being treated.
• Identify spatial coordinates, using remote sensing and Global Positioning System (GPS) data.
• Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
• Analyze remote sensing imagery to identify relationships between soil quality, crop canopy densities, light reflectance, and weather history.
• Analyze data from harvester monitors to develop yield maps.
• Analyze geospatial data to determine agricultural implications of factors such as soil quality, terrain, field productivity, fertilizers, or weather conditions.
• Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
• Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
• Recommend best crop varieties or seeding rates for specific field areas, based on analysis of geospatial data.
• Draw or read maps, such as soil, contour, or plat maps.
• Participate in efforts to advance precision agriculture technology, such as developing advanced weed identification or automated spot spraying systems.
• Contact equipment manufacturers for technical assistance, as needed.
• Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing characteristics such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium content, pH, or micronutrients.
• Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
• Apply precision agriculture information to specifically reduce the negative environmental impacts of farming practices.
• Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).