High-tech farming

Recently I had a unique view of crop fields throughout Coshocton County. It is pretty amazing just how different the perspective is from the window of an airplane compared to driving down. And in these days of GoogleEarth, we can get that airplane view pretty much any time we want.

So it really should come as no surprise that remote sensing is happening in agricultural applications, and technology in this area continues to advance and improve. The bigger surprise is probably that agricultural remote sensing dates back to the 1950s. Sixty plus years of research has allowed for many of the principals that are used in precision agriculture.

According to an eXtension.org article, Agricultural Remote Sensing Basics, the wavelengths that are measured in most agricultural remote sensing are in the infrared region and visible region. Every species of plant will reflect, absorb or transmit electromagnetic energy in a slightly different ratio. Plants appear green to us, because chlorophyll in the leaves absorbs much of the visible wavelengths and green is the color that is reflected.

Research was initially completed to establish the spectral signatures of healthy plants. That way plants displaying some type of stress could be compared to healthy plants in the ratio of how it reflects, absorbs or transmits waves. This comparison is called a vegetative index and is commonly used to determine plant vigor.

So how does this sensing work exactly? In all cases it starts with the sun emitting electromagnetic energy to plants. Then different types of equipment can be used to detect the reflected energy. It could be a satellite or even a hand-held sensor. In the case of a satellite, the data is then transmitted to a ground station where it is analyzed and then displayed on field maps. Hand-held sensors are being used for a variety of research applications and for on-farm use in areas where satellite imaging can be more challenging.

Remotely sensing images can be used for a variety of applications. They can help identify nutrient deficiencies, diseases, water deficiency or surplus, weed infestations, insect damage, hail damage, wind damage, herbicide damage and plant populations.

Remote sensing is just one of the many tools that farmers use in the area of precision agriculture. For The Ohio State University Department of Food, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, precision agriculture is much more than adopting technology. It is about whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns to inputs and preserving resources.

It’s exciting to think about the tools that will be available to farmers as these types of sensors and equipment continue to advance. And even better to think of the millions of people that should have food to eat because of these technologies. The more daunting challenge that may remain is getting the food that is grown to the people who need it most.

Emily Adams is the Ohio State University Extension educator for Coshocton County. She can be reached at 740-622-2265 or adams.661@osu.edu.