Oziel Dieguez-Arroyo
Brian Larsen
English 120
Essay 4 Rough Draft
Hook? Farming has a long history of technological advancement. From the good old days when hand tools like the hoe were used to till the soil in preparation to sow seeds, a sickle was needed to cut down and harvest crops and workers would channel water from streams to irrigate their fields. To today, where giant tractors pull specialized plows that can simultaneously till, plant seed and incorporate fertilizer into the ground in one pass, modern crop specific harvesters and irrigation systems to water and cultivate the crops that we need. The current technologies we use are good and have brought us a long way in feeding the world. However, these systems need …show more content…
Variable rate irrigation systems promise farmers the keys to overcome these problems by using a few key features. By using probes placed in different locations in the field to monitor hydration levels, farm owners no longer need to guess how much water their crops need in a day. This in combination with the measurement of electroconductivity of the different soil types, allows for better management of resources because not all soil types require the same amount of water. The center pivots can be programmed to only water when hydration levels are low and focus watering to those areas that require it the most. All this can be done while saving money for water and energy, and increasing yields. According to a test run of Mr. Shmeekles ' farm, one field averaged thirty more bushels of corn per acre and the sandy areas produced one hundred more. With these technologies in place, farmers can produce more crops, manage water better, and use less energy all of which lead to increasing …show more content…
While it may not yet be possible to fully automate a farm. Some of the machines that are used can be made to operate on their own allowing farmers to focus their atteintion where it Iis needed. Large havesters outfitted with GPS sattellite positioning, multi angle camara setups and a computer controlled drive by wire systems can be setup and need minimal imput from drivers to function. This not only allows its operators to control and monitor other farm automated systems like irrigations, but also cuts down on operator errors which could cause improper and/or inefficient harvesting due to fatigue as descried by the article (sensory)," The mental fatigue incurred by these drivers is not only caused by the monotony of the work, but also due to the stress created by the need of steering accurately within tight rows and lanes without causing any damage to the vegetation while maintaining a suitable working pace. The relief of the operator from driving continuously, very much like airline pilots, allows a multiplicity of actions that help to improve the realization of tasks while reducing the exhaustion of the driver"(cite). These combined with a fully automated tractor pulling a grain cart such as the one Dan Elliot uses on his farm can make a big difference when hired help is hard to find and you can have a
Brian Larsen
English 120
Essay 4 Rough Draft
Hook? Farming has a long history of technological advancement. From the good old days when hand tools like the hoe were used to till the soil in preparation to sow seeds, a sickle was needed to cut down and harvest crops and workers would channel water from streams to irrigate their fields. To today, where giant tractors pull specialized plows that can simultaneously till, plant seed and incorporate fertilizer into the ground in one pass, modern crop specific harvesters and irrigation systems to water and cultivate the crops that we need. The current technologies we use are good and have brought us a long way in feeding the world. However, these systems need …show more content…
Variable rate irrigation systems promise farmers the keys to overcome these problems by using a few key features. By using probes placed in different locations in the field to monitor hydration levels, farm owners no longer need to guess how much water their crops need in a day. This in combination with the measurement of electroconductivity of the different soil types, allows for better management of resources because not all soil types require the same amount of water. The center pivots can be programmed to only water when hydration levels are low and focus watering to those areas that require it the most. All this can be done while saving money for water and energy, and increasing yields. According to a test run of Mr. Shmeekles ' farm, one field averaged thirty more bushels of corn per acre and the sandy areas produced one hundred more. With these technologies in place, farmers can produce more crops, manage water better, and use less energy all of which lead to increasing …show more content…
While it may not yet be possible to fully automate a farm. Some of the machines that are used can be made to operate on their own allowing farmers to focus their atteintion where it Iis needed. Large havesters outfitted with GPS sattellite positioning, multi angle camara setups and a computer controlled drive by wire systems can be setup and need minimal imput from drivers to function. This not only allows its operators to control and monitor other farm automated systems like irrigations, but also cuts down on operator errors which could cause improper and/or inefficient harvesting due to fatigue as descried by the article (sensory)," The mental fatigue incurred by these drivers is not only caused by the monotony of the work, but also due to the stress created by the need of steering accurately within tight rows and lanes without causing any damage to the vegetation while maintaining a suitable working pace. The relief of the operator from driving continuously, very much like airline pilots, allows a multiplicity of actions that help to improve the realization of tasks while reducing the exhaustion of the driver"(cite). These combined with a fully automated tractor pulling a grain cart such as the one Dan Elliot uses on his farm can make a big difference when hired help is hard to find and you can have a