On December 3rd, several Ohio speakers discussed weather, Artificial Intelligence (AI) in agriculture, and precision soil sampling at the Ohio No-Till conference, Der Dutchman, Plain City Ohio. Here are their comments. First, Dr Vinayak Shedekar, OSU Ohio Drainage Management specialist spoke about weather, mainly drought and excess water. Nationally based on insurance claims; drought/dry weather cost farmers about $90 billion/year (43% of total) followed by excess water $52 billion (25%) with other insurance claims around $22 billion/yr (32%). Water is one of the most limiting factors to obtaining high crop yields. In Ohio, typically 70% of water related crop losses are due to excess water with 30% due to drought. Recently though, drought has been a bigger concern. Drought may cut corn yields 40 bushel/acre or more while typically too much water historically reduces corn yields 20 bushel or more. Corn needs about 28 inches of rain during the growing season (Late April to Late Sep...

About this time almost every year, we have to deal with high humidity and high temperatures. It is now officially summer, and it feels like it! After a cool, almost colder spring with plenty of moisture, the sun is shining and it is hot. Plants are starting to grow, but most fields are definitely behind schedule. Livestock also suffer during hot and humid periods of time. For livestock, staying cool depends on first getting plenty of water. Check your watering systems to make sure they are working correctly. Keep water supplies in the shade. Cool water helps animals dissipate body heat. Make sure stock tanks are secure and full of water. Sometimes animals will try to get in the tank to cool off or knock it over. Make sure the water flow is adequate. Check automatic waterers and increase the flow if necessary. Dehydrated animals may need electrolytes; consult a veterinarian for the proper dosage. Misters and sprinklers also provide a way for animals to cool down. In extreme heat, animal...

  As farmers struggle to finish planting and replanting due to excess rain and cooler temperatures, warmer or hotter summer weather may be coming soon. Farmers are facing another challenging year. Some new Ag innovations may soon change how farming is conducted. The whole Artificial Intelligence (AI) movement and machine learning is starting to be incorporated into agriculture. Farming is labor intense but also has huge amounts of data that can be harvested from each parcel of crops to make immediate decisions. Sensors, drones, and satellites provide trillions of bits of data to the farmer and/or consultant. This data base can be analyzed almost now with computers, software, and AI systems to easily and efficiently give farmers instant information to improve crop quality and yield. Here are some examples of how this affects agriculture, now and in the future. For predictive analysis; weather, disease and pests, and improving crop yields are important agricultural functions. Curren...

Agriculture is changing quickly as farmers integrate new technology. Drones, robotics, sensors, and AI are just a few of the new innovations that are taking place. Small farmers are starting to use a new system called vertical farming, and even bee keepers have a new vaccine to help bees survive a devastating disease called American foulbrood.  Drones are quickly being adopted by farmers to monitor and improve crop performance. Drones can fly above crops and through thermal imaging and multi sensors, capture information on crop health, pests, environmental stresses (drought, excess moisture, heat stress, etc.) and nutrition needs of crops. Drones can map soils, check on crop variability, and help farmers make decisions about how to fix issues in the field. Real time information helps farmers respond quickly to improve crop performance. Often, farmers save money because nutrients or pesticides (herbicides, insecticides, fungicides) are only applied to areas that need attention. This...

We have come a long way in agriculture, from using horses to steam engines to gas and diesel tractors, and now to the use of ground and aerial robots. As the human population on earth reaches nearly 10 million people by 2050, our food production is going to have to increase by 70%. Efficient use of nutrient and crop inputs, improving crop genetics, and improving soil health will be needed to improve yields while also addressing environmental concerns. New agricultural technology will also assist in making this goal a reality. By using satellites and global positioning; tractors, planters, and harvesters can tell where they are positioned in a field. Then with computers came auto-steer (self-guiding equipment) and yield monitors with human assisting and now unmanned robots are starting to perform many repetitious agricultural tasks. Several new agricultural technologies have recently developed. Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV) and Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or drones are becoming more ...