When Robert Blair first got an aerial glimpse of his 1,300-acre dryland operation, he knew images of his fields would be a game-changer. Like many in the rolling Palouse Hills, the Kendrick, Idaho-based farmer grows wheat, barley, lentils, chickpeas, and alfalfa, as well as cows. Unlike many, Blair prefers to be at the bleeding edge of technology. But it’s not easy. Thirteen years after he first started using drones, he still struggles to get good enough internet connectivity to take full advantage of the technology.
Right now, it typically takes four days, on average, to send data files and receive the high-resolution drone images on a thumb drive via FedEx. “That is not good enough,” Blair laments. Ideally, he could get the data in real-time as he flies the drone.
“Farmers are essentially plant doctors,” says Blair, pictured above. “We have to understand what’s happening to those plants.” On a four-wheeler, he says, can see only about 5 percent of a 60-acre field—roughly 10 feet in any direction down individual rows—compared to 100 percent via drones. “With imagery I make better management decisions”—those that keep his crops producing enough and help him reduce inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, says Blair. “I just want the information in a timely fashion.”
A quadcopter drone flies over a garbanzo field. (Photo courtesy of Robert Blair)
He’s not alone in his frustration. Nationally, only 65 percent of rural residents have access to broadband technology. That may soon change, however. In April, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) announced a $20.4 billion rural broadband fund to increase rural access over the next 10 years. At the same time, several presidential candidates are promoting big-dollar proposals to expand rural broadband, notably Senator Elizabeth Warren’s $85 billion plan.
In April, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) published “A Case For Rural Broadband,” a report detailing the potential return on the broadband investment. The USDA estimates that deployment of broadband—when combined with next-generation precision agriculture technology—would generate at least $64.5 billion in annual economic benefits. According to the report, row crops such as corn and soy will gain 4 percent in gross economic benefits, while livestock and specialty crops (i.e., fruits, nuts, and vegetables) would gain 7 percent and 19 percent, respectively.
It’s an eye-popping increase—and one that presumes broadband is the only hurdle farmers must overcome to adopt more sustainable technologies and practices. Broadband will undoubtedly help transform rural farming communities—by providing economic development opportunities, such as online sales, and encouraging young people to stay. When it comes to the sustainability of small farmers in particular, high-speed internet access offers them a fighting chance to find new markets and stay competitive, but it may also set the stage for a new wave of consolidations.
Precision Agriculture is a Driving Force
Precision agriculture is a catch-all term for a range of data-intensive tools—including yield monitoring and mapping, soil nutrient mapping, guidance systems to apply nutrients or pesticides, and variable rate fertilizer application technologies. The goal of these technologies is to deliver plant needs as exactly as possible on a farmer’s field, saving input costs and maximizing yield.
A command station set up with an early drone at Three Canyon Farms. (Photo courtesy of Robert Blair)
To that end, Robert Blair has proven that by using data he can save significant amounts of fertilizer. Over the last few years, he’s identified four zones with different nutrient needs. By varying the fertilizer application rates accordingly, he has saved up to $20 per acre and decreased nitrogen runoff without compromising his yields. Blair’s operation is more sustainable—economically and environmentally. He thinks increased connectivity could only improve his real-time decision making.
But, Blair notes, broadband is just one of many obstacles to more widespread adoption of precision agriculture tools. He thinks government incentives and increased local expertise to help farmers use these new tools will be needed. “We need the experts on the ground to help growers do their job, so we don’t have to become IT or GIS [geospatial analysis] experts,” he says.
The experts on the ground agree. “If we offer broadband overnight, that doesn’t mean everybody would adopt everything in precision agriculture,” says Bradley Lubben, an agricultural economist at University of Nebraska in Lincoln.