Technology has been like a helping hand, filling the gaps of labor loss. Scientists with USDA tout the ability to allow farmers and ranchers to be in multiple places at once.
“You can be mapping the plants, mapping their performance, like how big are they, are they under stress, what kind of stress are they experiencing? Water and drought stress - is it nutrient stress? Or you could be quantifying, have you lost plants out there like, do you have less plants just because something died? Then you could also be using that to deliver nutrients or deliver other types of management practices,” said Steven Mirsky.
Technology is costly, and that has been a barrier for a lot of small operations, with some drones, for example, reaching tens of thousands of dollars.
Chad Fiechter joins us to discuss Purdue’s precision ag study, challenges in capturing value from technology, and what farmers should consider when investing in and adopting these tools.
April 30, 2026 04:40 PM
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Authorities say the drones were recovered during a routine inspection after being stolen last month.
April 30, 2026 12:23 PM
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The Purdue student team joins us to discuss how they developed Soy-Seal, their innovative soybean-based adhesive tape, and its potential ag impact.
April 29, 2026 03:33 PM
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EPA’s approval gives citrus growers a new disease-fighting tool against greening at a time when production losses remain severe.
April 29, 2026 01:55 PM
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New treatments offer hope, but challenges remain for beekeepers.
April 28, 2026 04:33 PM
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NAAA’s Andrew Moore joins us to discuss the role of ag aircraft in crop protection and emerging concerns surrounding stolen agricultural drones.
April 27, 2026 04:25 PM
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