1. Technology and Agriculture: History and Future

2. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What were the most predominant crops in Ohio 100 years ago (1919)? What are the most predominant three crops in Ohio today? Why did these change?

3. Ohio land use over time

4. Agricultural demographic has shifted in the 20th century
Was labor intensive, many small farms
Relied heavily on animals (22 million)
Five commodities per farm
21st century demographics
Small number of farms, one commodity per farm
Fewer workers, 5 million tractors

5. Technological Advancements
Mechanization in agriculture
Less reliance on animals for farming
Less need to produce feed (oats, hay)
Increase in other crops (soybean)
Use of tillage
Early civilizations
Thought to “nourish the earth”
Ard (upper) and Roman plow (lower)

6. Results of Tillage
Burying crop residue can increase microbial cycling and decomposition
Incorporation of oxygen can stimulate microbial activity
Increased residue mineralization
Net release of nutrients available for uptake

7. Modernized tillage Moldboard plow
Jefferson
John Deere
Increased in use with the “steam horse”
Early tractor

8. Unintended Consequences of Tillage
Accelerated soil erosion
Water
Wind
Increases exposure and susceptibility
Surface sealing can occur
Inhibit germination
Decline in soil productivity
Nutrient loss
Soil C loss
Compaction/ Structure
Acidification
Dust Bowl
Tillage + Drought

9. 1935: Soil Conservation Service
-Now the NRCS

10. Till vs. No-till debate
Maximum number of plows produced and sold in the 1950s-1960s
75,000 to 140,000 annually
Major topic for debate
“Hottest farming argument since the tractor challenged the horse” – Time Magazine

11. Evidence of the debate

13. Northwest Ohio Tillage, 2006-2010
Tillage Type
Corn
Soybean
Wheat
Total
No-Till
210,636*
979,917
303,438
1,493,991
Mulch-Till
133,098
139,203
23,201
295,501
Conventional
746,690
414,557
101,960
1,263,207
1,090,424
1,533,676
428,599
3,052,700
Northwest Ohio Tillage,
Tillage Type
Corn
Soybean
Wheat
Total
No-Till
210,636*
979,917
303,438
1,493,991
Mulch-Till
133,098
139,203
23,201
295,501
Conventional
746,690
414,557
101,960
1,263,207
1,090,424
1,533,676
428,599
3,052,700
*All values are the acres (1 acre = 1 football field) with this tillage employed in the Western Lake Erie Basin
No-Tillage = acres in which the soil is not stirred and more than 30% residue is left at planting
Mulch Tillage = acres in which the soil is stirred and which leaves more than 30% residue cover on the surface at planting
Conventional tillage = acres stirred extensively (chiseling and disking, etc) such that there is less than 30% residue  and/or clean till acres that have been moldboard plowed

14. Chemical Control Herbicide technology Herbicide resistant crops
Salt (pre-Roman)
2,4-D
Many more chemistries (Hundreds of products)
Selective
Low use rates
Low environmental persistence
Herbicide resistant crops
Targeted insecticides and fungicides

15. What are other ways technology is used in agriculture?
Discuss with two others about this question
Try to come up with at least three items

16. What are other ways technology is used in agriculture?
Optimizing production practices
Planting date and seeding rate
Variety selection
Monitoring growth and development
Weed, insect and disease management
Integrated Pest Management
Optimizing fertilizer use
Fertilizer recommendation guidelines
Fertilizer calculators
Precision technology
Vary application rates based on need
Components of Precision Agriculture

17. Precision Agriculture

18. Production Practices Planting technology Mechanical planters
Create furrow with plow
Hand plant
Close furrow
Mechanical planters
40” between each row
Accommodate horses
Tractors allowed for narrower row spacings
30” (corn, soybeans)
15” (soybeans)
7.5” (soybeans, wheat)
More plants could be grown per acre farmed
Less bare ground

20. Precision Planting Technology
Vacuum seed meter:

21. What makes a seed lot high quality?
Improved Seed Quality
Uniform, successful establishment
No weedy crops, diseased plants, or uneven maturity
What makes a seed lot high quality?
-the required cultivar (varietal purity)
-free from weeds, other seed and inert matter (analytical purity)
-good plant establishment (germination & vigor)
- freedom from disease (tested & confirmed)
uniform, successful establishment
do not want to see
weedy crops
diseased plants
uneven maturity
we want high quality seeds! That means:
the required cultivar (varietal purity)
free from weeds, other seed and inert matter (analytical purity)
good plant establishment (germination & vigor)
freedom from disease (tested & confirmed)

22. Crop Yield Gains and Biotechnology
Yield of specific crops has increased over time
1 bu grain = 56 lbs for corn, 60 lbs for soybeans
Improved breeding efforts
Improved seed quality
Improved production practices
Corn, soybean, cotton, potato, papaya, squash, canola, alfalfa, apple, and sugarbeet
(10 crop types)

23. Components of an IPM program
Sampling and monitoring
Identification
Determine the need for control
Evaluate the control options available
Implement a control program
Evaluation and record-keeping

24. Initial Scouting Path – Foot vs Aerial
Provides overview of what is present
Enables more focus on specific areas

25. Establishes a break-even value
Economic Threshold
Control cost
Crop value
Potential pest damage
Establishes a break-even value
Use this to set the threshold value

26. There are 18 recognized modes of action for herbicides

27. Improved spray technologies Individual nozzle controls
Drift reducing technology
Specialized spray patterns
Over-application (blue) and skipped areas (red) without nozzle control
Over-application (blue) and skipped areas (red) with nozzle control

28. Fertilizers
Haber-Bosch Process

29. Crop production
Give every plant the best chance to grow unimpeded to maximize the yield it can produce
Use precision techniques to increase success
Planting date
Temperatures
Precipitation
Available light
Planting rate
Is the number of plants optimum?
Crop scouting
We will hear more about technology use to optimize production during the session

30. What are the careers in agriculture?
Discuss with two others about this question
Try to come up with at least three items

32. Modern Production
More than 90% of farm household income is derived from off-farm sources
Impact on household well-being is declining
Fewer than 25% of farms receive payments tied to program crops
Farming has become a “secondary occupation”
Supported commodities only account for 34% of cash receipts

33. New Career Opportunities
Production
Support agronomists
Breeders
Environmental protection
Seed production
Law
Consulting
Teaching
Data analytics
Research
Sales
Marketing
Management