Running head: AGRICULTURAL TECHNOLOGY

Agricultural Technology Advancement

Ashley McAra

Baker College

Professor Krueger
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Agricultural Technology Advancements

Throughout the years, the evolution of technology in agriculture and farming has been

immense. To some, they do not agree with the advancement with technology, and would like to

keep agriculture as the old fashioned way. I do not agree with keeping it the old fashioned

way. I think we need to continue to progress technology to be able to provide food and

resources for growing population.

Between the 17th and 18th centuries, farming consisted of using oxen and horses for

power, they also used crude wooden plows (Ag classroom, para 1). They sowed by hand and

cultivated with hoes. They progressed with the invention of the cast-iron plow in 1797, thanks to

Charles Newbold (Ag classroom, para 3). Ways of farming continued to improve throughout the

years, one big accomplishment was when John Deere and Leonard Andrus began manufacturing

steel plows in 1837 (Ag classroom, para 6). By 1916-1922, over 100 companies made tractors

(Living History Farms, para 3). Agriculture technology made a huge leap in 1868, when they

gave steam tractors a try (Ag classroom, para 13). 1918 was a big year, with a small prairie-type

combine including an auxiliary engine was introduced (Ag classroom, para 16). The real

breakthrough was 1945-1970, when we made the switch from horses to tractors and increased

technological practices (Ag classroom, para 20). This was characterized as the second American

Agricultural Revolution, and productivity per acre began its sharp rise (Ag classroom, para 20).

Along with our rise in technology, we also saw a rise in sustainability. In 1970, no-tillage

was popularized, along with low-till, to curb erosion (Ag classroom, para 25). Following the

trend of sustainable agriculture, in 1989 more farmers started to use sustainable agriculture

techniques to reduce chemical applications (Ag classroom, para 27). The early 1990s were huge

for sustainable agriculture and information technology. We started to use precision agriculture
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and farmers started to begin using satellite technology to track and plan their farming practices

(Ag classroom, para 30). As a final push for technology advancement before the 2000s, the first

weed and insect-resistant biotech crops, soybeans and cotton, were available commercially (Ag

classroom, para 31).

Information technology is huge in agriculture. From satellite GPS for combines and

tractors, to self-driving tractors. We are continuing to take the old and make it better and more

sustainable. According to Michell, of business insider, we will be seeing a lot of new

technologies in upcoming years. Some of these including In Vitro meat, agricultural robots,

robotic farm swarms, and a rise in vertical farming (Michell Zappa, para 1-10). In Vitro meat, is

a flesh product that has never been part of a complete living animal, several current research

projects are growing in vitro meat experimentally, although no meat has yet been produced for

public consumption (Michell Zappa, para 4). In vitro meat will be scientifically viable in 2017,

hit mainstream in 2024, and financially viable in 2027 (Michell Zappa, para 4). We could see

agbots, which are used to automate agricultural processes, such as harvesting, fruit picking,

ploughing, soil maintenance, weeding, planting, and irrigation (Michell Zappa, para 10). They

will be scientifically viable in 2018, hit mainstream in 2020, and be financially viable in 2021

(Michell Zappa, para 10). Robotic farm swarms are the hypothetical combination of dozens or

hundreds of agbots with thousands of microscopic sensors, which together would monitor,

predict, cultivate and extract crops from the land with practically no human intervention (Michell

Zappa, para 11). They will be scientifically viable in 2023, hit mainstream and be financially

viable in 2026 Michell Zappa, para 11). Vertical farming is already in effect, and will continue to

make a rise throughout 2023, and 2027 (Michell Zappa, para 15).
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These technologies lead us to farm in a better, more sustainable way. The inventions of

these technologies provided us less field time, and more productivity. I see it as, less field time

with potentially higher yields. The act of adding sustainability into our practices we are also

providing long lasting positive outcomes for future farming generations. These advancements

have been a huge push in upcoming agriculture and as a young farmer in 2017, I cannot wait to

see what our agricultural technologies have to offer in upcoming years.

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References

Ag Classroom (2014) Historical Timeline- Farm Machinery & Technology, Retrieved from

https://www.agclassroom.org/gan/timeline/farm_tech.htm

Living History Farms (2016) History of Tractors, Retrieved from

http://www.lhf.org/en/teachers/learning_fields/history_of_tractors/

Zappa, M (2014, May) 15 Emerging Agriculture Technologies That Will Change the World,

Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/15-emerging-agriculture-technologies-2014-4