Gps and World Change

GPS research paper

The application of GPS technology in the agriculture industry has brought about much convenience to the farmers. It has also increased productivity levels.

Prior to the advent of GPS technology in the sector, farmers had to rely on traditional knowledge in the farming techniques employed.

In countries like USA, the agriculture farms have area that spans up to 100 square kilometers. In farms of such dominating size, it was difficult for farmers to manage and organize these farms.

The advent of GPS technology in the agricultural sector has allowed farmers to gather important information about the farms with relative ease. GPS images of the crops are captured, and farmers can draw out a detailed and accurate maps using these images. With these, farmers can now annotate and locate areas with lower yields and areas with a perennial issue with weeds and pests. With precise information presented to farmers to manipulate, they can better allocate their resources to manage their crops and hence increasing productivity.

GPS technology has also played a significant role in the area of applying aerial pesticides and herbicides on the crops. GPS technology has allowed for a heighted level of accuracy in applying these chemicals. As a result, farms are more environmentally friendly as the amount of chemical drift is significantly minimized. The usage of GPS in this area has also eliminated the need for “human markers”. This translates to a better allocation of manpower resource in the industry.

Economic implications

The advent of GPS technology has brought about a considerable economic impact on the industry. Analysts estimate that yield gains rose up to 10%. A majority of the economic benefits can be attributed to the savings in labor and raw materials. From 2007 – 2010, the estimated annual value of crop production in US was US$ 169.1 billion. Out of which, analysts estimate that GPS technology contributed US$ 10.1 billion to the...