Will “Crop Specialist” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
Unknown Chance of Automation
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Job Description
Apply geospatial technologies, including geographic information systems (GIS) and Global Positioning System (GPS), to agricultural production or management activities, such as pest scouting, site-specific pesticide application, yield mapping, or variable-rate irrigation. May use computers to develop or analyze maps or remote sensing images to compare physical topography with data on soils, fertilizer, pests, or weather.
Job Details
- The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 19-4099.02
☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Precision Agriculture Technicians”.
Also Known As…
- Precision Agriculture Technicians
- Soil Fertility Specialist
- Research Agricultural Engineer
- Regional Agronomist
- Precision Farming Coordinator
- Precision Agronomist
- Precision Agriculture Specialist
- Physical Scientist
- Nutrient Management Specialist
- Independent Crop Consultant
- Crop Specialist
- Precision Farming Specialist
- Precision Crop Manager
- Precision Agriculture Technician
- Migration Specialist
- GPS Field Data Collector (Global Positioning System Field Data Collector)
- Extension Precision Agriculture Specialist
Tasks for “Crop Specialist”
- Provide advice on the development or application of better boom-spray technology to limit the overapplication of chemicals and to reduce the migration of chemicals beyond the fields being treated.
- Identify areas in need of pesticide treatment by analyzing geospatial data to determine insect movement and damage patterns.
- Advise farmers on upgrading Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to take advantage of newly installed advanced satellite technology.
- Create, layer, and analyze maps showing precision agricultural data, such as crop yields, soil characteristics, input applications, terrain, drainage patterns, or field management history.
- Prepare reports in graphical or tabular form, summarizing field productivity or profitability.
- Analyze geospatial data to determine agricultural implications of factors such as soil quality, terrain, field productivity, fertilizers, or weather conditions.
- Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
- Identify spatial coordinates, using remote sensing and Global Positioning System (GPS) data.
- Program farm equipment, such as variable-rate planting equipment or pesticide sprayers, based on input from crop scouting and analysis of field condition variability.
- Use geospatial technology to develop soil sampling grids or identify sampling sites for testing characteristics such as nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium content, pH, or micronutrients.
- Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
- Analyze remote sensing imagery to identify relationships between soil quality, crop canopy densities, light reflectance, and weather history.
- Apply precision agriculture information to specifically reduce the negative environmental impacts of farming practices.
- Recommend best crop varieties or seeding rates for specific field areas, based on analysis of geospatial data.
- Analyze data from harvester monitors to develop yield maps.
- Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
- Draw or read maps, such as soil, contour, or plat maps.
- Contact equipment manufacturers for technical assistance, as needed.
- Participate in efforts to advance precision agriculture technology, such as developing advanced weed identification or automated spot spraying systems.
- Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
- Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
- Demonstrate the applications of geospatial technology, such as Global Positioning System (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), automatic tractor guidance systems, variable rate chemical input applicators, surveying equipment, or computer mapping software.
Related Technology & Tools
- Sprayer application equipment
- Automatic land leveling systems
- Yield monitor systems
- Field personal computers PC
- Autosteering systems
- Variable rate applicators
- Air clutches
- Global positioning system GPS receivers
- Desktop computers
- Lightbar guidance systems
- Personal computers
- Seed drills
- Automatic boom control systems
- Laptop computers
- Soil electrical conductivity measurement devices
- Moisture monitors
- Soil samplers
- Fertilizer spreading equipment
- Tractor mounted soil probes
- Trimble AgGPS EZ-Map
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Office
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Web browser software
- Ag Leader Technology SMS Advanced
- Microsoft Excel
- GeoAgro GIS
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Access
- ESRI ArcPad
- AGCO GTA Software Suite
- Novariant AutoFarm AF Viewer
- Farm Works Site Pro
- Trimble AgGPS MultiPlane
- ESRI ArcView
- MapShots EASi Suite
- John Deere Apex Farm Management
- SST Development Group SSToolbox