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
- 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
- Crop Specialist
Tasks for “Crop Specialist”
- Apply precision agriculture information to specifically reduce the negative environmental impacts of farming practices.
- Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
- Draw or read maps, such as soil, contour, or plat maps.
- Program farm equipment, such as variable-rate planting equipment or pesticide sprayers, based on input from crop scouting and analysis of field condition variability.
- 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.
- Participate in efforts to advance precision agriculture technology, such as developing advanced weed identification or automated spot spraying systems.
- Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
- Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
- 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.
- Identify areas in need of pesticide treatment by analyzing geospatial data to determine insect movement and damage patterns.
- 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.
- Create, layer, and analyze maps showing precision agricultural data, such as crop yields, soil characteristics, input applications, terrain, drainage patterns, or field management history.
- Advise farmers on upgrading Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to take advantage of newly installed advanced satellite technology.
- 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.
- Contact equipment manufacturers for technical assistance, as needed.
- 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.
- Identify spatial coordinates, using remote sensing and Global Positioning System (GPS) data.
- Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
- 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.
Related Technology & Tools
- Fertilizer spreading equipment
- Air clutches
- Variable rate applicators
- Soil electrical conductivity measurement devices
- Global positioning system GPS receivers
- Field personal computers PC
- Automatic boom control systems
- Moisture monitors
- Automatic land leveling systems
- Personal computers
- Tractor mounted soil probes
- Soil samplers
- Laptop computers
- Lightbar guidance systems
- Yield monitor systems
- Desktop computers
- Sprayer application equipment
- Seed drills
- Autosteering systems
- AGCO GTA Software Suite
- Farm Works Site Pro
- Microsoft Word
- SST Development Group SSToolbox
- MapShots EASi Suite
- ESRI ArcPad
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Excel
- GeoAgro GIS
- Web browser software
- Ag Leader Technology SMS Advanced
- Trimble AgGPS MultiPlane
- ESRI ArcView
- Novariant AutoFarm AF Viewer
- John Deere Apex Farm Management
- Trimble AgGPS EZ-Map
- Microsoft Office
- ESRI ArcGIS software