Will “Soil Fertility Specialist” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
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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
- Research Agricultural Engineer
- Regional Agronomist
- Precision Farming Coordinator
- Precision Agronomist
- Precision Agriculture Specialist
- Physical Scientist
- Nutrient Management Specialist
- Independent Crop Consultant
- Crop Specialist
- Soil Fertility 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 “Soil Fertility Specialist”
- Divide agricultural fields into georeferenced zones, based on soil characteristics and production potentials.
- Draw or read maps, such as soil, contour, or plat maps.
- Apply precision agriculture information to specifically reduce the negative environmental impacts of farming practices.
- Participate in efforts to advance precision agriculture technology, such as developing advanced weed identification or automated spot spraying systems.
- Analyze geospatial data to determine agricultural implications of factors such as soil quality, terrain, field productivity, fertilizers, or weather conditions.
- Prepare reports in graphical or tabular form, summarizing field productivity or profitability.
- 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.
- Create, layer, and analyze maps showing precision agricultural data, such as crop yields, soil characteristics, input applications, terrain, drainage patterns, or field management history.
- Contact equipment manufacturers for technical assistance, as needed.
- Identify areas in need of pesticide treatment by analyzing geospatial data to determine insect movement and damage patterns.
- 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.
- Analyze data from harvester monitors to develop yield maps.
- Analyze remote sensing imagery to identify relationships between soil quality, crop canopy densities, light reflectance, and weather history.
- Document and maintain records of precision agriculture information.
- 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.
- Collect information about soil or field attributes, yield data, or field boundaries, using field data recorders and basic geographic information systems (GIS).
- 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.
- Compare crop yield maps with maps of soil test data, chemical application patterns, or other information to develop site-specific crop management plans.
- Advise farmers on upgrading Global Positioning System (GPS) equipment to take advantage of newly installed advanced satellite technology.
- Install, calibrate, or maintain sensors, mechanical controls, GPS-based vehicle guidance systems, or computer settings.
- Recommend best crop varieties or seeding rates for specific field areas, based on analysis of geospatial data.
Related Technology & Tools
- Yield monitor systems
- Autosteering systems
- Soil electrical conductivity measurement devices
- Tractor mounted soil probes
- Moisture monitors
- Fertilizer spreading equipment
- Automatic boom control systems
- Desktop computers
- Automatic land leveling systems
- Lightbar guidance systems
- Global positioning system GPS receivers
- Variable rate applicators
- Soil samplers
- Field personal computers PC
- Seed drills
- Sprayer application equipment
- Personal computers
- Air clutches
- Laptop computers
- Ag Leader Technology SMS Advanced
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Office
- Microsoft Excel
- Novariant AutoFarm AF Viewer
- Microsoft Access
- AGCO GTA Software Suite
- Trimble AgGPS MultiPlane
- MapShots EASi Suite
- ESRI ArcGIS software
- Farm Works Site Pro
- GeoAgro GIS
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- SST Development Group SSToolbox
- John Deere Apex Farm Management
- Trimble AgGPS EZ-Map
- ESRI ArcPad
- ESRI ArcView
- Web browser software