LINCOLN, Neb. — The annual UNL Extension Precision Ag conference focused on going back to the basics, drawing attention from both producers and government officials. Dirk Charlson of UNL Extension emphasized that while technology evolves, the fundamentals remain constant. “People always say things are changing, but really the fundamentals are the same,” Charlson said. “Whenever we have a new technology, it just becomes part of that toolkit. And so really it’s not change as much as innovation.”
Charlson described precision agriculture as a management philosophy that leverages technology to maximize profits and development while benefiting the environment. This year, the conference attracted a surprising number of government representatives, including those from the USDA and natural resource districts, which Charlson found “pretty interesting and pretty exciting.”
The conference featured discussions on virtual reality, artificial intelligence harvest technology and more. Jesse Williams, a farmer experienced in harvest technology, noted that while some are hesitant to adopt new systems, he believes technology will continue to become more user-friendly. “I think, you know, it’ll be a lot of changes to try to improve the operator experience,” Williams said.
Drone technology was highlighted as a practical example of precision agriculture. Joshua Sage, owner and chief pilot of Soaring Solutions Drone Service, explained how drone spraying is effective in challenging terrains. “I spray river ground with them where there’s a lot of trees,” Sage said. “I’m in areas that you really have to get into that you can’t really eat into with planes, helicopters, things like that. And they just getting bigger and you can do more with them.”
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He expressed optimism about the adoption of his technology, noting that producers are excited about overcoming obstacles they previously couldn’t. “Most people that I’ve found, and especially my customers, think it’s just amazing,” Sage said. “That technology has gone to where it is now and how precise that you can be with things.”
