[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 107 (Friday, July 19, 1996)]
[Senate]
[Pages S8373-S8374]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCONNELL (for himself, Mr. Craig, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. 
        Grassley, and Mr. Cochran):
  S. 1975. A bill to amend the Competitive, Special, and Facilities 
Research Grant Act to provide increased emphasis on competitive grants 
to promote agricultural research projects regarding precision 
agriculture and to provide for the dissemination of the results of the 
research projects, and for other purposes; to the Committee on 
Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.


    the precision agriculture research, education, and information 
                       dissemination act of 1996

 Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today several colleagues and I 
are introducing the Precision Agriculture Research, Education, and 
Information Dissemination Act of 1996.
  This legislation emphasizes research on precision agriculture 
technologies. These technologies are very existing and will enable the 
United States to maintain and augment our competitive edge in global 
agricultural markets. The legislation amends the Competitive, Special 
and Facilities Research Grant Act of 1965 by modifying the National 
Research Initiative [NRI] to give the Secretary of Agriculture 
authority to provide research, extension, and education competitive 
grants and programs that emphasize precision agriculture technologies 
and management practices.
  This legislation represents a compromise between various interests. 
The bill is supported by the Fertilizer Institute, National Center for 
Resources Innovations, Experiment Station and Extension Service 
Directors, Lockheed Martin, and a consortium of other high tech 
companies.
  An identical bill H.R. 3795 was introduced by Congressman Lewis and 
Congressman Crapo on July 11, 1996.
  Precision agriculture technologies are rapidly advancing, and it is 
crucial that the agricultural community invest in this field of 
research so that all farmers will be able to benefit. This bill will 
not only increase the investment in precision agriculture, but it will 
also emphasize an educational process that will assist all farmers in 
adopting precision agriculture technologies and applications.
  Emerging technologies in production agriculture are changing and 
improving the way farmers produce food and fiber in this country. New 
technologies such as global positioning satellites field mapping, 
georeference information systems, grid soil sampling, variable rate 
seeding and input applications, portable electronic pest scouting, on-
the-go yield monitoring, and computerized field history and record 
keeping are just a few of the next generation technological tools in 
use today.
  These technologies allow the agriculture producer to adjust hundreds 
of variables in the farm field, form soil pH to nutrient levels to crop 
yield, on a 2 foot by 2 foot grid that were previously far too costly 
to calculate for each field. Today, these technologies can map these 
variables and data instantaneously as an applicator or combine drives 
across the field. In short, each farm field using precision technology 
becomes a research pilot. And in the down months or winter season a 
farmer can collect the data from the previous growing season and adjust 
dozens of important agronomic variables to maximize the efficient use 
of all the farmers inputs: time, fuel, commercial inputs, seed 
rate, irrigation--the list goes on and on.

  These precision farming tools are already proving to help farmers 
increase field productivity, improve input efficiency, protect the 
environment, maximize farm profitability and create computerized field 
histories that may help increase land values. Collectively, these and 
other emerging technologies are being used in a holistic, site-specific 
systems approach called precision agriculture. Progressive and 
production minded farmers are already using these technologies. In a 
decade, they may be as commonplace on the farm as air-conditioned 
tractor cabs and power steering.
  Precision farming seems to offer great promise for improving 
production performance. Inherently, it just sounds very appealing to be 
able to evaluate production conditions on an individual square foot, 
yard, or acre basis rather than that of a whole field. It would seem 
that we should be able to treat any situation more appropriately the

[[Page S8374]]

smaller the plot we are considering. There have been great strides in 
measuring things on the basis of smaller and smaller units on the 
ground than we have ever realistically envisioned in the past. 
Measuring yields as we harvest. Being able to collect soil samples on a 
very small pilot basis and apply prescribed corrective measures ``on 
the go.'' All of these things are possible. They are being done on an 
experimental basis in many locations. Some producers have adopted the 
new technology and are using it.
  Precision farming is, in its simplest sense, a management system for 
crop production that uses site-specific data to maximize yields and 
more efficiently use inputs. The technology is quickly gaining 
acceptance and use by producers, farm suppliers, crop consultants, and 
custom applicators.
  Precision farming links the data-management abilities of computers 
with sophisticated farm equipment that can vary applications rates and 
monitor yields throughout a field.
  Mr. President, the capabilities of precision agriculture technologies 
are rapidly increasing. The economic and environmental benefits of 
these technologies have not been fully realized. Increasing the use of 
these technologies and development of complementary new technologies 
will benefit American agriculture, the U.S. economy, and both domestic 
and global environmental concerns. In Kentucky, this type of research 
can help producers increase their yield while protecting environmental 
concerns such as water quality.
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