[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 37 (Thursday, March 20, 1997)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2649-S2650]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. McCONNELL (for himself, Mr. Craig, Mr. Kempthorne, Mr. 
        Grassley, Mr. Cochran, Mr. Roberts and Mr. Bond):
  S. 485. 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 1997

 Mr. McCONNELL. Mr. President, today several colleagues and I 
are introducing the Precision Agriculture Research, Education, and 
Information Dissemination Act of 1997.
  Earlier this month the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, 
and Forestry began a series of hearings on reforming and reauthorizing 
agricultural research programs. It is our desire that as we move 
through this process this legislation will become part of the research 
reauthorization that is signed into law.
  This legislation emphasizes research on precision agriculture 
technologies. These technologies are very exciting 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 technology 
companies.
  An identical bill H.R. 725 was introduced by Congressman Lewis and 
Congressman Crapo on February 12, 1997.
  Precision agriculture technologies are rapidly advancing, and it is 
crucial that the agricultural research 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, geo-
reference 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.
  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 an integrated, 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 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

[[Page S2650]]

any situation more appropriately the smaller the plot we are 
considering. There have been great strides in predicting productivity 
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 prescribe 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 form, 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. I believe these new high-technology 
tools can make agriculture better by boosting production, environmental 
quality and profits. 
                                 ______