Every Sector Is a Software Sector:

Agriculture
Agricultural Opportunity
Is Growing With Software
May 2019

www.software.org
A
gricultural opportunity today is rooted in software. Software
innovations have quickly become essential tools for the day-to-
day operations of the agricultural sector — improving the way
everything from farms to tractors are run. Farmers have rapidly
adopted breakthrough software advances that are enabling them to solve
problems in ways previously unimaginable, thereby maximizing agricultural
opportunity.

With enormous potential at hand, we are just at the Software is delivering critical intelligence to enable
beginning of what digitalization, data, and software farmers to do more with less:
innovation can deliver. Software developers are
forging ahead with tremendous improvements in the ÂÂ Soil sensors planted throughout a farm constantly
way farmers grow, feed, harvest, and distribute food feed data to cloud-based systems that track the
— boosting yields and cutting costs. Thanks to new soil’s moisture, nutrients, and needs.
advancements, software is now harvesting data from ÂÂ Self-driving tractors and autonomous machines
seeds, satellites, and sensors to help farmers make are becoming increasingly common — planting
better decisions about what to grow, how to grow it, seeds with digital precision, killing weeds with a
and when to grow it. It enables them to fine tune their zap, and reducing overspray by delivering fertilizer
operations with digital precision for maximum results. precisely where it’s needed.
By being more precise, they can reduce the amount
of fuel, water, and fertilizer they use; make better ÂÂ Data from satellites whizzing across the sky is
decisions about exactly when to harvest for maximal combined with data from sensors in the ground
yield; and track food freshness from their farm to your and hyper-local artificial intelligence (AI)-based
fork. The effects are profound: when widely deployed, weather models to predict a plant’s water needs
precision farming technologies can increase global — creating a customized irrigation plan that can
crop yields as much as 67 percent and cut food prices go to automatic watering systems that deliver the
in half.1 right drops for each crop.

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 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

ÂÂ Drones are taking opportunity to new heights as producing more food to feed the world’s next billion
they buzz overhead with multi-spectral cameras people, making foods that are more nutritious,
to spot fungi earlier and in ways beyond what a ensuring crops can be more resistant to drought
human eye can see — avoiding costly disease and diseases, and ensuring robust food safety all
outbreaks. the way to your table. These innovations are helping
the agricultural community be better stewards
ÂÂ Fences are being replaced with GPS, as of the earth with technologies that can improve
connected livestock collars tell ranchers which sustainability, reduce the use of harmful chemicals, cut
animals may have wandered off, may be ready to greenhouse gas emissions while still boosting yields,
breed, are potentially getting sick, or need special and ultimately put more money in farmers’ pockets.
attention. For example, when software-enabled precision
ÂÂ To maximize yields, cloud servers check the technologies are widely deployed, experts predict
weather, market prices, and growing conditions they can cut water use by up to 30 percent,2 reduce
to tell farmers the precise moment to harvest to herbicide use by 99.99 percent,3 reduce fuel use by
maximize results. 10 percent, boost crop yields by 70 percent, and cut
food prices in half.4
Software not only pulls all this data together, it puts the
information at the farmer’s fingertips — giving them Software is helping farmers harvest economic
more control over their livestock’s and crop’s progress savings. These precision technologies don’t just
from any device, anytime, anywhere with broadband. boost yields, they boost the bottom line, too. For
It enables almost everything to be done with greater example, according to the United States Department
efficiency, precision, and effect. Software is able to of Agriculture (USDA), a typical small family-owned
manage the vital supply chain process of getting fresh corn farm in Ohio that implements precision farming
food distributed, processed, and delivered to your technologies can save about $2,000 per seasonal corn
table in a safe and traceable manner — to reduce crop.5 Large farms can save nearly $40,000 per year
spoilage, ensure food safety, and cut food waste. with a return on investment of less than two years.
More specifically, farms that deploy yield mapping can
Software innovation has now reached a point where it save $25 per acre, GPS soil mapping $13 per acre,
provides the ability to solve some of the agricultural software guidance systems $15 per acre, and software
sector’s greatest challenges. Software is helping controlled variable rate application technology $22
farmers and ranchers tackle major challenges like per acre. Add it all up: software delivers big savings.

Savings Are Sprouting up Everywhere

Average cost savings by adopting software-enabled technologies
($ per acre saved)

$25.01
$21.97
$20.56

$14.98
$13.45

Yield GPS Soil Guidance Variable Rate and Technology and

Mapping Mapping System Yield Mapping Soil Mapping

Source: USDA Economic Research Service

3
 Recovering Precision Farming than $100,000.8 And as broadband extends further
Technology Investments and faster into rural communities, internet access
won’t just expand the types of precision technologies
Years for farmers can deploy; high-speed internet will expand
Return on rural economic diversity and access to the jobs and
Farm Size Annual Savings Investment industries of the future.
Small But farmers must overcome key barriers to take full
$11,000 6+
(800 acres) advantage of software-enabled progress. Although
Average precision agriculture use is growing rapidly, in 2015
$26,000 2+ precision agriculture technology was used on less
(1,600 acres)
than 20 percent of all farmed land.9 Too often, farmers
Large may not be able to take full advantage of these
$39,000 ~2
(2,400 acres) software-enabled opportunities because 29 percent
Source: National Geographic, Farming: There’s an App for That of US farms have no access to the internet.10 Likewise
while 200,000 new software jobs are projected to be
created in the top 12 farm states alone, there are too
Software doesn’t just help grow more crops more few people with the skills needed to take these jobs,
cost effectively, it can help grow rural economies, leaving many opportunities unfulfilled. Big gains can
too. As farmers expand what technology enables be made as these barriers are overcome and as more
them to do, technology expands what rural economies farmers begin taking advantage of software-driven
can achieve. Technology innovation is a proven engine technologies.
for rural economic growth. For example, from 2007 to
2016 in Iowa alone, tech and tech-related jobs grew The opportunity is so big, studies estimate the
by 83 percent, accounting for almost one quarter of addressable size of the precision agriculture market
private-sector nonfarm job growth.6 Already, the top will grow into a $240 billion economic opportunity by
12 agricultural producing states, representing more 2050.11 But these opportunities can only be achieved
than half of all US farm income, employ more than with pragmatic policies that remove precision
1.3 million people in software-related jobs.7 By 2026, agriculture barriers by closing the rural broadband
these top 12 agricultural producing states are poised gap, overcoming the rural skills gap, and nurturing
to create almost 200,000 new software-related jobs the growing software innovation ecosystem with
— jobs that often pay more than twice other private pragmatic policies that help it grow and thrive.
sector jobs, in many cases with annual salaries of more

$240 Billion Digital Agriculture Opportunity

Billions of dollars addressable market by technology

$64 $43 $35 $43 $14 $6 $38

Precision Robotic Precision Precision Precision Moisture Data

Fertilizer Compaction Irrigation Planting Spraying Sensing Management
Reduction & Other
Source: Goldman Sachs Global Investment Research

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 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

Software Helps Solve Agriculture’s Most Intractable Challenges

Reducing greenhouse gasses by tackling the largest

Feeding future generations contributor. Food production is responsible for the largest
by boosting yields and cutting share of CO2 emission in the world. Livestock in particular is
costs. By 2050, to meet population responsible for nearly half of all greenhouse gas emissions —
growth, we need to produce three times that of all transportation combined.14 Connected
70 percent more food than we sensors are helping farmers identify ways to cut livestock
do today.12 To help meet this emissions by monitoring feeding and digestion to optimize
challenge, software-enabled their diet in ways that reduce emissions.
precision technologies can help
boost global crop yields as much
as 67 percent.13

Reducing environmental impact Overcoming a growing clean Reducing food waste and
by applying chemicals more water crisis by cutting water improving security through
accurately. Chemical runoff from use. Agriculture uses 70 percent better management. Up to
over-application of chemicals can of global fresh water supplies17 at 40 percent of food is wasted
affect rivers, streams, and ocean a time when roughly two-thirds of in the United States, costing
life.15 Using software-enabled the world’s population live with approximately $165 billion each
computer vision and micro-dosing severe water shortages.18 Using year — 50 percent happens during
technology to deliver the precise software-enabled moisture sensors, distribution. Sophisticated software
doses to meet actual plant needs, better weather predictions, and is helping manage food distribution
herbicide use can be cut by smart irrigation technologies can more efficiently, improving
99.99 percent.16 reduce water consumption by 20 to traceability, and cutting the cost
30 percent.19 of resolving a food recall in half.20

Increasing access to healthier diets with more nutritious

foods. Unhealthy diets contribute to 678,000 deaths each
year in the United States — including from obesity-related Reducing weather-related crop
diseases like heart disease and diabetes.21 Globally, damage with AI-powered hyper-
1.7 million (2.8 percent) of deaths are attributable to low local predictions. Although
fruit and vegetable consumption.22 Software is helping 90 percent of crop losses are due
scientists develop new plant breeds that grow more to weather,23 crop damage can
delicious and nutritious foods, while also helping get be reduced by 25 percent using
them to the markets that need them most. predictive weather modeling and
precision agriculture techniques.24

5
Making Smarter Decisions to Feed Future Generations
By the middle of the century the global population ÂÂ Connecting precision opportunities together.
is expected to reach 10 billion, requiring the world’s At the Dancing Crow Farm in Carnation,
farmers to produce significantly more food with about Washington, they use algorithms to deliver
the same amount of land. To meet the needs of future water, fertilizer, and pesticides only to the crops
generations, farmers are turning to technology to that actually need them. The farm combined
produce more food with fewer resources. Microsoft’s cloud-based machine learning
algorithms, low-cost sensors, and aerial drones to
They are combining soil sensors, imagery from improve agricultural yield, lower overall costs, and
satellites and drones, GPS guided computer- reduce the environmental impact of agricultural
controlled farm equipment, and cloud-based production.26 The drone, for example, uses
analytics to customize the care that plants receive. software to make it easy for a farmer to survey
For example, a camera equipped precision-guided the field using 25 percent less time.27 One of the
farm vehicle might use infrared analysis and computer keys to this progress is the internet connectivity
vision technology to assess individual plant health — enabled by using an unoccupied slice of spectrum
like leaf shape, stem size, and soil moisture content called “TV White Spaces,” which enable sensors
— to target sprayers and spreaders with the specific to be seamlessly connected and integrated with
resources for healthier plants. AI systems in the cloud.
Farmers also want insights into whether a certain seed ÂÂ Helping farmers focus on success. Often today,
performs better than others, why a part of the field farmers need to consolidate information from
ended up yielding less, or the exact right time for multiple inputs to give them a more complete
harvesting to maximize yield. Farmers, for example, picture of the farm’s operations. Trimble’s
can estimate yield improvement by 10 to 15 percent agriculture software, for example, brings together
if they are able to find a data management software data from different farm equipment manufacturers
system that optimizes where to plant “aggressive” vs. so farmers can sort through data from different
“defensive” hybrids.25 systems for a real-time overview of operations
from any location. The systems help farmers focus
on success by creating estimates of the cost-per-
acre for better decisions throughout the growing
season.

To meet the needs of future generations, farmers are turning to technology to

produce more food with fewer resources.

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 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

Growing More Crops Per Drop

Agriculture consumes more than 70 percent of the precision weather predictions, and a drip irrigation
world’s fresh water supplies.28 And an estimated 60 system to cuts its water use by 33 percent without
percent of that water is wasted due to overwatering, sacrificing yield. Across the whole season, the
runoff, contamination, and other issues.29 To improve savings translated into about three inches of water
efficiency, software advancements like better weather saved for the entire crop — water savings that can
analytics, new satellite imagery, and smarter soil be readily replicated throughout Kansas.
sensors are being combined to help farmers get to
the root of their water problems. These technologies ÂÂ Delivering water just to the vine, to improve
are helping farmers grow more crops per drop by the quality of California’s wine. California is
reducing water consumption by 20 to 30 percent.30 also home to a $35 billion wine industry, which is
rooted in its ability to consistently produce quality
grapes. To maximize the quality of its grapes,
E. & J. Gallo Winery turned to IBM’s Watson to
Software is helping farmers use water
develop an intelligent irrigation system that uses
more efficiently: weather reports and remote sensor data to deliver
ÂÂ Putting precision into irrigation. Farmers are precise amounts of water to each vine to increase
turning to Trimble’s Irrigate-IQ water management the quality of its grapes. Because of this tailored
solution to enable GPS-guided irrigation systems watering, the winery reduced its water use by 25
that precisely control every nozzle for highly percent, while also improving the quality of its
targeted water application.31 When implemented, wine.36
they can reduce water consumption by 30
ÂÂ Improving the quality and quantity of crops in
percent.32
the developing world. These technologies can
ÂÂ Using sensor data to precisely deliver the be especially powerful when used abroad. For
right amount of water. In California, a state example, the millions of small-scale farmers in
continuously hit by drought, agriculture consumes Kenya traditionally don’t irrigate for their crops.
about 80 percent of the state’s water. California’s IBM has stepped up to help Kenyan farmers
thirstiest crops are almonds. Growing a single optimize crop growth and improve food security
almond consumes around a gallon of water.33 But by managing their water more effectively using
now, by connecting wireless sensors across a farm, Internet of Things (IoT) technologies. The IBM
data can be collected, crunched in the cloud, and project EZ Farm uses sensors to help farmers
used to control an irrigation system that drips in understand how much water is in the soil and
water at just the right amount — using 20 percent measure the amount of water in local water tanks.
less water than traditional irrigation techniques.34 This data is then combined with weather data
to plan irrigation times to optimize crop growth,
ÂÂ Saving an aquifer by using water with digital extend the crop cycle, and improve the quality
precision. In Kansas, the aquifer is dropping by and quantity of crops.37
as much as two feet per year in some counties.35
Studies suggest that if existing trends continue,
70 percent of their water will be depleted by
2060. As a result, the Kansas Water Office
partnered with forward-thinking farmers who
are taking advantage of new technologies to
identify ways to more efficiently use scarce water
resources. T&O Farms combined soil sensors,

7
Fighting Pests and Protecting Crops While
Reducing Harmful Chemical Use
Each year, as much as 40 percent of the world’s ÂÂ Using soil sensors to improve nutrient uptake.
potential harvests are lost to damaging insects, Software is also helping improve crop health by
weeds, and plant diseases.38 At the same time, optimizing soil pH levels, which is essential for
chemical runoff from the overapplication of pesticides, nutrient uptake that can reduce the amount of
herbicides, and fertilizers can affect the health of fertilizer needed and directly impact yields. The
our oceans, rivers, and streams.39 In fact, farmers growers at Costa Farms in Florida partnered with
who don’t yet use precision fertilizer technology are Microsoft to create a better way to measure and
estimated to be overfertilizing 40 percent of their regulate pH throughout the day and across the
fields, and still seeing yield loss on 10 percent of lifecycle of its plants.43 Based on the Azure IoT
their fields.40 That’s in part because an estimated 95 system with pH sensor devices, Costa Farms is
percent of chemicals sprayed miss their intended now able to not only automatically measure pH
target, wasting the expensive agricultural chemicals levels, but dramatically increase its yield using
and raising the toxicity risk for both people and fewer chemicals.
wildlife.41 To solve the problem, farmers are turning
to software-enabled precision technologies to reduce ÂÂ Advancing weed-whackers to spot and zap
waste by delivering just the right amount of chemical weeds more efficiently. New technologies also
precisely where it’s needed. create opportunities to kill weeds more accurately.
Robotic weed-whackers with image recognition
ÂÂ Applying fertilizer in calibrated doses. software can recognize weeds and zap them with
Software-enabled technologies now help a laser or apply a micro-dose of herbicide directly
apply fertilizers in more calibrated doses to to a weed’s leaf. These devices can cut herbicide
meet specific soil and plant nutrient needs, use by as much as 99.99 percent.44
dramatically cutting fertilizer and other chemical
use. For example, Trimble’s Field-IQ software ÂÂ Crowdsourcing caustic critter solutions.
is a fertilization control system that helps Software also enables new ways to tackle
control variable rate sprayers aimed at precisely infestation problems. When some local farmers
managing a grower’s inputs. Using an integrated had lost up to 90 percent of their crops to fruit
system of hardware (precision nozzles, boom flies, Greenwood Orchards turned to Microsoft’s
adjusters, and spinner speed controls) and its cloud technology to fight the critters.45 Using
innovative software, the system provides a more traps tied to GPS coordinates, they developed
accurate seeding and fertilization system to the a crowdsourced application that created a
grower.42 community-wide infestation monitoring system to
detect the early warning signs and enable early
action to prevent devastating consequences.

Each year, as much as 40 percent of the world’s potential harvests are lost to
damaging insects, weeds, and plant diseases.

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 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

Improving Food Safety and Logistics From

Their Farm to Your Fork
Software is also vital to the process of getting fresh ÂÂ Ensuring high-quality rice in every single bite.
food to your table in a safe and traceable manner. And any time you thrust a fork into a pile of
Being able to monitor and track the food production Uncle Ben’s rice, you are looking at rice kernels
process not only helps ensure food safety, but also that can be traced back through an entire global
can cut food waste. According to McKinsey, about a supply chain thanks to Microsoft’s Azure cloud
third of food produced is lost or wasted every year at software.51 Because Mars Food uses Transparency-
a cost of $940 billion globally.46 About 50 percent is One supply chain software to monitor its global
wasted in the food distribution process alone.47 food supply chain from the cloud, they are able
to ensure quality products. The software not only
To get the freshest food to the right place at the tracks food supplies but also helps them ensure
right time, produce needs to be routed as efficiently their rice comes from sustainable farms that use
as possible because every minute food is ripening, resources responsibly, pay farmers well, and have
microbial populations may be growing. Software not good working conditions on every farm.
only helps speed distribution and management of the
entire supply chain, it also can play a critical role in the ÂÂ Improving trust and transparency in the food
unfortunate event that contaminated food needs to you eat with a blockchain ecosystem. Today,
be traced back to its source. By improving traceability, consumers often want to know everything
sophisticated software can now cut the costs of possible about their food, like where it’s from,
resolving a food recall in half48 while building a level how it was produced, and whether it’s organic
of trust in the food supply chain that was previously or sustainably grown. Similarly, food processors
unattainable. and sellers increasingly need to know everything
about the food they use and have trust in the
ÂÂ Tracking tomatoes from the field to your entirety of its food supply chain. To advance a
ketchup bottle. Kagome, one of the largest global trusted holistic food supply chain, IBM has
tomato processors, uses IoT sensors and developed an innovative Food Trust, powered by
Microsoft’s cloud to manage the entirety of its their blockchain platform.52 This network directly
supply chain process — from field harvesting, connects growers, processors, wholesalers,
to factory delivery, to in-plant processing and distributors, manufacturers, retailers, and others
shipment to its customers. To improve food to enhance visibility and accountability in each
security, the software enables them to figure step of the food supply. Importantly, it allows
out where a tomato comes from, and where it companies like Walmart to trace food throughout
ends up. The company calculated a return on its entire journey in seconds, not weeks.
investment of about 500 percent in the first
season alone.49

ÂÂ Getting the right food to the right place at the

right time. Cargill, responsible for 25 percent
of all US grain exports, turned to software from
SAP to create a digital supply chain.50 It not only
helped Cargill improve transportation logistics
and on-time delivery, it also helped reduce the
cost of integrating plant systems by 70 percent.

9
Improving the Vitality of Livestock
Livestock management is often a 24/7 endeavor. A pH sensor in a cow’s stomach that only activates
When livestock are fitted with sensors, farmers and when it detects high acidity levels can be an early
ranchers can remotely monitor and manage the vitality warning sign for SARA — a digestive disorder that
of their livestock around the clock and across the reduces milk yields by three liters per cow per
farm — watching over the health, location, and well- day and costs the US dairy industry as much as
being of every animal wearing a connected sensor. $1 billion a year.54 A trial of these connected pH
The data derived can lead to insights that produce sensors showed an increase in production in 60
better yields, increase survival rates, and improve milk percent of farms, which could translate into a 10
output. percent increase in milk yield overall.55

ÂÂ Supporting livestock vitality through real-time ÂÂ Ensuring every cow counts. SCR Dairy
sensor monitoring. Connected sensors enable developed HealthyCow24, which combines
ranchers to more quickly identify sick cattle that Microsoft’s Windows embedded software, with
need to be pulled from the herd to prevent the connected devices and its Azure cloud, to help
spread of disease. Acoustic sensors that can farmers monitor their cows to help boost milk
recognize coughing are giving pig farmers an production, smooth the calving process, and
early warning for possible respiratory sickness. ensure healthier cows.56 The technology now
Accelerometers on a cow’s tail can help predict connects about four million cows, enabling
when it is ready to breed, or send a farmer a farmers to get real-time alerts on their
text message when it goes into labor to give smartphones.57
birth — helping improve chances of a live birth.53

When livestock are fitted with sensors, farmers and ranchers can remotely monitor
and manage the vitality of their livestock around the clock and across the farm —
watching over the health, location, and well-being of every animal wearing a
connected sensor.

Improving the Environment and Reducing

Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Food production is responsible for the largest share Reducing these emissions is a big challenge. Methane
of CO2 emissions worldwide. A large part of this is from livestock accounts for nearly 40 percent of
caused by livestock, which are responsible for half of all greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture.59
all greenhouse gas emissions — three times that of all Fortunately, farmers are breathing a little easier
transportation sources worldwide combined.58 thanks to software and connected sensors that help
cut livestock emissions by monitoring feeding and
digestion to optimize their diet and potentially reduce
emissions.

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 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

ÂÂ Cutting greenhouse gasses by minimizing its ÂÂ Reducing farm fuel use with digitally directed
largest source. New “clean cow” technologies farm equipment. Agricultural greenhouse
like the wireless sensors from WellCow can gas emissions also emanate from using farm
help optimize the diet for cattle by remotely equipment. Using conventional methods, farmers
monitoring what they eat and how well they use more than six gallons of diesel fuel per acre
digest it to identify opportunities to reduce each year.62 But now, with the advent of software-
methane emissions.60 USDA also has developed enabled GPS-guided farm equipment, farmers are
software called the Dairy Gas Emissions Model able to cultivate the land more uniformly without
(DairyGEM) for estimating and reducing the passing over the same point multiple times. These
emissions from these gas-passing cows.61 tractors use 40 percent less fuel than conventional
methods — meaning lower fuel costs and fewer
greenhouse gas emissions.63

Growing Foods That Are More Nutritious and Sustainable

Americans face critical challenges related to the identify the genes that could improve photosynthesis
health of the food they eat, from diabetes, gluten and crop growth. These software innovations could
intolerance, high cholesterol, and a growing obesity help increase plant diversity and empower farmers
epidemic. When we can grow more nutritious foods with fresh approaches for expanding what they can
and increase every American’s access to fresh fruits produce.
and vegetables, it can save thousands of lives and
billions of health care dollars in the process. ÂÂ Developing more nutritious, delicious, and
sustainable foods. Startup Ginko BioWorks is
Cloud biology is a new field that combines AI, DNA a Boston-based organism design foundry that
data, machine learning, and analytics to reduce the uses software, banks of robotic DNA synthesizers,
time needed to identify new crop breeds that are and software-controlled molecular analysis
more nutritious and sustainable. By moving tests robots to create a vast decisional database. The
from the lab to the cloud, it shrinks the time it takes resulting data helps the company’s software make
to identify ideal genetic signatures from years to increasingly accurate predictions about which
weeks which in turn can enable huge breakthroughs. biological parts work together to create certain
For example, scientists use software to identify the compounds. These results in turn help scientists
genes necessary to help develop wheats and nuts that design better food for livestock, create better
don’t cause allergic reactions, soybeans that don’t enzymes for turning milk into cheese, produce
contain the unhealthy trans-fats that contribute to new yeasts for better beer, and identify new
high cholesterol and heart disease, and biofortified options for food sweeteners that may be healthier
foods that help prevent malnutrition in low-income for consumers.64
communities. With the help of software, machines
can drop bits of DNA into tubes that use enzymes — ÂÂ Moving plant research to the cloud. Emerald
like a pair of tiny genetic scissors — to turn certain Cloud Lab’s web-based life sciences laboratory
food traits on and off almost as easily as we turn on is cutting the cost and improving the efficiency
and off the lights. In other cases, scientists can use of lab work by enabling researchers to run
cloud software to model a plant’s metabolism and experiments in a centralized computer-controlled

11
 Cloud biology is a new field that combines AI, DNA data, machine learning, and
analytics to reduce the time needed to identify new crop breeds that are more
nutritious and sustainable.

lab from anywhere in the world. Using machines proteins in the cloud.66 Its Genetic Constructor
that look like 3D printers but work more like a software helps with everything from high-level
remote army of lab technicians pipetting drops of genome sketches to base-pair editing. Its
DNA, the service enables researchers to remotely Molecular Simulation software enables scientists
order tests so they can focus on their research, at all levels to simulate molecular design, while
without the grunt work of washing test tubes.65 It’s its Wet Lab Accelerator software enables cloud
a lab in the cloud. biology as a sort of robotic lab assistant. It
could open the door to entirely new kinds of
ÂÂ Opening the door to entirely new kinds of agriculturally based products and solutions —
agriculturally based products and solutions. like new kinds of biofuels and new ways to make
Autodesk developed software that makes it easier insulin from plants.
for scientists to design, visualize, and simulate

Technologies Fueling the Promise

of Precision Agriculture

Smart Tractors FUTURE FARMS Survey Drones

Farmers are taking
advantage of amazing
new software advances
to bring together vast
opportunities — from
new wireless broadband
Soil Sensors technologies, autonomous Farm
tractors, aerial drones, Management
connected sensors, and
livestock monitors.

Supply Chain
Connected Management
Cows

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 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

Farming Data: The Bigger the Data, the Greater the Yield
Today’s farms generate lots of rich and varied data Farmers used to store their most precious resource
that must be harvested before it becomes useful. In in silos. Now they are storing their most precious
2014, the average farm produced just 190,000 data data in the cloud. But when new farm equipment is
points per day. By 2050, a connected farm will be introduced, the data might be siloed and stored for
generating more than four million data points per day. only one purpose. To enable precision opportunities,
As data grows exponentially, so does opportunity. The data needs to be stored in the cloud where it can
key challenge for data analysts is turning this deluge be acted upon by software solutions to enable new
of information into actionable insights for farmers. insights, and accessed from the farmhouse, the office,
or even a combine’s cab.

Estimated Amount of Data Generated by the Average Connected Farm Per Day

5,000,000

Data Points Genereted per Day

2,500,000
Farm data is growing
exponentially
00

02

04

06

08

10

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

26

28

30

32

34
20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

20

Source: Onfarm, BI Intelligence Estimates

13
Internet of Things: Sensing New Agricultural Opportunities
Some of the most powerful technologies enabling Connected Agriculture Devices Are Doubling
precision farming techniques today are software
connected sensors that are transforming almost 75
every aspect of farming operations. Wireless sensors
can detect 26 different soil health parameters —
from moisture, temperature, pH levels, aeration, 62
and nutrient levels like nitrogen phosphate and
potassium.67 Other types of sensors are used with 52

Millions of Devices
livestock to monitor key information that helps farmers
improve healthy outcomes. These connected sensors 43
are proving to be such a game changer that the
number of connected agricultural devices is expected 36

to grow orders of magnitude bigger — from 13 million 30

at the end of 2014 to 225 million by 2024, and up to
2 billion by 2050.68

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020

Source: Business Insider Intelligence Estimates

Artificial Intelligence: Creating Smarter Farming Solutions

To grow robust crops, farmers must constantly juggle Artificial Intelligence in Agriculture
a set of variables — soil moisture levels, looming Growing 5 times larger by 2025
weather, plant nutrition, and pest outbreaks — to
calculate the exact cost of steps that can boost their
$2,629M
bottom line. Now AI tools are performing calculations
for the farmer with insights that simply could never
have been calculated before.

One of the biggest AI applications that is helping

farmers is hyper-local weather predictions. According
to USDA, 90 percent of crop losses are caused by
weather.69 This crop damage can be reduced by $519M
an estimated 25 percent using predictive weather
modeling and other precision agriculture techniques.70 2017 2025
It helps ensure fewer crops are wasted and more food Source: Markets and Markets
makes it to the table.

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 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

AI in agriculture is turning out to be so powerful that market forecasters project the

AI in the agriculture market to grow from $519 million in 2017 to $2.6 billion by
2025 — growing 22.5 percent per year.

These AI tools are being put to work today. For insights that can help them make better decisions —
example, IBM’s self-learning weather models are and harvest greater yields.71
enabling farmers to take advantage of new kinds of
hyper-local weather forecasts. When combined with AI in agriculture is turning out to be so powerful that
IBM Watson’s IoT platform, the system can analyze market forecasters project the AI in the agriculture
a variety of data like temperature, soil pH and other market to grow from $519 million in 2017 to $2.6
agricultural and environmental factors to give farmers billion by 2025 — growing 22.5 percent per year.72

Precision-Controlled Farm Equipment:

Driving Efficiency in the Field
Forget self-driving cars; autonomous tractors are and sprayers that make sure fertilizers, herbicides,
gaining traction and can already drive themselves and pesticides are used in exactly the right amounts.
through crop fields using GPS with less than an inch They have found that software-enabled precision
of error. These machines are enabled by Trimble, agriculture technology raises profitability per acre
whose software allows highly accurate GPS-controlled by $5 to $100 and increases overall productivity by
navigation and steering systems for tractors. 15 percent.74

Agricultural equipment manufacturers are embedding Much of this machinery innovation has been made
autonomous GPS navigation right into new farm possible by software that has sped up agricultural
equipment. John Deere estimates about two-thirds of machine design. For example, John Deere turned
large US farmers already use self-driving technology.73 to Siemens software to enable faster design and
These tractors can be fitted with sensors that collect virtual testing to improve the performance of new
crop and soil data and can use variable-rate spreaders agricultural equipment.75

15
Agricultural Robots: Getting Precision Ag Rolling
Innovators are developing specialized AI-enabled ÂÂ Similarly, Switzerland-based Ecorobotix has
robots that help farmers work more efficiently. These developed an ultra-light, solar-powered
autonomous robots tend to the crops by seeding, autonomous weeder that uses an AI-assisted
weeding, fertilizing, and harvesting. Soil experts camera to apply micro-doses of herbicide directly
estimate large tractors and combines reduce field to a weed’s leaves — cutting herbicide usage by
yield by up to 13 percent due to soil compaction, but 20 percent.77
a shift to smaller more autonomous robots can help
boost yield and enable new precision. ÂÂ However, when some crops get tall, like corn,
it can become a challenge to apply the right
ÂÂ For example, the Lettuce Bot — a sort of Roomba amounts of nutrients like nitrogen to the soil.
for crops — uses a 3D camera mounted on a Enter the cleverly named RowBot, which can
tractor and clever software processing to analyze navigate between rows of corn to keep nitrogen
real time images of lettuce crops to improve levels in sync with corn needs.78
yields by precisely feeding each plant with the
nutrients it needs to maximize output.76

Innovators are developing specialized AI-enabled robots that help farmers work
more efficiently.

Drones: Helping Farmers See Things More Clearly

With the help of autonomous drones, agricultural above to spot problems sooner. They produce a ton
opportunity is looking up. For years, farmers have had of data. In just one 160-acre field, a drone can take
to survey fields by foot. But now software-controlled more than 150 high-resolution pictures, generating
drones are taking on tasks like field surveys to give huge amounts of data that needs to be transmitted,
farmers a more comprehensive vision of farming processed, and correlated to identify new actionable
needs. With just a tap on a smartphone app, drones insights.79 As overhead imagery is fed into an AI
can create HD imagery, 3D maps, and multi-spectral engine, it can identify troubles like fungus growth in
imagery — allowing farmers to see their fields in corn and soybean crops weeks before the naked eye
ways beyond what a human eye can see. These detects it.80 Being able to treat diseases early saves
drones can map weeds, yield, and soil variations from money and helps ensure greater yields.

16 www.software.org
 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

Food for Thought: Four Key Recommendations to

Enable Precision Farming Opportunities at Every Farm

Extend Precision Enable Remove Barriers Enable Even

Agricultural Thousands of to Adoption Smarter and
Opportunity New Ag State by Fostering Bigger Agricultural
Everywhere by Software Jobs by Farmer Trust by Opportunities
Closing the Rural Closing the Farm Modernizing by Advancing
Broadband Gap State Software Federal Data a National AI
Skills Gap Policies Framework

Although precision agriculture usage is growing Extending precision agricultural

rapidly, in 2015 precision agriculture technology opportunity everywhere by closing the
was used on less than 20 percent of farmland.81 rural broadband gap.
Farmers may be unable to take advantage of the
opportunities enabled by these technologies because For farmers and ranchers, ubiquitous rural internet
they lack reliable broadband, don’t have access to access has now become an agricultural accelerator
programmers who can customize solutions, want and economic imperative. Broadband is not only
assurances that their data is private, and need access essential for connecting the sensors, software, and
to continuously advancing smart AI technologies. clouds that enable precision farming techniques,
but it also is vital for enabling farmers to search for
new customers, find buyers, and identify the most
affordable sources of seeds, fertilizers, and farm
equipment.

17
 Rural Broadband and the Digital Divide TV White Spaces Pilot Project

Montana North Dakota

Washington
Vermont
Wisconsin Maine
South Dakota
Michigan New York
Iowa

Illinois Ohio
Maryland
Kansas West Virginia
California Virginia

Arizona
Georgia
Texas

Commercial Partnerships
Pilot Projects

This FCC map shows whether there are providers of fixed An effort to use TV white spaces to close the rural broadband
residential services of at least 25 Mbps/3 Mbps in a specific gap, the Microsoft Airband Initiative has projects in 16 states,
area. Yellow areas indicated areas that have no providers at and that number is expected to grow to 25 in 2019.
25Mbps/3Mbps.

Unfortunately, rural Americans have been left behind broadband technology.85 Together with a group of
in the broadband revolution where an estimated more than 100 organizations, leaders are working
19.4 million Americans live without access to high- with the Federal Communications Commission
speed broadband.82 Making matters worse, the USDA (FCC) and other policymakers to allocate enough
reports that 29 percent of US farms have no access unlicensed, low-band spectrum in every market to
to the internet at all.83 Without rural broadband, this expand broadband connectivity via TV White Spaces
digital divide means farmers lack the tools they need — enabling broader precision agricultural opportunity
to take advantage of software-enabled precision everywhere.86
farming technologies, and rural communities lack the
tools they need to grow in a global economy.
Enabling thousands of new ag state
Given the lack of farm access and the size of the
software jobs by closing the farm state
precision agricultural opportunity, congressional
leaders already have set a critical goal of achieving software skills gap.
reliable internet service on 95 percent of farmland Software developers are the force multipliers when it
by 2025.84 To address this, software innovators are comes to creating the breakthrough applications that
advancing new rural broadband solutions using will propel major agricultural advances in the years
something called “TV White Spaces” that overcome ahead. But many executives have come to understand
the economics of distance that have long left rural that lack of access to software developer talent is one
communities digitally disconnected. The technology of the biggest potential threats to growth — bigger
takes advantage of underused television spectrum to than even access to capital.87 With nearly 200,000
transmit data to places that have been left behind for software jobs expected to be created in the top 12
too long. agriculture producing states by 2026, it’s critical that
The opportunity for rural America is one of the these farm states have the developer skills necessary
reasons why the Farm Bureaus in Montana, Oregon, to fill these jobs.88 Unfortunately, today there are
South Dakota, and Wisconsin have all come together already more than 500,000 unfilled computing jobs
to support the deployment of this new wireless nationwide,89 and the US Bureau of Labor Statistics

18 www.software.org
 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

estimates that one million computer programming Enabling even smarter and bigger
jobs in the United States will go unfilled by 2020.90 agricultural opportunities by advancing
To overcome this rural skills gap, we need to cultivate a national AI framework.
skilled coders who work in rural areas and can design
and run the transformative software-enabled tools The smartest farming solutions today rely on
of tomorrow. That is why policymakers throughout AI to improve agricultural opportunity — from
the country need to make investments in computer autonomously driving precision farm equipment,
science education to help prepare the next generation to hyper-localized weather forecasts, to systems
of software-literate workers by ensuring that computer that spot crop diseases in advance, to software
science is taught in every high school. that can project the perfect moment to maximize a
harvest. Artificial intelligence is so critical that market
forecasters project that AI solutions in agriculture
Removing barriers to adoption by will grow at a rate of 22.5 percent per year.93 Despite
fostering farmer trust by modernizing that AI opportunities are growing at such a high rate,
federal data policies. the United States has no federal policy toward AI or
a strategy for advancing its trusted use. To address
In order to advance precision farming adoption, it’s this, congressional leaders are looking to advance
critical that farmers have assurance that their data can AI opportunities by setting up a process to develop
be appropriately protected.91 That’s why modernizing forward-looking recommendations that can spur
federal data policies to ensure they are clear, investment, empower the workforce, protect privacy,
effective, and predictable for farmers, innovators, and and ensure ethical behavior, among others.94
governments alike is critical to unlocking agricultural
opportunity. Given that 9 out of 10 farmers use a
smartphone in their combine,92 they also need to trust
that the information in their personal devices can be
appropriately secured.

Conclusion
Today’s precision agriculture advancements aren’t just improving the way farmers grow,
feed, harvest, and distribute food, they have the potential to boost yields, cut costs, and
dramatically expand what the agricultural sector can achieve. With software innovations
now firmly planted at the forefront of future farming opportunity, the key question is how
quickly we can remove the barriers that prevent farmers from taking full advantage of these
opportunities to accelerate agricultural opportunity all the way from the farm to the dinner
table.

19
Endnotes

1 15
Mark W. Rosegrant et al., Food Security in a World of Natural Scientific American, How Fertilizers Harm Earth More Than Help
Resource Scarcity: The Role of Agricultural Technologies, Your Lawn, available at https://www.scientificamerican.com/
International Food Policy Research Institute (2014), available at article/how-fertilizers-harm-earth/.
http://www.ifpri.org/publication/food-security-world-natural- 16
Smith, Here Come the Robots.
resource-scarcity-role-agricultural-technologies.
17
2
Tariq Khokhar, Globally, 70% of Freshwater Is Used for
Aaron Tilley, The Internet Versus the Great California Drought,
Agriculture, The World Bank (March 22, 2017), available at
Forbes (July 20, 2015), available at https://www.forbes.com/
https://blogs.worldbank.org/opendata/chart-globally-70-
sites/aarontilley/2015/07/01/the-internet-versus-the-great-
freshwater-used-agriculture.
california-drought/.
18
3
Mesfin M. Mekonnen and Arjen Y. Hoekstra, “Four Billion
Sam Smith, Here Come the Robots: Precision and Regenerative
People Facing Severe Water Scarcity,” Science Advances 2, no.
Farming, The Futures Centre (April 12, 2018), available at
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https://thefuturescentre.org/articles/217999/here-come-robots-
org/content/2/2/e1500323.
precision-and-regenerative-farming.
19
4
Tilley, The Internet Versus the Great California Drought.
Rosegrant et al., Food Security in a World of Natural Resource
20
Scarcity. FoodLogicIQ, Track & Trace, available at https://www.foodlogiq.
5
com/solutions/traceability/.
National Geographic, Farming: There’s an App for That (June
21
5, 2018), available at https://www.nationalgeographic.com/ Center for Science in the Public Interest, Why Good Nutrition Is
environment/future-of-food/food-future-precision-agriculture/. Important: Unhealthy Eating and Physical Inactivity Are Leading
6
Causes of Death in the U.S., available at https://cspinet.org/
Michael Mandel and Elliot Long, Iowa’s App Economy, eating-healthy/why-good-nutrition-important.
Progressive Policy Institute (October 2017), available at http://
22
www.progressivepolicy.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/ World Health Organization, Promoting Fruit and Vegetable
PPI_Iowa_Apps_2017.pdf. Consumption Around the World, available at http://www.who.
7
int/dietphysicalactivity/fruit/en/index2.html.
ERS/USDA and BLS long-term occupational projections (2016–
23
2026) for software-related occupations. The job categories Angela Huang, Transforming the Agricultural Industry, IBM:
included the following OCC codes: 15-1121 Computer Internet of Things Blog (August 9, 2016), available at https://
Systems Analysts; 15-1122 Information Security Analysts; 15- www.ibm.com/blogs/internet-of-things/agricultural-industry/.
1131 Computer Programmers; 15-1132 Software Developers, 24
Julia Chen Davidson, Big Data + Big Agriculture = Big
Applications; 15-1133 Software Developers, Systems Software; Opportunities, IBM Consumer Products Industry Blog (January
15-1134 Web Developers; 15-1141 Database Administrators; 8, 2014), available at https://www.ibm.com/blogs/insights-
15-1142 Network and Computer Systems Administrators; on-business/consumer-products/big-data-big-agriculture-big-
15-1143 Computer Network Architects; 15-1151 Computer opportunities/.
User Support Specialists; 15-1152 Computer Network Support 25
Specialists; and 15-1199 Computer Occupations, All Other. Revich et al., Profiles in Innovation: Precision Farming, p. 14.
26
8
According to BLS data, the average American annual wage Microsoft, FarmBeats (Infographic), available at http://
of $37,040 is less than half an average software application download.microsoft.com/download/C/E/A/CEACFE2D-CF21-
developer who earns on average $100,080. (BLS 2016 median 4581-8F68-BDD0A6CEC4F9/FarmBeats_Infographic_Web.pdf.
annual wage (codes 15-1132 and 15-1133 versus 00-0000.) 27
“TV Dinners: Unused TV Spectrum and Drones Could Help
Even web developer jobs—a kind of software job that requires Make Smart Farms a Reality,” The Economist (September 17,
comparatively minimal skills—pay almost twice the national 2016), available at https://www.economist.com/science-and-
average. technology/2016/09/17/tv-dinners.
9
Accenture, Digital Agriculture: Improving Profitability, available 28
Tariq Khokhar, Globally, 70% of Freshwater Is Used for
at https://www.accenture.com/us-en/insight-accenture-digital- Agriculture.
agriculture-solutions. 29
Romit Atta, Farming 2.0: How Does IoT Help Agriculture
10
USDA, Farm Computer Usage and Ownership (August 2017), Domain? NetManias (September 19, 2017), available at https://
available at http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/usda/current/ netmanias.com/en/post/blog/12735/iot/farming-2-0-how-does-
FarmComp/FarmComp-08-18-2017_correction.pdf. iot-help-agriculture-domain.
11
Jerry Revich et al., Profiles in Innovation: Precision Farming: 30
Tilley, The Internet Versus the Great California Drought.
Cheating Malthus With Digital Agriculture, Goldman Sachs 31
Trimble, Precision Irrigation, available at https://agriculture.
Equity Research (July 13, 2016), available at https://docdrop.
trimble.com/precision-ag/solutions/irrigation/.
org/static/drop-pdf/GSR_agriculture-N1sH6.pdf.
32
12 Trimble, Precision Agriculture Field Solutions, available at
United Nations, World Must Sustainably Produce 70 Per Cent
https://agriculture.trimble.com/precision-ag/.
More Food by Mid-Century (December 3, 2013), available at
33
https://news.un.org/en/story/2013/12/456912. “Technology Quarterly: The Future of Agriculture: Factory
13 Fresh,” The Economist, available at https://www.economist.
Rosegrant et al., Food Security in a World of Natural Resource
com/technology-quarterly/2016-06-09/factory-fresh.
Scarcity.
34
14 Ibid.
Accenture, The World of Agriculture Is About to Change (July
35
28, 2017), available at https://innovation-awards.nl/en-us/ Laurie Bedord, “Irrigation, Innovation Saving Water in Kansas,”
articles/agriculture-is-about-to-change. Successful Farming (April 17, 2017), available at https://www.
agriculture.com/machinery/irrigation-equipment/irrigation-
innovation-saving-water-in-kansas.

20 www.software.org
 Every Sector Is a Software Sector: Agriculture

36 55
E. & J. Gallo Winery Is Working With Watson to Develop an Precision Livestock, Nesta, available at https://www.nesta.org.
Intelligent Irrigation System That Increases the Quality of Its uk/feature/precision-agriculture/precision-livestock/.
Grapes, IBM: Watson, available at https://www.ibm.com/ 56
Lorence Heikell, Connected Cows Help Farms Keep Up With
watson/stories/ejgallo/.
the Herd, Microsoft (August 17, 2015), https://news.microsoft.
37
EZ Farm: Uses the Internet of Things to Improve Food Security com/features/connected-cows-help-farms-keep-up-with-the-
in Africa, IBM, available at https://www.ibm.com/case-studies/ herd/.
t869341z93257n45. 57
HealthyCow24, available at http://www.scrdairy.com/cow-
38
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, intelligence/hc24-solution.html and Farming for Data: The
Keeping Plant Pests and Diseases at Bay: Experts Focus on Global Agriculture Industry’s Tech Makeover, Microsoft Blog
Global Measures, available at http://www.fao.org/news/story/ (December 7, 2017), available at https://cloudblogs.microsoft.
en/item/280489/icode/. FAO estimates that between 20 and 40 com/industry-blog/industry/manufacturing/farming-for-data-the-
percent of global crop yields are reduced each year due to the global-agriculture-industrys-tech-makeover/.
damage wrought by plant pests and diseases. 58
Accenture, The World of Agriculture Is About to Change.
39
Scientific American, How Fertilizers Harm Earth More Than Help 59
Maanvi Singh, “NPR: Gassy Cows Are Warming the Planet, and
Your Lawn.
They’re Here to Stay,” NPR (April 12, 2014), available at https://
40
Revich et al., Profiles in Innovation: Precision Farming, p. 8. www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/04/11/301794415/gassy-
41 cows-are-warming-the-planet-and-theyre-here-to-stay.
Scientific American, How Dangerous Is Pesticide Drift? available
60
at https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/pesticide-drift/. WellCow, available at http://wellcow.co.uk/.
42 61
Trimble, Field-IQ Crop Input Control System, available at USDA Dairy Gas Emissions Model, available at https://www.
https://agriculture.trimble.com/precision-ag/products/field-iq/. ars.usda.gov/northeast-area/up-pa/pswmru/docs/dairy-gas-
43 emissions-model/.
Farming for Data: The Global Agriculture Industry’s Tech
62
Makeover, Microsoft Industry Blogs (December 6, 2017), Elizabeth Creech, Saving Money, Time and Soil: The Economics
available at https://cloudblogs.microsoft.com/industry-blog/ of No-Till Farming, U.S. Department of Agriculture (November
industry/manufacturing/farming-for-data-the-global-agriculture- 30, 2017), available at https://www.usda.gov/media/
industrys-tech-makeover/. blog/2017/11/30/saving-money-time-and-soil-economics-no-till-
44 farming.
Smith, Here Come the Robots.
63
45 Smart Farming: The New Green Revolution, SDSN Youth
Isabel Boniface, Crowdsourced Data and Azure Squash Fruit
(September 10, 2017), available at http://sdsnyouth.org/food-
Fly Marauders, Microsoft (March 14, 2017), available at https://
and-youth-stories/2017/9/10/smart-farming-the-new-green-
news.microsoft.com/en-au/features/crowdsourced-data-and-
revolution.
azure-squash-fruit-fly-marauders/.
64
46 Elizabeth Stinson, “Move Over, Jony Ive—Biologists Are the
Clarisse Magnin, How Big Data Will Revolutionize the Global
Next Rock Star Designers,” Wired (November 18, 2015),
Food Chain, McKinsey & Company (August 2016), available at
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https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/
ivebiologists-are-the-next-rock-star-designers/.
our-insights/how-big-data-will-revolutionize-the-global-food-
65
chain. The Emerald Cloud Lab, available at https://www.
47 emeraldcloudlab.com/.
Huang, Transforming the Agricultural Industry.
66
48 Autodesk Life Science, available at https://autodeskresearch.
FoodLogicIQ, Track & Trace.
com/groups/lifesciences.
49
Farming for Data: The Global Agriculture Industry’s Tech 67
Chris Albrecht, Teralytic Sensors Help Farmers Manage Their
Makeover.
Fertilizing, The Spoon (February 28, 2018), https://thespoon.
50
Cargill: How Do You Create a Digital Supply Chain That tech/teralytic-sensors-help-farmers-manage-their-fertilizing/.
Feeds the World? SAP, available at https://www.sap.com/ 68
Agricultural IoT Will See a Very Rapid Growth Over the Next
documents/2017/10/4286c97c-d87c-0010-82c7-eda71af511fa.
10 Years, Gartner (January 12, 2016), available at https://
html.
machinaresearch.com/news/agricultural-iot-will-see-a-very-
51
Mars Food Uses the Cloud to Track Rice From Farm to Fork, rapid-growth-over-the-next-10-years/.
Microsoft: Customer Stories (June 27, 2018), available at https:// 69
Lloyd Treinish, “Precision Farming Gains Global Foothold (Op-
customers.microsoft.com/en-us/story/mars-food-consumer-
Ed),” LiveScience (June 12, 2013), available at https://www.
goods-azure.
livescience.com/37400-smart-farming.html.
52
IBM Food Trust: Creating a Food Ecosystem Built on Trust and 70
Huang, Transforming the Agricultural Industry.
Transparency, IBM: Blockchain, available at https://www.ibm.
71
com/blockchain/solutions/food-trust. IBM, Let’s Put Smart to Work (Video), available at https://www.
53 ibm.com/thought-leadership/smart/.
The Moocall: Wireless Calving Alert Sensors can detect when a
72
cow is going into active labor. It straps to the tail, where it can Markets and Markets, AI in Agriculture Market by Technology
monitor movement for the patterns of activity that mean a calf is (Machine Learning, Computer Vision, Predictive Analytics),
on the way. Then Moocall uses the 3G mobile network to send Offering, Application (Precision Farming, Drone Analytics,
a text alert to the farmer, who has about an hour to prepare Agriculture Robots, Livestock Monitoring), Offering, and
for the arrival of the latest addition to the herd. See https:// Geography - Global Forecast to 2025 (December 2017),
moocall.com. available at https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-
54 Reports/ai-in-agriculture-market-159957009.html.
Sub-Acute Ruminal Acidosis (SARA) in Dairy Cows (Fact Sheet),
available at http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/livestock/
dairy/facts/03-031.htm.

21
73 86
Shara Tibken, “How Today’s Farmers Got a Head-Start on Zachary Cikanek, Connect Americans Now Reaches 100
Tomorrow’s Tech,” cNet (July 5, 2016), available at https:// Members, Press Release, Connect America Now (March 15,
www.cnet.com/news/how-todays-farmers-got-a-head-start-on- 2018), available at https://connectamericansnow.com/connect-
tomorrows-tech-self-driving-vehicles-gps-mapping-apps/. americans-now-reaches-100-members/.
74 87
Jeff Hawn, IoT, Wireless Tech Set to Revolutionize Farming, The Developer Coefficient: Software Engineering Efficiency
RCR Wireless (October 8, 2015), available at http://www. and Its $3 Trillion Impact on Global GDP (September 2018),
rcrwireless.com/20151008/internet-of-things/iot-wireless-set-to- available at https://stripe.com/files/reports/the-developer-
revolutionize-farming-tag15. coefficient.pdf. Collectively, developers have the ability to raise
75 global GDP by $3 trillion over the next 10 years. Access to
Siemans, Agricultural Machine Design, available at https://
developers is a bigger constraint than access to capital.
solidedge.siemens.com/en/industries/agricultural-machinery/
88
and Siemans, Case Study: Agricultural Machinery Manufacturer ERS/USDA and BLS long-term occupational projections
Uses LMS Virtual.Lab to Increase Endurance Simulations, (2016–2026) for software-related occupations. The job
available at https://www.plm.automation.siemens.com/en/ categories included here include the following OCC codes: 15-
about_us/success/case_study.cfm?Component=222942. 1121 Computer Systems Analysts; 15-1122 Information Security
76 Analysts; 15-1131 Computer Programmers; 15-1132 Software
Katie Fehrenbacher, “The Startup Behind the Lettuce Robot Has
Developers, Applications; 15-1133 Software Developers,
a New 3D Crop Scanner,” Fortune (June 3, 2015), available at
Systems Software; 15-1134 Web Developers; 15-1141 Database
http://fortune.com/2015/06/03/3d-crop-scanner/.
Administrators; 15-1142 Network and Computer Systems
77
Smith, Here Come the Robots. Administrators; 15-1143 Computer Network Architects; 15-1151
78
RowBot, available at https://www.rowbot.com/. Computer User Support Specialists; 15-1152 Computer Network
Support Specialists; and 15-1199 Computer Occupations, All
79
CoBank, Farmers Harvest Gigabytes With Broadband and Other.
Wireless Technology (March 2016), available at https://www. 89
cobank.com/-/media/files/ked/communications/farmers-harvest- According to https://code.org/.
gigabytes-report--mar-2016.pdf. 90
Tom Kalil and Farnam Jahanian, “Computer Science Is for
80
Matt McFarland “Farmers Spot Diseased Crops Faster With Everyone!” The White House (December 11, 2013), available
Artificial Intelligence,” CNN (December 14, 2017), available at at https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2013/12/11/
http://money.cnn.com/2017/12/14/technology/corn-soybean-ai- computer-science-everyone.
farming/index.html. 91
America Farm Bureau, American Farm Bureau Survey Shows Big
81
Accenture, Digital Agriculture: Improving Profitability. Data Use Increasing, Big Questions Remain (October 21, 2014),
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82
Federal Communications Commission, Broadband Progress bureau-survey-shows-big-data-use-increasing-big-questions-
Report, available at https://www.fcc.gov/reports-research/maps/ rem.
bpr-2016-fixed-25mbps-3mbps-technology/. 92
John Walter, “There’s an Ag App for That,” Successful Farming
83
USDA, Farm Computer Usage and Ownership. (November 16, 2016), available at https://www.agriculture.com/
84
Elizabeth Meyer, ‘Precision Agricultural’ Broadband Bill technology/crop-management/there-s-an-ag-app-for-that.
Advances in U.S. House, Government Technology (July 27, 93
Markets and Markets, AI in Agriculture Market by Technology.
2018), available at http://www.govtech.com/network/Precision- 94
Agricultural-Broadband-Bill-Advances-in-US-House.html. Congressional Artificial Intelligence Caucus, Cantwell, Young,
Markey, Delaney & Olson Introduce Bill to Further Understand
85
John Youngberg, Barry Bushue, Scott VanderWal, and James and Promote Development of Artificial Intelligence, Drive
Holte, Opinion: Innovative Technologies to Enable Precision Economic Opportunity (December 12, 2017), available at
Agriculture Tools, AgriPulse, available at https://www.agri-pulse. https://artificialintelligencecaucus-delaney.house.gov/media-
com/articles/11086-opinion-innovative-technologies-to-enable- center/press-releases/future-of-ai-act.
precision-agriculture-tools.

22 www.software.org
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