Mount a rail on the legs of a center pivot with provision to power a crop tending robot. This automated tender would sweep back and forth across the field like a printer head planting weeding, controlling pests and fungi and monitoring the crop throughout the field. Equipped with optical sensors and a manipulator arm this field bot would perform precise maintenance over giant fields allowing the production of crops that could formerly only be tended by hand labor. Precise application of water and chemical and mechanical control of weeds and pests reduces environmental impact while allowing production of cash crops in a field setting. Harvest could be achieved in the usual manner but now aided by a precise map of ripeness. Some assembly required.
-- WcW, Feb 26 2008

[sp. precision.]

But "precise" is a word that has little application in farming. In a highly controlled environment like hydroponics, you can come close, but out in the fields, it's the real world, and messy.
-- DrCurry, Feb 26 2008


Enhanced precision? Far more precise than a constant watering schedule, fertigation and applying broad spectrum pesticides.
-- WcW, Feb 26 2008


"fertigation" - hm, I like that word!
-- DrCurry, Feb 26 2008


I feel it should be percussion.

are we talking crop circles here? no? shame.

I hate the word *harvest*

*they* are after my eggs, you know...
-- po, Feb 26 2008


A 'farmer' would still be required to run the "farmer".
-- WcW, Feb 26 2008


"Quis agricolet ipsos agricoles ?"
-- 8th of 7, Feb 26 2008


//*they* are after my eggs, you know...// Well, you can't make an omelette...
-- MaxwellBuchanan, Feb 26 2008


A robot farmer wouldn't understand why growing plastic pumpkins might be a problem.
-- lurch, Feb 26 2008


Halloween could be interesting.
-- skinflaps, Feb 26 2008


What kind of scarecrow would a robot farmer come up with?
-- Canuck, Feb 26 2008



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