Global Positioning System: Decreasing Crop Chemical Application on wit

Decreasing Chemical Application with Technology Works Cited Not Included Many people may wonder why it is so important to decrease chemical application on the farm. When people go to the store they often do not think about what goes into the apple or piece of bread they eat. The more chemicals that farmers use on the crops that are sold to the general public increase the chance that those chemicals get into the food we eat. There are many ways that the government and farmers are trying to reduce the amount of chemicals they are using. These range from simply doing crop rotation to genetically modifying plants and animals. Some of the most common ways farmers are decreasing chemical application with technology are biotechnology, GPS units, and improved equipment. These are all ways that will help reduce the amount of chemicals that get from the field to the dinner table. Biotechnology refers generally to the application of a wide range of scientific techniques to the modification and improvement of plants, animals, and microorganisms that are of the economic importance. (Persley, Gabrielle pg. 1). Biotechnology has occurred in two stages. In the first stage, genetic modifications have included input traits such as pest resistance and herbicide tolerance, providing advantages to farmers in the production phase without changing the final product. The input traits of the first stages in genetically modified crops may increase farmers’ net profits through savings in production costs, reducing chemical use, increased flexibility in crops planted, and in some cases increased crop yield. The second stage of genetic modification will focus on output traits such as improved nutritional features and proc... ...nd more atomization fewer chemicals will have to be used and it will reduce the amount of chemicals that are wasted. In conclusion I hope that this information will help explain the ways that biotechnology, Global Positioning Systems and advanced equipment can help reduce the amount of chemicals that are used on the farm. Biotechnology is not a bad idea and is possibly the only way that we can keep up with ever changing weeds and pests. GPS system can help improve field records and give you more precise farming and will pay for themselves in the end. Last but not least always look for new advanced technology and don’t be afraid of it. Technology is always changing and every day there are new advances in this field that can help farmers produce more with fewer chemicals so that in the end fewer chemicals will reach the dinner table.