United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
REDUCING LABOR AND ADVANCING PRECISION AGRICULTURE
THROUGH AUTOMATION
ARS advances labor-saving tools and technologies to aid in crop and livestock breeding and
production, improve preharvest and postharvest processing, and enable nondestructive quality
assessment and grading of commodities. ARS researchers have developed precision irrigation
techniques and instrumentation, and made advances in technology, automation, informatics, and remote
sensing. These cross-cutting efforts—which advance agricultural science, help the industry overcome
labor shortages, fine-tune management decisions, and conserve resources while meeting growing
demand for food—are highlighted by the following accomplishments in 2021.
New precision management tool optimizes cotton producer decision-making. Quickly and accurately
documenting cotton crop emergence allows a grower to identify problem areas in fields and replant
if needed. The small size of newly emerged plants
makes them difficult to identify with remote sensing,
and the time required for extensive data processing
to accurately detect them often prevents remediation
ARS scientists are developing
based on the measurements. ARS researchers in
Portageville and Columbia, Missouri, and University of low-cost remote sensing and
Missouri collaborators used unmanned aerial vehicles
equipment control technologies
to collect early-season images of cotton fields and then
that farmers, ranchers, and
developed and refined methods to quickly process the
images and provide emergence results. The method processors can use with
identified the number of plant seedlings in the field and
smartphone apps to manage their
recognized weeds and other extraneous material with
an accuracy rate of more than 90 percent. The near daily operations while reducing
real-time processing with the new method was much
labor costs and improving
faster than traditional image processing methods and
operating efficiencies, which
will enable cotton producers throughout the world to
better manage their crops for more efficient production enables small farms to benefit from
systems to ensure a stable supply of food (cottonseed
precision agriculture technologies.
oil), feed (cottonseed meal), and fiber.
Enhancing foodborne pathogen sampling at
processing facilities. Establishments producing raw
ground beef products develop sampling protocols that are used to determine if microorganism levels in
products are below predetermined baseline levels and that control processes adequately protect against
contamination. Sampling methods are critical since improper microbiological sampling can incorrectly
indicate that processing methods are effective. ARS researchers in Clay Center, Nebraska, developed
new continuous (CSD) and manual (MSD) meat sampling devices for raw beef trim, and developed and
validated protocols now used in commercial processing that address common variations in sampling.
Findings indicate that the various alternative applications of CSD and MSD-based trim sampling for
pathogen detection are equivalent or better than previous methods and provide additional benefits in
reduced labor costs, other costs, and improved worker safety.
New highly efficient apple harvesting robotic arm. Automated harvesting technology is urgently needed
to address U.S. labor shortages and increasing labor costs facing the multi-billion-dollar U.S. tree fruit
industry. Although research into robotic harvesting has been reported in recent years, two technical
challenges—picking fruit from clusters and finding fruit obscured by leaves and branches—still need to be
ARS ANNUAL REPORT ON SCIENCE | Fiscal Year 2021 23
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United States Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Research Service
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resolved. An ARS engineer in East Lansing, Michigan, and Michigan State University scientists developed
a new robotic apple harvesting technology that couples an innovative concept of vacuum sucking and
rotation with a simple and effective robot arm movement mechanism. When the new harvesting robotic
arm was tested in 2020 during multiple commercial field trials, it effectively and skillfully picked fruit from
clusters and from deep within the canopy where apples were obscured by leaves and branches. A patent
application for this technology has been filed.
Advances in precision agriculture improve sustainability of wheat, corn, and canola cropping
systems. ARS scientists are developing powerful mapping and imaging tools to fight weeds, improve
planting outcomes, and fight diseases in crops. ARS researchers in Pendleton, Oregon, and Oregon State
University researchers developed a way to map weeds in real time during harvest operations. The high
resolution weed maps were used to help explain variation in crop yield within the field and enable direct
spot spraying of weeds after harvest before they re-infest the next crop. ARS researchers in Columbia,
Missouri, and University of Missouri researchers developed a method for using aerial drone images to
monitor corn emergence within the first week after planting; this method can be automated to help farmers
scout fields for sections that need replanting. ARS scientists in Pendleton, Oregon, developed a procedure
for monitoring the timing of canola flowering from satellite or aircraft-based images that can be integrated
with meteorological data to predict canola yield and disease risk. These newly developed remote sensing
techniques are helping growers improve productivity and sustainability across a wide variety of national
cropping systems.
Cheung, Lance. Alexander Frick, Jr. uses a smart device to review data and plans his customized seed application for the day.
April 13, 2021. USDA Photo. https://flic.kr/p/2m4Ka33
ARS ANNUAL REPORT ON SCIENCE | Fiscal Year 2021 24
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