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Wide Area Wireless Network for Supporting Precision Agriculture. James M. McKinion Jeffrey L. Willers J. N. Jenkins USDA-ARS Genetics and Precision Agriculture Research Unit, Mississippi State, MS. USDA-ARS Precision Agriculture Research.
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Wide Area Wireless Network for Supporting Precision Agriculture James M. McKinion Jeffrey L. Willers J. N. Jenkins USDA-ARS Genetics and Precision Agriculture Research Unit, Mississippi State, MS
USDA-ARS Precision Agriculture Research • Use multispectral imaging to develop maps for scouting cotton pests • Use image processing and GIS to optimize scouting locations • Use image processing to combine scout data with maps to determine spatially variable pesticide applications • Have developed new statistical methodology to assess VRT applications
USDA-ARS Precision Agriculture Research • Methodology developed requires access to high speed wireless networking on the farm for delivery and retrieval of large datasets • Have successfully tested two wireless networks for individual farms • Wanted to go to the next level of wireless networking to assess current technology
USDA-ARS Precision Agriculture Research • USDA-ARS and Teletec Communications, LLC of Columbus, MS have entered into a three year contract • High speed microwave link from Coumbus, MS connects to radio equipment at Prairie Point Road communcations tower • High speed wireless network covering a forty mile radius with line-of-sight from the tower has been established
System Design and Characteristics • Internet access via Teletec 18 mbps point-to-point link from 400’ tower in Columbus • Management of system in Teletec’s operations center at Columbus • Prairie Point Road tower has three 120º sectors each of which supports 4 mbps aggregate data rate • System uses Motorola Canopy 900 MHz • Uplink max 1.8 mbps, Downlink max 2.1 mbps
USDA-ARS Offers • For cooperating growers currently using precision agriculture technology -- • For growers who will adopt precision agriculture technology within the next year– • ARS has supplied subscriber radios, micropop base station (if needed) and associated equipment for access to wireless network and Internet
Growers • Growers have VRT equipment and yield monitors on harvest equipment • Growers have agreed to furnish ARS with VRT application maps and harvest yield maps from their farm areas under precision agriculture regimen; ARS will use data to help evaluate statistical analysis methodology used to determine effectiveness of precision agriculture operations