What technologies changed agriculture most in the past 10 years?
New Mexico State University ag economist and futurist Lowell Catlett says five simple but profound technologies came to be important over the past decade. “The first was the release and improvement of GPS, which is leading to a whole new wave of accuracy in precision farming tools. This is a major coup for agriculture and the whole U.S. as we begin to more fully utilize this technology,” Catlett says. Second was biotechnology. “This technology came into full glory and hatred in the last 10 years, and really probably defined the decade more than anything,” he says. The third most influential technology was the growth of the Internet. “While it was invented a long time ago, it wasn’t until the past decade that it came into play,” Catlett explains. “Now we’re just starting to redefine how we’re going to procure inputs and how we can potentially sell them using this technology tool.” Fourth was the improvement in weather satellite accuracy. “Surprisingly, I think this technology has probab
