Different uses of technology on America's farms

Guidance systems: Using the global positioning system, or GPS, this technology automatically drives tractors and combines. Benefits include straighter crop lines with less overlap, which helps reduce consumption of fuel, seeds, fertilizer and pesticide.

Yield monitors: These systems help farmers track productivity in each section of a field by measuring harvest.

Variable rate applicators: These allow farmers to plant seeds or apply fertilizer and herbicides based on data about the soil content of a given section of a field or the health of the plants in that area.

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Sources: Ohio State University, Purdue University