几千年来，农民一直在寻找在特定土地上增加粮食产量的方法。随着设备和技术的改进，农场越来越大，产量也增加了。这一挑战一直持续到今天，现代版本被赋予了一个名字——精准农业。
据普渡大学农业经济学教授 Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer 称，精准农业的基础可以追溯到 1983 年，即美国政府向公众开放全球定位系统 (GPS) 的那一年。
“Soon after, companies began developing what is known as ‘variable rate technology,’ which allows farmers to apply fertilizers at different rates throughout a field,” Lowenberg-DeBoer writes in an article, “精准农业革命”发表于 外交事务 网站。 “在测量和绘制酸度、磷和钾含量等特征后，农民会根据需要调整肥料的用量。”
Lowenberg-DeBoer’s article looks at the current state of precision agriculture around the world and some tantalizing prospects about what could be coming in the future.
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