With the advent of the GPS and subseqent availability of GIS software, the field of precision agriculture (PA) has exploded. The basic premise behind PA is that agriculture management should be spatially dependent. Agriculture fields, rather they be of wheat in Eastern Oregon or an apple orchard near Yakima, are rarely if ever homogenous in nature. Rather, each field has its own geography. Understanding of this geography in conjunction with a GIS is a powerful decision making tool for the farmer. Inputs can be more appropriatly managed, profits increased, and environmental benifits reaped, all at the same time. Adoption of PA in the Pacific Northwest has not been as extensive as in some other regions of the country. Nevertheless, use of PA does continue to grow in the Pacific Northwest and holds exciting possibilities for farmers across the region.

This website lists a number of PA resources relevant to the Pacific Northwest. Many of these deal with the research support behind implementation of successful precision agriculture, such as proper data capture methods and subsequent data handling. Several annotations focus on the social aspects of precision agriculture, addressing such questions as "how do farmers actually use geographical data?" and "what is the best way to educate producers and agribusiness about PA?"

It would be utterly impossible to touch on all of the relevant areas of GIS in this short list of annotations. Precision agriculture, like so many GIS applications, is truly interdisciplinary in nature and extremely broad in its scope. While not covered in the annotations posted to the right, it is worthy to mention that PA technically extends beyond the fields. For example, food processors may use GIS when sourcing and transporting raw product. Likewise, grain handling facilities can benefit from GIS in managing their operations. The message? Precision agriculture is growing, and its already bigger than you may realize. Check it out!