Joseph Russo

Data are the foundation for decisionmaking in any enterprise but the complexity of their realization and their importance as a “currency” in the flow of information are overlooked by many practitioners. This is particularly true of precision agriculture, which...

I have often marveled at the evolution of perspectives in art over the many centuries. Art ranged from simple stick figures on walls of caves in prehistoric times to multi-dimensional cubism in the twentieth century. Art, it has been...

The introduction of trains in the U.S. in the early 1800s brought to light the perils of not having standards when building an infrastructure. One immediate problem was the lack of standard gauge on the rails. Each railroad owner...

Within a few weeks of writing this article, Google announced its NEXUS One smartphone. A smartphone is a smart cell phone because of its desktop computer functionality on a mobile, hand-held device. The Google announcement got a mixed reception...

A few days ago, a younger colleague and I were interviewed about precision agriculture by a popular business magazine. What made this interview unique was how we were found by the magazine author through "Twitter." My colleague had received...

Back in my graduate school days, I had an astronomy professor who on the first day of a course asked each of us in class to define "dirt." Not surprising, everyone in class had their own definition of dirt....

Every day there is a news item that reinforces the importance of food security in our lives. Just a few days prior to writing this article there was the announcement that salmonella bacteria had once again been found in...

Every day there is a news item that reinforces the importance of food security in our lives. Just a few days prior to writing this article there was the announcement that salmonella bacteria had once again been found in...

The theme of this issue is "Precision Around The World." It seems a bit coincidental that we are discussing international precision agriculture efforts at the same time there is global economic upheaval. With so much news about a turbulent...

With so much news about a turbulent economy, one can not help but wonder how recent events would impact precision agriculture innovation worldwide. But before plunging into some thoughts about global precision agriculture, I did want to share an interesting...

Last fall at a technical workshop for specialty crops, growers were asked what their top concern was for field production. They replied without hesitation — labor. At an international conference in Mexico this past spring, I was surprised to...

Last fall at a technical workshop for specialty crops, growers were asked what their top concern was for field production. They replied without hesitation — labor. At an international conference in Mexico this past spring, I was surprised to...

More than 30 years ago, while cleaning out my grandparents' attic, I came across a number of crystal radios in various stages of assembly. It appeared that my grandfather was intrigued with the new radio technology of the 1920s...

One of the most common questions I get asked in grower presentations or at ag shows is: "How do I get started in precision ag?" Perhaps a better question is: "What do I need to do to be successful...

I believe the 2007 growing season will be recognized as a pivotal point for precision agriculture in the U.S. I base this belief on a number of converging socio-economic and technical trends. The socio-economic trends include larger farms, non-traditional...

With the end of winter in sight, many in the agricultural industry are starting to get serious on their choices of precision agriculture technologies for the upcoming growing season. Whether the choice is equipment, software, or just taking soil...

Many years ago, while doing a stint in academia, I participated in an introductory course in agriculture for freshman students. The course provided an overview of the field from a number of perspectives, which were represented by the instructors....

About a year ago, in the backwoods of southwestern Georgia, I was part of a small group of precision agricultural enthusiasts driving late at night to a hotel in a rural town. The lack of familiarity with the terrain,...