A General Guide to Global Positioning Systems

Farm mechanization at the turn of the 20th century was one of the main factors that paved the way for the modernization of production agriculture in Arizona. This process replaced draft animals with mechanical sources of power to create highly productive farming systems. Early in this process, we benefited from the outstanding gains in productivity. After the introduction of the diesel engine, our main strategy to increase productivity has been to use larger, more powerful machines. Some argue that, without an alternative source of energy, we have reached a limit in the response of farming systems to the use of mechanical inputs. A new paradigm in modern agriculture has appeared, one in which higher levels of information are incorporated into the management of production inputs in order to create more efficient farming systems. The new frontier of agricultural production in the semi-desert is rich in information technology. We are experiencing exciting times in technology use, and technological innovation is taking place at a fast pace in Arizona. This bulletin will cover important topics in the operation, limitations, types, and current status of this technology.