MITCHELL, S.D. (MITCHELLNOW) Some farmers reported intermittent problems throughout the weekend of May 10-12. Others said their tractors shut down.
The solar storms that knocked out GPS networks in early May — prime planting time in the Midwest — cost farmers a “nontrivial” amount of revenue that depends on how long their equipment was sidetracked, said Terry Griffin, a Kansas State University professor.
The amount would hinge on how long the delay was and whether planting was completed on time when fieldwork resumed. Late-planted corn and soybeans have lower yields. One way to estimate the revenue impact would be to count how many acres on a farm were planted late, the likely bushel-per-acre reduction in yield for each day past ideal planting time, and the market price per bushel for corn.
GPS is used on 70% of U.S. planted cropland for at least one purpose, according to USDA estimates. Applications can range from GPS-guided steering of tractors to plotting high- and low-yielding parts of a field during harvest.
Farmers in the top corn, wheat, soybean, and hog states are twice as likely as farmers in smaller-volume states to use precision agriculture practices, such as GPS guidance, according to USDA’s biennial farm computer report. Usage often topped 50% in the top row-crop states like South Dakota.
