ICPA - Info Ag 2016

ICPA and Info Ag 2016 ConferenceHistoric Meeting

• International Society of Precision Ag Purposes:• Organize and conduct international conferences related to precision

agriculture (PA), and this Conference is the result of those efforts

• Communicate the latest developments in PA with the world, and International Society of Precision Ag (ISPA) members

• Web portal

• Quarterly ISPA e-newsletter

• Provide members an opportunity for publication of original scientific research in the society sponsored peer-reviewed journal, Precision Agriculture.

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Pierre Robert

ICPA and Info Ag 2016 ConferenceHistoric Meeting

• Info Ag Conference Purpose:

• Promote use of technology to better feed and fuel the world.

• Provide a venue for exchanging ideas on new hardware, software, and implementation of Precision Ag

• Develop a hands-on-conference for practitioners sharing ideas and learning new ways to farm more efficiently.

• Harold Reetz, Quentin Rund and others--the first “Info Ag”

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

• Relatively young organizations (institutions)• Critically important for scientific and technical advancement• Investment in attendance and support insures the future• Expect and contribute to the evolution

Technical Issues, Software, Hardware, Data Science Well Covered in the Programs

• Insert several pictures of equipment, data collection, data science, etc.• These technical issues are covered in the sessions of both meetings as

well as the individuals and companies that are providing exhibits and demonstrations at the meeting

• As a Ph.D. which is Dr. of Philosophy, most of us have dealt with scientific and technical issues, not what most of us studied in our Philosophy classes, most of which were limited to our undergraduate education.

• Today, I am going to cover several topics from more of a philosophy standpoint as I believe that many of us technical types can benefit from allocating a little more time to certain concepts that overarch what we are trying to accomplish

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

So what does an “extinguished professor” talk about in this presentation?

• Ph.D.’s

• Work with scientific and technical issues

• Philosophy?

• Concepts to Consider In Research and Commercial Precision Ag Development Programs

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Over-Arching Concepts

• Value

• Productivity

• Collaboration

• Sustainability

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Increased food production and Reduced Environmental Impact (Needed?)

ICPA - Info Ag 2016Nourish,Replenish,Grow

www.ers.usda.gov/topics/farm-economy/farm-sector-income-finances/2016-farm-sector-income-forecast.aspx(accessed 28 June 2016).

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Concerns about Economics?

•Growers and dealers do not have as much money to invest as they have had in the recent past!

•Value creation and increased productivity are needed to have economic sustainability, and funds to invest.

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Value*• Definition by Adam Smith in “The Wealth of Nations” (1776)**

• “The word VALUE, it is to be observed, has two different meanings, and sometimes expresses the utility of some particular object, and sometimes the power of purchasing other goods which the possession of that object conveys. The one may be called ‘value in use;’ the other, ‘value in exchange.’ The things which have the greatest value in use have frequently little or no value in exchange.”

• Example: water versus diamonds.

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

* Smith, Adam. 1776. An inquiry into the Nature and Causes of The Wealth of Nations

Value*

• Current Definition—Merriam-Webster Dictionary*

• 1 : a fair return or equivalent in goods, services, or money for something exchanged

• 2 : the monetary worth of something : market price

• 3 : relative worth, utility, or importance <a good value at the price> <the value of base stealing in baseball> <had nothing of value to say>

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

*www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/value

Who Determines Value?

• Customer or client

• Does the customer or client always know that a service or certain hardware or software has value?

• Education is required in many cases with innovative products!

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Who Determines the Technologies (Products or Services) that Should be Developed?

• Customer or client?

• Laptops versus main frame computers

• GPS versus “compass, map, and counting steps”

• Guidance systems for sprayers versus no guidance systems

• Row shut-offs on planters in conjunction with GPS guidance systems

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Innovation and Value Creation

•Innovation*

•1 : the introduction of something new

•2 : a new idea, method, or device

•Are we correctly assessing situations where innovation creates real value for the client?

ICPA - Info Ag 2016*www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovation

Creative Destructionand Value Creation

•Creative destruction • Development of new products or services that will displace

major products or services in an industry

• Products or services are displaced because of greater “value” for the new product or service• Seeds

• No-till ICPA - Info Ag 2016*www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/innovation

Productivity

• the state or quality of producing something, especially crops:

• "the long-term productivity of land" "agricultural productivity"

• the effectiveness of productive effort, especially in industry, as measured in terms of the rate of output per unit of input:

• synonyms: efficiency · work rate · output · yield · production

• Increasing productivity enables economic and environmental sustainability

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

*www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/productivity

Nebraska Corn Production and Nutrient Use on Corn

603.5

953.6934.4

854.7

1,014.3

1,270.5

1,469.1

1,602.1

509.3

743.3

653.3 654.5

763.4717.3

787.3

899.5

-

1.00

2.00

3.00

4.00

5.00

6.00

7.00

8.00

9.00

10.00

0

200

400

600

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1000

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1600

1800

1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2014

mill

ion

acre

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N, P

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Corn Production Nutrient Use on Corn Corn Acres Planted

Source: Computed from data reported by NASS, USDA.

Since 1980, Nebraska has produced 165% more corn using 34% less nutrients per bushel.

Harry Vroomen, Melinda Sposari, Lara MoodyTHE FERTILIZER INSTITUTE, Washington, DC

Nourish,Replenish,Grow

Nutrient Use in Nebraska Corn ProductionLbs. Nutrient per Bushel Corn Produced % change from 1980

N P2O5 K2O NPK N P2O5 K2O NPK1980 1.377 0.247 0.063 1.688

1985 1.247 0.229 0.083 1.559 -9% -7% 31% -8%

1990 1.163 0.174 0.062 1.398 -16% -30% -3% -17%

1995 1.288 0.197 0.046 1.531 -6% -20% -27% -9%

2000 1.244 0.241 0.020 1.505 -10% -3% -68% -11%

2005 0.914 0.186 0.029 1.129 -34% -25% -54% -33%

2010 0.863 0.176 0.032 1.072 -37% -29% -49% -37%

2014 0.851 0.210 0.062 1.123 -38% -15% -2% -33%

Source: Computed by The Fertilizer Institute from data reported by USDA, 1980-2014.Harry Vroomen, Melinda Sposari, Lara MoodyTHE FERTILIZER INSTITUTE, Washington, DC

Strategic Systems Analysis in Research and Development

Moisture Availability• Irrigation• Deficit irrigation• Rainfed

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Increased yield:• How are we

affecting yield components?

• Source(s) of increased productivity

Assessing Potential Value in Development of New Precision Ag Tools

• Academics

• Basic research – new knowledge creation.

• Designed to add to an organized body of scientific knowledge and does not necessarily produce results of immediate practical value.

• Who will do the translational research to take the new knowledge and apply it to create value?

• Applied research programs require individuals and teams who understand basic research achievements and are creative in utilizing that new knowledge.

Assessing Potential Value in Development of New Precision Ag Tools

• Commercial

• Assess sectors for opportunities to add value

• What are customers telling us about “pain points” or challenges to efficiency and productivity?

• What are unrecognized “pain points” that have value but that are unrecognized by potential clients?

• Be aware of new research, both basic and applied

• Review journals regularly!

• Connect with or build applied research programs that can develop the appropriate product or service.

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

“Think Outside the Box”*• Think creatively, unimpeded by orthodox or conventional

constraints.

• Origin

• “Think outside the box' originated in the USA in the late 1960s/early 1970s. It has become something of a cliche, especially in the business world, where 'thinking outside the box' has become so hackneyed as to be rather meaningless.”

• Hackneyed ** – “lacking in freshness or originality <hackneyed slogans>”

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

*www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/think-outside-the-box.html (accessed 12 July 2016)**http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hackneyed (accessed 12 July 2016)

“Expand the Box”

• Outside• Examine areas outside your normal spheres of operation

• Inside• Push the boundaries

• Collaborate*• “to work jointly with others or together especially in an

intellectual endeavor”

• Academic and Commercial Sectors

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

*www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaborate

Investor’s Perception of the Ag SectorMatthew Bell, Principal, Cultivan Sandbox Ventures

• USDA estimates 80% increase needed in productivity from ag sector by 2050 due to global growth in quality and quantity of food demand.

• Current R & D expenditures will not meet that need.• Consumer food demands are shifting • Food safety is an increasing concern by consumers and regulators• Traditional businesses such as strategic food companies have flat to

declining market shares• Perceived needs and thus opportunities are increasing • Other sectors looking at Ag

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

*Ag Tech Funding Report, 2015 Year in Review – AGFUNDER.COMMatthew Bell – Cultivian Sandbox Ventures

0.4 0.5 0.50.9

2.4

4.6

2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015

Annual Financing (2010 -2015)Billions of Dollars*

2013 -- ~80% increase over 20122015 -- ~92% increase over 2014

1,653$673

$383 $305

$190 $168

$160 $110

$95 $…$77 $70

$68 $50 $26

$159

0 200 400 600 800 1,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800

FOOD ECONNOMICS

IRRIGATION & WATER

DRONES & ROBITICS

BIOENERGY

BIOMATERIALS & BIOCHEMICALS

SOIL & CROP TECHNOLOGY

SUSTAINABLE PROTEIN

FOODTECH

FOOD SATETY & TRACEABILITY

WASTE TECH

INDOOR AGRICULTURE

FARM TO CONSUMER

CANNABIS

ANIMAL NUTRITION & HEALTH

SMART EQUIPMENT & HARDWARE

MISCELLANEOUS

2015 Deal Volume by SubsectorMillions of Dollars*

• .

• Food Economics and Irrigation & Water were outliers for 2015

• Drones & robotics startups raised $383 million in 42 deals

• AGTECH FUNDING REPORT 2015 YEAR IN REVIEW – AGFUNDER.COM• Matthew Bell, Cultivian Sandbox Ventures, Inc

Meaning of Ag Tech Deal Data (Matt Bell’s Analysis)

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

• Disruptive innovation is in demand

• More small and mid-sized companies

• Attracting more people into the ag area

• More translation research is needed

• Increased university – industry engagement is needed

• Attract new students

• New avenues of funding

Commercializing Academic Technology

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Capital

Technology

Collaborate*• “to work jointly with others or together especially in an

intellectual endeavor”

• Collaboration of academic and commercial sectors• Basic research

• Applied research

• Commercialization

• Potential to create superior value for customers, clients, our industry and society!

ICPA - Info Ag 2016*www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/collaborate

Value Creation Will Occur Where Our Technologies and Applications Satisfy Real Needs in a Sustainable Manner

ICPA - Info Ag 2016Nourish,Replenish,Grow

Wilbur Ellis - Redmond, Oregon January 9, 2007

Agro-Ecosystem

Aquatic Ecosystem

Forest EcosystemSustainability – Why?

Why Sustainability?• Sustainability initiatives

• Walmart: http://corporate.walmart.com/global-responsibility/sustainability/

• Pepsico: http://www.pepsico.com/Purpose/Environmental-Sustainability

• Coca Cola http://www.coca-colacompany.com/sustainability

• Sustainable Agriculture Guiding Principles: www.coca-colacompany.com/content/dam/journey/us/en/private/fileassets/pdf/sagp/SAGP-2013.pdf

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Why Sustainability?• Sustainability Initiatives

• Archer Daniels Midland: www.adm.com/EN-US/RESPONSIBILITY/2015REPORT/Pages/default.aspx

• 195,000 = Documented hectares (equivalent to 481,000 acres) of sustainably cultivated soybeans sourced in 2015 through their Field to Market collaboration with Unilever

• 134,000 = Metric tons of ISCC (International Sustainable Carbon Certification) soy sourced in South America in 2015.

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Why Sustainability?• Sustainability Initiatives

• Cargill: www.cargill.com/corporate-responsibility/sustainable-palm-oil/index.jsp

• “We are working towards a 100% transparent, traceable and sustainable palm oil supply chain by 2020.”

• United Nations

• United Nations Sustainable Development – Food and agriculture https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/topics/foodagriculture

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Sustainability*

• “Capable of being sustained”• of, relating to, or being a method of harvesting or using a resource so

that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged <sustainable techniques>

• of or relating to a lifestyle involving the use of sustainable methods <sustainable society>

FROM

• Sustain• “To endure”, “to hold up”, “to provide sustenance”

ICPA - Info Ag 2016 *www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sustainable

Sustainability Synonyms*

• Defendable

• Defensible

• Justifiable

• Maintainable

• Supportable

• Tenable

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

*www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sustainable

Sustainability• Brundtland Commission Definition:

“Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

From: Our Common Future. 1987. World Commission on Environment and Development. Oxford University Press.

• Commission created in 1983 by United Nations

• Reflect about ways to save the human environment and natural resources and prevent deterioration of economic and social development.

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Pillars of Sustainability

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

EconomicEnvironmental

Social

equilateral triangle

Pillars of Sustainability – Different Views

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Science

• The observation, identification, description, experimental investigation, and theoretical explanation of phenomena

• Methodological activity, discipline, or study

• For example, the science of agronomy

• An activity that appears to require method and study, as in the science of purchasing.

• From the Latin scientia, to know

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Science

• Measuring (If we can measure, we possibly can manage)

• Defining relationships

• Investigating

• Inventing

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Science Fiction

• A literary or cinematic genre in which the plot is typically based on speculative scientific discoveries, environmental changes, space travel, or life on other planets.

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Agricultural Sustainability Brundtland Commission Pillars

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Econ

omic

Soci

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Sustainable Food Production

Agricultural Sustainability

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Econ

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Agricultural Sustainability

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Econ

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Agricultural Sustainability

Econ

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Non- Sustainable Food Production

Sustainability of Systems at Low Levels of Plant Nutrient Availability

• Degradation (erosion) increases as soil organic matter levels decrease• Local and regional water balances change with less infiltration of

limited rainfall• Technology solutions

• Standard fertilizers, conservation agriculture techniques, improved seeds, cover crops

• Major constraints: (1) education; (2) infrastructure

Country N P K

-----------------Kg/ha/year-----------------

Ethiopia -47 -7 -32

Nigeria -34 -4 -31

Rwanda -60 -11 -61

*Assessment of Soil Nutrient Balance, Roy et al. 2003. FAO

Agricultural Sustainability

• Agro-ecosystems that can produce the needed food in perpetuity

• Agro-ecosystems that do not degrade associated natural systems and may enhance “eco-system services.”

• Clean water

• Clean air

• Carbon and nutrient cycling

• Bio-diversityICPA - Info Ag 2016

Agricultural EcosystemsRealities and Opportunities

• Increased food production• Quantity and quality of food production

• Increased demand associated with rising incomes

• Less land per person

• Less fresh water per person

• Impact of agricultural practices on water and air quality???

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

CollapseHow Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed*

• Past Societies-Reasons for Failure• Deforestation and habitat destruction• Soil problems

• Erosion• Salt damage• Soil fertility losses

• Water management• Over hunting• Over fishing• Human population growth

• Past Societies – Not all collapsed!

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

*Jared Diamond, UCLA

CollapseHow Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed*

• A society’s response to its environmental problems depends on the following:• Political institutions• Economic institutions• Social institutions• Cultural values

• “if environmentalists aren’t willing to engage with big businesses, which are among the most powerful forces in the modern world, it won’t be possible to solve the world’s environmental problems.”

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

*Jared Diamond, UCLA

Science and Sustainability• Measurements to define relationships

• Atmospheric sulfur content declining, increased potential for sulfur fertilizer responses by crops

• New technologies to increase crop production efficiency

• More people with adequate, nutritious food – VALUE CREATION

• Decreased potential adverse environmental impacts – VALUE CREATION

• “Civilization as it is known today could not have evolved, nor can it survive, without an adequate food supply.” Norman Borlaug

Opportunities and/or Challenges• Academic and corporate research – “Expand the Box”

• Develop new knowledge• Study and refine basic knowledge –develop applications

that create true value for individuals and society.

• Commercial• Define the opportunities that create true value• Innovate with new technologies and services to create value• Educate to develop an understanding of the new technologies

or services – “value creation” that is not obvious!ICPA - Info Ag 2016

INNOVATION AND ITS ENEMIESWhy People Resist New Technologies

• Calestous Juma, Ph.D.• Professor and Director of the Science, Technology, and Globalization

Project• Harvard Kennedy School’s Belfer Center for Science and International

Affairs• Oxford University Press, 2016

• Chapter 1 – “Gales of Creative Destruction”• Case studies of the introduction of various technologies and products

ICPA - Info Ag 2016

Amazing Opportunities at this Meeting

• Outstanding scientists, farmers, advisers, inventors, developers, engineers, data scientists, market developers and business people

• Cutting edge topics being addressed in the program• Latest products and services are being shown and

demonstrated.

• Opportunities to network• ISPA and Info Ag 2016 organizers are to be commended!

ICPA - Info Ag 2016