New technology for 21st century.

Orbiting satellites and laser measuring devices may be essential pieces of equipment for farming in the next decade. Purdue University experts predict that farmers will need these new tools just to know where to plant their seeds,

These technologies will be necessary for site-specific or prescription farming. Site-specific farming means that conditions are measured for areas in a field as small as a few feet or even inches, and pesticides and fertilizers are applied according to the needs of that site. Proponents say this will reduce chemical use and boost yields, both of which will cut costs and increase benefits for farmers and consumers.

"We're going back to what Squanto taught John Smith about putting a seed with a fish in a small hill of dirt," indicates Howard Doster, associate professor of agricultural economics. "In the years since Squanto, we've been farming bigger and bigger fields instead of individual sites. This new farming is based on the environment of that site ...... For such pinpoint accuracy, farmers will rely on satellites that already are in orbit as part of the Air Force's Navstar Global Positioning System, made available to commercial users following the end of the Cold War.

Farmers are not strangers to satellite communications. Many use satellite dishes to pull in up-to-the-minute weather reports, agricultural news, and commodity price information...