Georgia producers have a new precision agriculture resource to enhance productivity on their farms.

Lee Nunn of Madison, Georgia, planted his first wheat crop on 50 acres of his wife’s family farm when it became available to rent just over a dozen years ago. He quickly realized his passion for farming and began renting more land, now growing wheat, soybeans, field peas, corn and cotton on more than 1,500 acres.

The illuminated light bulb. It’s the symbol of a great idea come to life.

A cotton farmer who uses yield maps while he finishes harvesting this year’s crop could potentially increase his yields next season while becoming more efficient with input costs, according to University of Georgia Precision Agriculture Specialist Wes Porter.

The University of Georgia was among the first academic institutions to delve into precision agriculture when it emerged in the mid-1990s. A quarter-century later, UGA is stepping up efforts to expand its faculty, curriculum, research and outreach to again become a leader in the field.

A University of Georgia scientist’s dedication to educating Georgia farmers about the benefits of precision agriculture has garnered him international recognition. Wes Porter, a UGA Cooperative Extension precision agriculture and irrigation specialist, will receive the Educator/Researcher Award from the PrecisionAg Institute at the InfoAg Conference in St. Louis, Missouri, on Tuesday, July 23.

Before farm-to-table was trendy, scientists and University of Georgia Cooperative Extension personnel in Tifton were taking research from the lab to the farm.

American and international students continue to be attracted to the dual master’s degree program in sustainable agriculture offered through a partnership between the University of Georgia Department of Crop and Soil Sciences (CRSS) and the University of Padova (UNIPD) Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE) in Italy.

Georgia farmers have technological advancements at their fingertips but many are not able to use them to their fullest extent due to the lack of broadband internet access, according to Wes Porter, University of Georgia Cooperative Extension precision agriculture and irrigation specialist.