Government Offering Free GPS Poster

The United States Government is offering a Global Positioning System poster that highlights the basics of how GPS tracking technology works.

The poster, which features a picture of a tractor, an image of a spaceship and tracking satellites in orbit, was designed to teach science and math students on the middle and high school levels, as well as the public at large, about the importance of GPS tracking technology and how it works, particularly in agriculture.

Many people do not realize that Global Positioning Systems have become a useful and important tool in agriculture. Known as “precision” or “site-specific” farming, GPS tracking allows farmers to couple real-time data collection with precise position information. In other words, thanks to this technology, farmers are able to plan and map their farms, take soil samples, scout crops, guide their tractors, document the application of fertilizer – and so much more – much more accurately.

Before the implementation of GPS tracking in agriculture, farmers had to correlate their production techniques and crop yields with land variability. Their methods were not always accurate and limited their farming abilities. In other words, they could not always develop the most effective soil/plant treatment strategies, which could enhance their production.

Thanks to GPS tracking technology, farming techniques and strategies have become much more precise. They are able to apply pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers more accurately. They also have better control over how the chemicals they use to treat their land are applied. This reduces expenses, helps in a higher yield production and makes the process of farming much more environmentally friendly. Additionally, farmers can gather pertinent location information, which they can utilize to map field boundaries and irrigation systems, as well to identify problem areas in their crops, such as weeds or disease. This technology also helps farmers navigate their land with greater accuracy, year after year, which also improves farming efforts and reduces overhead costs.

The free poster that the US government is issuing is a very effective visual aid for educators who are trying to teach students, or the general public, about how Global Positioning Systems aid in farming, and how the technology works. For example, a middle school science teacher may use this poster as a visual aid to illustrate how GPS tracking works – and how it benefits – farmers and the production of crops.

To download a copy of the GPS educational poster, click here. To request a copy of the GPS poster, click here.

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