Farmers Are Learning To Go High-Tech

Farm manager Jesse Sanchez’s newest agricultural tool doesn’t come with big fat knobby tires.

This tool is powered by knowledge.

For several years, Sanchez has used a locally developed computer program to help him track pesticide use, irrigation and tillage practices.

Resting a laptop computer on the hood of his truck recently, Sanchez monitored the flow of irrigation water being used by Sano Farms. The company grows processing tomatoes, cotton, almonds, and asparagus on more than 4,000 acres in west Fresno County in California.

In the world of agriculture, where growers operate at times on the thinnest of profit margins, finding ways to save time and money is valuable.

Udi Sosnik knew that nearly 15 years ago when he and partner Shlomo Pleban created Orange Enterprises, a Fresno-based software company specializing in agricultural programs.

“What we have wanted to do is transfer the knowledge of academia to the farm level,” said Sosnik, the company’s marketing director. “That hasn’t always been easy. Ag resisted at first. But it has been an evolutionary process, and things are changing.”

Although the practice is considered a time-saver, Doug Edwards, deputy agriculture commissioner, estimates that fewer than 5 percent of the reports are filed electronically.

Sam Bennet, general manager for Valley Warehouse, a pesticide, fertilizer and seed company, uses the Tiger Jill program to write pesticide recommendations for customers.

Some companies, baby food makers in particular, are growing increasingly sensitive to the issue of food safety.

Computer programs such as Tiger Jill can instantly produce a detailed record of what was sprayed, how much and when.

Sosnik said his program can also link different users. As information is input in the field, the users can access it.

The cost for the programs can vary from several hundred dollars to several thousand, depending on the scope of the program, Sosnik said.