ABSTRACT

Much has been written about microcomputers in agriculture. Farm and ranch magazines, extension newsletters, and computer trade magazines have all carried such articles. Through the use of modems and the telephone lines, microcomputers are being used to access data and information from centralized systems such as AGNET and AGRISTAR. An important usage for microcomputers will be in the area of monitoring on-going farm activities. Current application of microcomputers in agriculture is hampered by the lack of readily available application software much as the early adaptation of tractors was hampered by the lack of availability of implements. Just as the age of mechanical power brought forth a new productivity in agriculture, the electronic computer era will significantly change the agricultural industry. Teamed together computers and people can provide management power. It is management that will determine the future of agriculture.