FLORIDA CITY, FLORIDA - APRIL 01: An aerial view from a drone shows farm workers as they fill up bins in the back of a truck with zucchini as they harvest on the Sam Accursio & Son's Farm on April 01, 2020 in Florida City, Florida. Sergio Martinez, a harvest crew supervisor, said that the coronavirus pandemic has caused them "to have to throw crops away due to less demand for produce in stores and restaurants. The farm workers who are essential to providing food for homebound families are worried that if the restaurants stay closed and peoples changed grocery store habits continue they would be out of work with no work for the near future." Joe Raedle/Getty Images
The current geomagnetic storm presents significant challenges for farmers depending on precision agriculture technology.
Recent findings indicate that solar activity has caused disruptions to vital GPS systems utilized in guiding modern tractors.
Disrupting Precision Agriculture Technology
The recent geomagnetic storm poses significant challenges for farmers reliant on precision agriculture technology. As outlined in a report by 404 Media, heightened solar activity has disrupted crucial GPS systems that play a vital role in guiding modern tractors.
The impact of space weather on GPS and communication systems is well-documented, and farmers keenly feel its effects, particularly during this period.
The intensified solar activity in recent days has resulted in GPS navigation system outages for certain modern tractors, including those manufactured by John Deere and other leading brands.
While these advanced technologies have enabled farmers to optimize planting efficiency with precise, straight-line accuracy, they are now advised to temporarily suspend their use due to potential inaccuracies that could lead to complications during harvesting.
Deere tractors are equipped with Real-Time Kinematic (RTK) systems, facilitating precision planting down to the centimeter level.
However, Landmark Implement, the owner of several John Deere dealerships, cautions that deviating from the usual accuracy could result in discrepancies between the actual crop rows and the predetermined AutoPath lines. This leads to challenges during subsequent crop maintenance and harvesting processes.
Experiencing Disruption in Nebraska
During peak corn planting season, many farms in Nebraska have had to halt their operations due to the solar storm. Tractors sit idle at the edges of fields, disrupting the usual rhythm of planting.
However, some farms continue planting, hoping to overcome the challenges of solar activity.
The ongoing geomagnetic storm is the most potent recorded in the past two decades. It peaks at G5 levels on Friday and Saturday morning, indicating an "extreme" intensity. Although it has since subsided to G4/G3 levels, forecasts predict a resurgence on Sunday evening.
This resurgence is attributed to the arrival of intense yet slow-moving coronal mass ejections (CMEs) from the sun. While this event promises spectacular views of the northern lights, it poses significant challenges for individuals reliant on technology disrupted by the storm, affecting their livelihoods.
In the previous year, The Sydney Morning Herald reported that an interruption involving Inmarsat satellites brought tractors across Australia and New Zealand to a standstill.
Additionally, CSO reported that the remote disabling of connected tractors in Ukraine in 2022 highlighted a vulnerability that had not been previously acknowledged.
Experts caution against the potential threat of cyber attacks targeting either tractors or the satellites integral to their operations, emphasizing the significant risk posed to our food supply.
Farmers across various online platforms have been engaged in discussions regarding the GPS outages, expressing concerns about encountering "unusual problems" while operating their equipment.
