§ 7623. — Precision agriculture.
[Laws in effect as of January 24, 2002]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
January 24, 2002 and December 19, 2002]
[CITE: 7USC7623]
TITLE 7--AGRICULTURE
CHAPTER 103--AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION REFORM
SUBCHAPTER II--NEW AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH, EXTENSION, AND EDUCATION
INITIATIVES
Sec. 7623. Precision agriculture
(a) Definitions
In this section:
(1) Agricultural inputs
The term ``agricultural inputs'' includes all farm management,
agronomic, and field-applied agricultural production inputs, such as
machinery, labor, time, fuel, irrigation water, commercial
nutrients, feed stuffs, veterinary drugs and vaccines, livestock
waste, crop protection chemicals, agronomic data and information,
application and management services, seed, and other inputs used in
agricultural production.
(2) Eligible entity
The term ``eligible entity'' means--
(A) a State agricultural experiment station;
(B) a college or university;
(C) a research institution or organization;
(D) a Federal or State government entity or agency;
(E) a national laboratory;
(F) a private organization or corporation;
(G) an agricultural producer or other land manager; or
(H) a precision agriculture partnership referred to in
subsection (g) of this section.
(3) Precision agriculture
The term ``precision agriculture'' means an integrated
information- and production-based farming system that is designed to
increase long-term, site-specific, and whole farm production
efficiencies, productivity, and profitability while minimizing
unintended impacts on wildlife and the environment by--
(A) combining agricultural sciences, agricultural inputs and
practices, agronomic production databases, and precision
agriculture technologies to efficiently manage agronomic,
horticultural, and livestock production systems;
(B) gathering on-farm information pertaining to the
variation and interaction of site-specific spatial and temporal
factors affecting crop and livestock production;
(C) integrating such information with appropriate data
derived from field scouting, remote sensing, and other precision
agriculture technologies in a timely manner in order to
facilitate on-farm decisionmaking;
(D) using such information to prescribe and deliver site-
specific application of agricultural inputs and management
practices in agricultural production systems; or
(E) using such information to enable intelligent mechanized
harvesting and sorting systems for horticultural crops.
(4) Precision agriculture technologies
The term ``precision agriculture technologies'' includes--
(A) instrumentation and techniques ranging from
sophisticated sensors and software systems to manual sampling
and data collection tools that measure, record, and manage
spatial and temporal data;
(B) technologies for searching out and assembling
information necessary for sound agricultural production
decisionmaking;
(C) open systems technologies for data networking and
processing that produce valued systems for farm management
decisionmaking;
(D) machines that deliver information-based management
practices; or
(E) robotic and other intelligent machines for use in
horticultural cropping systems.
(5) Systems research
The term ``systems research'' means an integrated, coordinated,
and iterative investigative process that involves--
(A) the multiple interacting components and aspects of
precision agriculture systems, including synthesis of new
knowledge regarding the physical-chemical-biological processes
and complex interactions of the systems with cropping, livestock
production practices, and natural resource systems;
(B) precision agriculture technologies development and
implementation;
(C) data and information collection and interpretation;
(D) production-scale planning;
(E) production-scale implementation; and
(F) farm production efficiencies (including improved use of
energy inputs), productivity, and profitability.
(b) Grants authorized
(1) In general
The Secretary of Agriculture may make competitive grants, for
periods not to exceed 5 years, to eligible entities to conduct
research, education, or information dissemination projects for the
development and advancement of precision agriculture.
(2) Private sector financing
A grant under this section shall be used to support only a
project that the Secretary determines is unlikely to be financed by
the private sector.
(3) Consultation with Advisory Board
The Secretary shall make grants under this section in
consultation with the Advisory Board.
(c) Purposes of projects
A research, education, or information dissemination project
supported by a grant under this section shall address 1 or more of the
following purposes:
(1) The study and promotion of components of precision
agriculture technologies using a systems research approach designed
to increase long-term site-specific and whole-farm production
efficiencies, productivity, and profitability.
(2) The improvement in the understanding of agronomic or
horticultural systems, including, soil, water, land cover (including
grazing land), pest management systems, product variability, and
meteorological variability.
(3) The provision of training and educational programs for State
cooperative extension services agents, and other professionals
involved in the production and transfer of integrated precision
agriculture technology.
(4) The development, demonstration, and dissemination of
information regarding precision agriculture technologies and systems
and the potential costs and benefits of precision agriculture as it
relates to--
(A) increased long-term farm production efficiencies,
productivity, and profitability;
(B) the maintenance of the environment;
(C) improvements in international trade; and
(D) an integrated program of education for agricultural
producers and consumers, including family owned and operated
farms.
(5) The promotion of systems research and education projects
focusing on the integration of the multiple aspects of precision
agriculture, including development, production-scale implementation,
and farm production efficiencies, productivity, and profitability.
(6) The study of whether precision agriculture technologies are
applicable and accessible to small and medium-size farms and the
study of methods of improving the applicability of precision
agriculture technologies to those farms.
(d) Grant priorities
In making grants to eligible entities under this section, the
Secretary, in consultation with the Advisory Board, shall give priority
to research, education, or information dissemination projects designed
to accomplish the following:
(1) Evaluate the use of precision agriculture technologies using
a systems research approach to increase long-term site-specific and
whole-farm production efficiencies, productivity, and profitability.
(2) Integrate research, education, and information dissemination
components in a practical and readily available manner so that the
findings of the project will be made readily usable by agricultural
producers.
(3) Demonstrate the efficient use of agricultural inputs, rather
than the uniform reduction in the use of agricultural inputs.
(4) Improve farm energy use efficiencies.
(5) Maximize the involvement and cooperation of precision
agriculture producers, certified crop advisers, State cooperative
extension services agents, agricultural input machinery, product and
service providers, nonprofit organizations, agribusinesses,
veterinarians, land-grant colleges and universities, and Federal
agencies in precision agriculture systems research projects
involving on-farm research, education, and dissemination of
precision agriculture information.
(6) Maximize collaboration with multiple agencies and other
partners, including through leveraging of funds and resources.
(e) Matching funds
The amount of a grant under this section to an eligible entity
(other than a Federal agency) may not exceed the amount that the
eligible entity makes available out of non-Federal funds for precision
agriculture research and for the establishment and maintenance of
facilities necessary for conducting precision agriculture research.
(f) Reservation of funds for education and information dissemination
projects
Of the funds made available for grants under this section, the
Secretary shall reserve a portion of the funds for grants for projects
regarding precision agriculture related to education or information
dissemination.
(g) Precision agriculture partnerships
In carrying out this section, the Secretary, in consultation with
the Advisory Board, shall encourage the establishment of appropriate
multistate and national partnerships or consortia between--
(1) land-grant colleges and universities, State agricultural
experiment stations, State cooperative extension services, other
colleges and universities with demonstrable expertise regarding
precision agriculture, agencies of the Department, national
laboratories, agribusinesses, agricultural equipment and input
manufacturers and retailers, certified crop advisers, commodity
organizations, veterinarians, other Federal or State government
entities and agencies, or nonagricultural industries and nonprofit
organizations with demonstrable expertise regarding precision
agriculture; and
(2) agricultural producers or other land managers.
(h) Limitation regarding facilities
A grant made under this section may not be used for the planning,
repair, rehabilitation, acquisition, or construction of a building or
facility.
(i) Authorization of appropriations
(1) In general
There are authorized to be appropriated such sums as are
necessary to carry out this section for each of fiscal years 1999
through 2007, of which, for each fiscal year--
(A) not less than 30 percent shall be available to make
grants for research to be conducted by multidisciplinary teams;
and
(B) not less than 40 percent shall be available to make
grants for research to be conducted by eligible entities
conducting systems research directly applicable to producers and
agricultural production systems.
(2) Availability of funds
Funds made available under paragraph (1) shall be available for
obligation for a 2-year period beginning on October 1 of the fiscal
year for which the funds are made available.
(Pub. L. 105-185, title IV, Sec. 403, June 23, 1998, 112 Stat. 567; Pub.
L. 107-171, title VII, Secs. 7129, 7207(a), May 13, 2002, 116 Stat. 435,
440.)
Amendments
2002--Subsec. (a)(3)(A). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7207(a)(1)(A)(i),
inserted ``, horticultural,'' after ``efficiently manage agronomic''.
Subsec. (a)(3)(E). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7207(a)(1)(A)(ii)-(iv),
added subpar. (E).
Subsec. (a)(4)(E). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7207(a)(1)(B), added
subpar. (E).
Subsec. (a)(5)(F). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7207(a)(1)(C), inserted
``(including improved use of energy inputs)'' after ``farm production
efficiencies''.
Subsec. (c)(2). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7207(a)(2), inserted ``or
horticultural'' after ``agronomic'' and ``product variability,'' before
``and meteorological variability''.
Subsec. (d)(4) to (6). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7207(a)(3), added par.
(4) and redesignated former pars. (4) and (5) as (5) and (6),
respectively.
Subsec. (i)(1). Pub. L. 107-171, Sec. 7129, substituted ``2007'' for
``2002'' in introductory provisions.
