OSU Hand Planter to Promote Precision Agriculture for Subsistence Farmers.

Implementation of precision agriculture by subsistence farmers is limited due to initial cost and lack of availability of the required equipment. To increase the adoption of precision agriculture, it is vital to provide farmers with required tools at affordable prices. Oklahoma State University has developed a hand planter which can be used for different crops, on different soils and terrains, and with different tillage practices. The objective of this study was to provide an alternative for subsistence farmers by developing a tool which can be used efficiently for practicing precision agriculture. The OSU hand planter has the potential to increase production; it is ergonomically similar to traditional stick planters and can also serve as mid-season N-fertilizer applicator that incorporates urea into the soil, and reduces ammonium losses when broadcast. It saves time, increases efficiency, and removes chemically treated seed from farmers’ hands, and reduces health risks.