{"id":1161,"date":"2020-10-27T21:51:32","date_gmt":"2020-10-27T21:51:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/?p=1161"},"modified":"2025-03-07T17:35:08","modified_gmt":"2025-03-07T17:35:08","slug":"exploring-agrotechnology-to-improve-farm-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/exploring-agrotechnology-to-improve-farm-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"Exhortaci\u00f3n a explorar la agrotecnolog\u00eda para mejorar la productividad de las fincas"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[et_pb_section fb_built=&#8221;1&#8243; admin_label=&#8221;section&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_row admin_label=&#8221;row&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;][et_pb_column type=&#8221;4_4&#8243; _builder_version=&#8221;4.16&#8243; custom_padding=&#8221;|||&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221; custom_padding__hover=&#8221;|||&#8221;][et_pb_text admin_label=&#8221;Text&#8221; _builder_version=&#8221;4.27.2&#8243; background_size=&#8221;initial&#8221; background_position=&#8221;top_left&#8221; background_repeat=&#8221;repeat&#8221; global_colors_info=&#8221;{}&#8221;]<\/p>\n<article style=\"margin: auto; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;\"><!-- T\u00edtulo grande --><\/p>\n<h2 style=\"font-size: 1.1rem; font-weight: normal; color: #555; margin-top: 0;\">Agronomist Sol Rosado explains the benefits of integrating science and technology into agriculture to reduce food imports and expand Puerto Rico\u2019s agricultural industry<\/h2>\n<p><!-- Informaci\u00f3n del autor y fecha en letra m\u00e1s peque\u00f1a --><\/p>\n<p style=\"font-size: 0.9rem; font-style: italic; margin-bottom: 0; padding: 0;\">By Sharon Minelli P\u00e9rez Periodista de Negocios | October 27, 2020<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><!-- Contenido del art\u00edculo, sin modificar el texto original -->Recognizing that Puerto Rico&#8217;s fertile land, favorable climate, and growing interest in agricultural innovation create a unique opportunity to reduce dependence on food imports, agronomist Sol Rosado is encouraging farmers to embrace scientific and technological advancements to enhance crop efficiency and productivity.<\/p>\n<p>The President of PRABIA acknowledges that change can be daunting, especially given the skepticism surrounding genetically modified seeds (GMOs). However, she emphasizes that biotechnology extends far beyond GMOs and encompasses a broad range of tools under the umbrella of agrotechnology.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It is clear that we produce seeds, but what\u2019s most important is how we leverage technology to improve crops and optimize resource use,&#8221; said Rosado.<\/p>\n<p>For example, she highlighted the use of drones\u2014not just for aerial farm photography but as powerful tools for precision agriculture. Drones enable farmers to monitor crop health, assess growth rates, and detect nutrient deficiencies, allowing for more informed decision-making.<\/p>\n<p>By combining drones with advanced mapping technologies, farmers can analyze soil characteristics, create detailed elevation maps, and gain insights from sensors that provide data from the surface down to six feet underground. These advancements reduce manual labor while significantly improving efficiency. For instance, what once took four hours of manual data collection can now be completed in just 45 minutes.<\/p>\n<p>Rosado also pointed to innovations such as drip irrigation systems, greenhouse cultivation, and controlled environment agriculture, which maximize land use while minimizing pesticide application. Additionally, GPS-equipped tractors improve planting precision, allowing farmers to utilize up to 98% of available land\u2014far more than the 45% achieved through traditional methods.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;These advancements don\u2019t replace traditional farming but build upon it, optimizing productivity and reducing environmental impact,&#8221; Rosado noted. She emphasized that every farming tool, from ox-drawn plows to high-tech machinery, has its place depending on the terrain and needs of the farmer.<br \/>\nGlobally, more than 18 million farmers have adopted agricultural science and technology measures. Data suggests that pesticide use has decreased by 95% since 1960, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 104 million pounds annually. Moreover, erosion control techniques now help protect over one billion tons of topsoil, preserving vital water resources.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Ultimately, these tools ensure that agricultural practices are both sustainable and environmentally responsible,&#8221; Rosado concluded, stressing that farmers can tailor technological advancements to their specific needs, even within organic and agroecological models.<br \/>\n&#8220;We want to open PRABIA to the public, so they understand how science and technology contribute to agriculture,&#8221; she said.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.elnuevodia.com\/negocios\/agro\/notas\/exhortacion-a-explorar-la-agrotecnologia-para-mejorar-la-productividad-de-las-fincas\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><br \/>\nhttps:\/\/www.elnuevodia.com\/negocios\/agro\/notas\/exhortacion-a-explorar-la-agrotecnologia-para-mejorar-la-productividad-de-las-fincas\/<\/a><\/p>\n<\/article>\n<p>[\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Agronomist Sol Rosado explains the benefits of integrating science and technology into agriculture to reduce food imports and expand Puerto Rico\u2019s agricultural industry By Sharon Minelli P\u00e9rez Periodista de Negocios | October 27, 2020 Recognizing that Puerto Rico&#8217;s fertile land, favorable climate, and growing interest in agricultural innovation create a unique opportunity to reduce dependence [&hellip;]<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1178,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"<ul class=\"font_7\">\r\n \t<li>The Biotech Summer Camp is an initiative of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico<\/li>\r\n \t<li>PRABIA is a collaborator in its commitment to strengthen the Agricultural Biotechnology industry on the Island<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Video: Promoting future scientists http:\/\/bit.ly\/CampamentoCEIBA<\/li>\r\n \t<li>Video: Youth that embrace science http:\/\/bit.ly\/CampamentoCEIBA2\u00a0\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nPonce, Puerto Rico \u2013 Recently, high school students successfully completed the Center for Teaching and Research in Biotechnology and Agrobiotechnology (CEIBA) camp, living unique experiences and learning more about the field of agricultural biotechnology as a professional career.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nThe Biotech Summer Camp is an initiative of the Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico in which the Puerto Rico Agricultural Biotechnology Association (PRABIA) serves as a collaborator each year.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nSol Rosado, President of PRABIA, said that \u201cfor us it is important to reiterate the Association's commitment to arousing interest in the biotechnology sector among young people. The Biotech Summer Camp accomplishes this through a rich curriculum that integrates educational activities, lectures, bioinformatics workshops, and the conduct of a variety of research and practical studies. The main objective is that young people know the scope and impact of this sector and that they see it as a possible academic and\/or professional career\u201d.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nThe executive also highlighted that PRABIA takes support for education very seriously to equip innovators and leaders of the future with the skills, talents and diversity to contribute to the creation of a better world. \u201cEvery day, our biologists, agronomists, engineers, and scientists actively participate in different projects that positively impact the communities in which we work, live, and we are passionate about empowering people,\u201d added Rosado.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nThe Biotech Summer Camp lasts four weeks and is made up of students from public high school systems in the southern area. It also has the sponsorship of other member companies of PRABIA, whose facilities are visited by camp participants. The Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico established CEIBA in 2011 and today it is a unique research center with a special focus on agrobiotechnology.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nAbout PRABIA\r\n\r\nFounded in 1995, the Puerto Rico Agricultural Biotechnology Industry Association, for its acronym in English, PRABIA, is a non-profit organization that brings together agricultural biotechnology companies that operate in Puerto Rico \u2013 AgReliant Genetics, BASF, Bayer, Corteva AgriSciences , Syngenta, Illinois Crop Improvement, and RiceTech. The Association aims to strengthen the Agricultural Biotechnology ecosystem on the Island in light of the challenges of global food production. The operations of the companies that are part of PRABIA promote economic development by generating over 5,000 direct and indirect jobs, promoting education, supporting communities, providing support to the academic community and establishing programs aimed at future scientists and agronomists.\r\n\r\n\u00a0\r\n\r\nFor more information about PRABIA, access www.prabia.org or the official Facebook page at http:\/\/bit.ly\/2dva988\r\n<p class=\"font_7\"><u><a href=\"http:\/\/bit.ly\/2dva988\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-auto-recognition=\"true\">http:\/\/bit.ly\/2dva988<\/a><\/u><\/p>\r\n<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[10],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1161","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1161","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1161"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1161\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1216,"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1161\/revisions\/1216"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1178"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1161"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1161"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/prabiapr.org\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1161"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}