This high crop sprayer unfolds to a span of 90 feet. To more efficiently distribute chemicals, the vehicle's sonar automatically adjusts the height of the boom to the rolling hills of Nebraska. (NET News for Harvest Public Media)
Click to EnlargeYou might find that wind is an occasional nuisance. For farmers, though, the wind's impact can be huge — drying out crops and eroding topsoil. Gusts big and small also complicate the application of chemicals, and that can be particularly costly. Reporting for Harvest Public Media, Perry Stoner takes us inside a new research facility in North Platte, Nebraska, where researchers are throwing their unique brand of caution to the wind.
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Harvest Public Media is a consortium of public radio and TV stations in Kansas, Missouri, Iowa and Nebraska, working together to tell the story of agriculture - from farming and ranching, to local food, biofuel and more. Kansas Public Radio is a proud partner of Harvest Public Media.