
From the U.S. Code Online via GPO Access
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[Laws in effect as of January 2, 2001]
[Document not affected by Public Laws enacted between
  January 2, 2001 and January 28, 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 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; or
            (D) using such information to prescribe and deliver site-
        specific application of agricultural inputs and management 
        practices in agricultural production systems.

               (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; or
            (D) machines that deliver information-based management 
        practices.

                        (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, 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 systems, 
    including, soil, water, land cover (including grazing land), pest 
    management systems, 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) 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.
        (5) 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 2002, 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.)
