Increased solar flares disrupt farmers' GPS systems, causing agricultural machinery to stop working during sowing season

by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

The sun goes through periods of maximum and minimum activity in an approximately 11-year cycle . 2024 will be the year of maximum solar activity, and solar flares are expected to occur more frequently than usual. It has been reported that the increased activity of solar flares is causing GPS malfunctions in tractors and agricultural machinery.

Solar Storm Knocks Out Farmers' Tractor GPS Systems During Peak Planting Season
https://www.404media.co/solar-storm-knocks-out-tractor-gps-systems-during-peak-planting-season/

According to the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology of Japan, multiple large solar flares have been confirmed as of May 8, 2024. In addition, the increased activity of solar flares has caused a sudden increase in X-rays and ultraviolet rays generated by the sun, which have reached the Earth's ionosphere, causing a communication disruption known as the ' Dillinger phenomenon .'

Breaking news on large solar flares | Space Weather Forecast
https://swc.nict.go.jp/extreme.html

The communications outage is having a devastating effect on farmers across the Midwest. 'I'm in the middle of planting corn and all my tractors are sitting at the edge of the field right now because the GPS doesn't work,' said Nebraska farmer Kevin Kenney.

The cause of the problem is the failure of GPS and RTK (Real Time Kinematic) systems. RTK systems combine GPS with correction data from fixed points on the ground to provide centimetre-high accuracy of position information. This technology is used in tractors and farm machinery, but increased solar activity has significantly reduced the accuracy of RTK systems, forcing many farmers to stop sowing their crops.

In modern agriculture, it is necessary to narrow the spacing between crop rows to prevent weeds from growing, and automatic steering of tractors using GPS and RTK systems is essential. 'In the old days, we would draw lines on the ground and drive using them as markers, but now the rows are too narrow, so that doesn't work. Without guidance from GPS and RTK, we can't drive accurately and we'll damage the crops,' Schwartz explains.

In corn cultivation in the United States, sowing by mid-May is extremely important. Tom Schwartz, a farmer in Nebraska, said, 'There is a certain optimum time for sowing, so you just have to get to work during that time. We've had good weather for the last two days, perfect for sowing, but now we just have to sit and wait. Everyone is frustrated because nothing is happening.'

There have also been reports on the online message board site Reddit that 'GPS is not working and sowing is not possible.' Reddit user robotfarmer71 said, 'Creating ridges requires accuracy of one inch (about 2.5 cm), but the GPS on the planter and cultivator has gone haywire, making it impossible.'

The effects of the solar flare are expected to continue until Monday, and farmers are rushing to resume sowing as soon as possible while waiting for the weather to improve. Experts warn that tractor internet connections and reliance on satellites could pose a threat to food supplies. IT media 404Media said that this case highlights how dependent modern agriculture is on GPS and satellite communications, and is an issue that should be closely watched from the perspective of food supply security.

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