By admin 
YUMA, AZ (AZFamily) — University of Arizona’s Yuma Agricultural Center has new equipment it says is critical to its work: two new tractors.
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The upgrade may sound basic, but center leaders say the machines will help modernize research tied to one of the world’s oldest industries — farming — and support efforts to develop more efficient ways to grow crops in the desert.
The Yuma Agricultural Center manages nearly 500 acres of University of Arizona research farmland. Center officials say one of the new tractors will replace older equipment dating back to the 1990s.
“Tractors are our hands,” said Samuel Discua, the center’s director.
Discua said researchers have relied for decades on aging, surplus government equipment requiring frequent repairs and creating operational setbacks.
“As you can see, some of them in here, we have tractors from the 90s that have a lot of hours on them and require a lot of maintenance,” Discua said. “Maintenance costs and downs because of equipment failures were affecting our operations significantly.”
The two tractors represent a $400,000 investment, Discua said. The equipment will be used for tasks ranging from land preparation to field management. He said the tractors will eventually be fitted with laser-leveling technology aimed at improving precision and efficiency in the fields.
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“We will definitely have less downtime because of the equipment failures from the past,” Discua said. “We will be able to use GPS and all the new features that the tractors have to offer.”
Center officials say the new machinery supports research conducted in what they describe as a “living laboratory,” where teams test new ways to conserve water, improve crop production and help local growers meet the challenges of modern agriculture.
A study last year found that agriculture in the Yuma area generates $4.4 billion in statewide economic activity, according to the report.
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