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"Basically anything that makes farming cheaper, more efficient, less time-consuming, especially including the use of new technologies, GPS and the Internet, fell into the category of precision ag," said Terry Brasse, associate professor of agricultural geospatial technology at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, which has a precision agriculture school.

Brasse said AgRobotics Inc. of Little Rock's AutoProbe, which relies on GPS and computer technology to collect soil samples falls directly into that movement.

He said since the movement began, newer technologies like GPS were quickly adopted, but also quickly hit a plateau. Auto steering, which relies on GPS to automatically steer farming equipment without an operator, spurred the industry three years ago, but has since leveled out.

"This [AutoProbe] could be similar to automatic steering in fueling another growth spurt in the industry," said Brasse. "Any device that makes a difficult task simpler and faster could encourage more farmers to do it. I think this product has a legitimate chance to make that big of an impact."

To see the machine in action, click here to watch a video.