Beginning of article  To passersby, the fields of Colorado's
eastern plains are a vision of uniformity. Mile after mile of
pinstripe rows of corn, sugar beets, and onion stretch
monotonously toward a hazy, green horizon.  To the farmers who
tend these crops, however, the view is very different. Looking
down from their combines, growers like Elmer and Larry Rothe see
a diverse landscape: oases where sugar beets flourish, islands
where corn stalks are sparse.  For years, farmers like the
Rothes have largely accepted these variables, applying
fertilizers, bug sprays, weed killers, and water to make the
whole field prosper. Today, with the help of navigation
satellites developed by the military to guide fighter planes,
the Rothes now apply fertilizer strategically, where it's most
needed. "It looks real good, real even growth," says Elmer
Rothe, standing in a field of sugar beets. In most years, he
says, the field would be a patchwork of light and dark greens.
This summer, with precision doses of fertilizers, it'