In the past, it was difficult for farmers to correlate production techniques and crop yields with land variability. This limited their ability to develop the most effective soil/plant treatment strategies that could have enhanced their production. Today, more precise application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers, and better control of the dispersion of those chemicals are possible through precision agriculture, thus reducing expenses, producing a higher yield, and creating a more environmentally friendly farm. Site-specific agriculture, target farming, or precision farming, as some have called it, is an emerging approach to agriculture, which makes use of several of the latest technologies. The Global Positioning System (GPS), the subject of several posts in my blog now, is one of the key technologies that enable the practice of site-specific agriculture.
You may already be aware of the impact of GPS on agriculture, but perhaps it would be useful to review some of those applications before we get started. GPS technology gives us the opportunity to accurately determine our geographical position, and to use that position measurement in various agricultural operations. Yield mapping, for example, is an important application of GPS. If we can measure our yield while harvesting, and link that data with position data, then display it in the form of a map, we can learn valuable lessons about the production of our land. If we can link soil sample data, topography, weed and insect pressures, salinity and other soil conditions to position data, we can learn much about our farming practices. And if we can use position measurements to apply seed, fertilizer and chemicals strategically to optimize their effectiveness while minimizing costs, we can improve our bottom line.Several benefits are achieved from an automated method of capturing, storing and analyzing physical field records. Detailed analyses of the farm production management activities and results can be carried out. Farmers can look at the performance of new varieties by site specific area, measure the effect of different seeding dates or depths and show to their banker the actual yields obtained and the associated risk levels. It is imperative that trends and evaluations are also measured over longer time spans. Cropping strategies to control salinity may take several years to evaluate while herbicide control of an annual weed should only take one season. Precision farming can be approached in stages, in order to ease into a more complex level of management.
Precision agriculture is now changing the way farmers and agribusinesses view the land from which they reap their profits. Precision farming allows for improved economic analyses. The variability of crop yield in a field allows for the accurate assessment of risk. For example, a farmer could verify that for 70 % of the time, 75 % of the barley grown in field "A" will yield 50 bushels. By knowing the cost of inputs, farmers can also calculate return over cash costs for each acre. Certain parts of the field which always produce below the break even line can then be isolated for the development of a site-specific management plan. Precision farming allows the precise tracking and tuning of production.
Precision agriculture is about collecting timely geospatial information on soil-plant-animal requirements and prescribing and applying site-specific treatments to increase agricultural production and protect the environment. Where farmers may have once treated their fields uniformly, they are now seeing benefits from micromanaging their fields. Precision agriculture is gaining in popularity largely due to the introduction of high technology tools into the agricultural community that are more accurate, cost effective, and user friendly. Many of the new innovations rely on the integration of on-board computers, data collection sensors, and GPS time and position reference systems.
You may already be aware of the impact of GPS on agriculture, but perhaps it would be useful to review some of those applications before we get started. GPS technology gives us the opportunity to accurately determine our geographical position, and to use that position measurement in various agricultural operations. Yield mapping, for example, is an important application of GPS. If we can measure our yield while harvesting, and link that data with position data, then display it in the form of a map, we can learn valuable lessons about the production of our land. If we can link soil sample data, topography, weed and insect pressures, salinity and other soil conditions to position data, we can learn much about our farming practices. And if we can use position measurements to apply seed, fertilizer and chemicals strategically to optimize their effectiveness while minimizing costs, we can improve our bottom line.Several benefits are achieved from an automated method of capturing, storing and analyzing physical field records. Detailed analyses of the farm production management activities and results can be carried out. Farmers can look at the performance of new varieties by site specific area, measure the effect of different seeding dates or depths and show to their banker the actual yields obtained and the associated risk levels. It is imperative that trends and evaluations are also measured over longer time spans. Cropping strategies to control salinity may take several years to evaluate while herbicide control of an annual weed should only take one season. Precision farming can be approached in stages, in order to ease into a more complex level of management.
Precision agriculture is now changing the way farmers and agribusinesses view the land from which they reap their profits. Precision farming allows for improved economic analyses. The variability of crop yield in a field allows for the accurate assessment of risk. For example, a farmer could verify that for 70 % of the time, 75 % of the barley grown in field "A" will yield 50 bushels. By knowing the cost of inputs, farmers can also calculate return over cash costs for each acre. Certain parts of the field which always produce below the break even line can then be isolated for the development of a site-specific management plan. Precision farming allows the precise tracking and tuning of production.
Precision agriculture is about collecting timely geospatial information on soil-plant-animal requirements and prescribing and applying site-specific treatments to increase agricultural production and protect the environment. Where farmers may have once treated their fields uniformly, they are now seeing benefits from micromanaging their fields. Precision agriculture is gaining in popularity largely due to the introduction of high technology tools into the agricultural community that are more accurate, cost effective, and user friendly. Many of the new innovations rely on the integration of on-board computers, data collection sensors, and GPS time and position reference systems.
Many believe that the benefits of precision agriculture can only be realized on large farms with huge capital investments and experience with information technologies. Such is not the case. There are inexpensive and easy-to-use methods and techniques that can be developed for use by all farmers. Through the use of GPS, GIS, and remote sensing, information needed for improving land and water use can be collected. Farmers can achieve additional benefits by combining better utilization of fertilizers and other soil amendments, determining the economic threshold for treating pest and weed infestations, and protecting the natural resources for future use.
GPS equipment manufacturers have developed several tools to help farmers and agribusinesses become more productive and efficient in their precision farming activities. Today, many farmers use GPS-derived products to enhance operations in their farming businesses. Location information is collected by GPS receivers for mapping field boundaries, roads, irrigation systems, and problem areas in crops such as weeds or disease. The accuracy of GPS allows farmers to create farm maps with precise acreage for field areas, road locations and distances between points of interest. GPS allows farmers to accurately navigate to specific locations in the field, year after year, to collect soil samples or monitor crop conditions.
BENEFITS OF USING GPS ON THE FARM
- Precision soil sampling, data collection, and data analysis, enable localized variation of chemical applications and planting density to suit specific areas of the field.
- Accurate field navigation minimizes redundant applications and skipped areas, and enables maximum ground coverage in the shortest possible time.
- Ability to work through low visibility field conditions such as rain, dust, fog and darkness increases productivity.
- Accurately monitored yield data enables future site-specific field preparation.
- Elimination of the need for human "flaggers" increases spray efficiency and minimizes over-spray.
Precision farming should not be thought of as only yield mapping and variable rate fertilizer application and evaluated on only one or the other. Precision farming technologies will affect the entire production function (and by extension, the management function) of the farm. A brief overview of the components in precision farming are shown in Figure 1. and listed below.
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| Figure 1. · Equipment/Tractor guidance Systems, · Yield monitoring Systems, · Field mapping Systems, · Variable rate applications/precision crop input applications · Yield mapping Systems · Tracking livestock · Crop scouting · Records and analysis Systems |
There are, potentially, many ways that GPS can be used to strengthen our farm management practices. Some of these are still only ideas, others have already proven their potential. One thing is sure: GPS is a powerful tool, and one that promises much if we can effectively harness its power. But it is only one of several technologies, scientific disciplines and--that old difficult-to-define quality--‘common sense’, that must work together to deliver the necessary results. Ongoing efforts to apply these technologies continue on several fronts. Technology must be blended with agronomic knowledge and proven management practices in ways that have never been done before. As we continue to apply the new technology to the age-old field of agriculture, the challenge, as always, is to acquire the knowledge and skills, which will take us where we want to go. This blog is a part of that process.
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