Precision Farming is simply a different way of looking at farm management.
While most farmers recognize that there are different characteristics within each paddock, previously, it was simply not economic or practical to use this information. Hence, in general, farmers treated paddocks uniformly, in a "one size fits all" approach. The heart of Precision Farming is that it seeks to adjust farm practices to match variations of soils and terrain at much smaller increments within a paddock.
This new trend in "site specific" farm management is only made possible by the merging of several unrelated technology advances. These include the personal computer, satellite positioning systems (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), automated machine guidance, infield and remote sensing, and telecommunications. Top

• Reduce fertilizer costs
• Reduce chemical application costs
• Reduce pollution through poor use of chemicals.
• Improve crop yields
• Provide better information for management decisions
• Provide better farm records essential for sale and succession.
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What are the most important factors affecting crop yield ? If you regularly polled several leading university and industry agronomic specialists, tracked presentations at numerous professional and industry meetings, and added experiences of a few crop consultants to your own agronomic knowledge and experience, here's what your list might look like :
1.Drainage - Topography (soil moisture & stresses) 2.Crop Variety (disease resistance, root systems, ability to adapt to extreme conditions) 3.Insect / Weed Problems 4.Crop Rotation (synergistic effect) 5.Tillage (type, timing, wet/dry soil) 6.Compaction 7.pH (extreme pH variability (<5.5 or >7.5) 8.Herbicides (misapplication, drift, phototoxic effects) 9.Subsoil Condition (acid or alkaline subsoil, clay layer, fragipan, etc) 10.Fertility Placement (ridge-till, no-till, etc) 11.Fertility Level 12.Plant Population (most fields have a narrow optimum plant population)
This is a dynamic listing, and there will be interaction between various factors. The importance of compaction, for example, can go up dramatically if crop rotation or insect/weed problems are not a factor in a given field in a given year. The importance of fertility placement, for example, can increase if other factors such as tillage or crop rotation are minimal.
Within precision farming circles, fertility is often assumed to be the most important factor. A yield monitor is a great tool for collecting data and showing you what actually took place in a field. Whether a variety was susceptible to gray leaf spot can make more difference in many areas yield than did fertility levels.
Perhaps herbicide drift from a neighboring field can affect yield in the first few swaths more than another factor. You may not find out the reason for lower yield until the yield monitor shows you it's there.
It's important to keep records - particularly weather records. A 'big event' at critical time periods can really affect herbicide performance, or cause crusting or interrupt pollination. Weather at critical times will make or break yield--and this information is needed when it comes time to interpret yield maps.
Yield monitors can gather a lot of good data--but the interpretation of the data is what will lead to changes in management practices. Caution is advised when interpreting values obtained from grid sampling, for example. Research has shown that soil tests results can vary foot by foot in a field; different labs or different sampling techniques can also yield different results.
The above list and notes are adapted from a report by agronomist Mark Flock of Brookside Laboratories. Top

A yield plot shows a plan of the paddock where colors represent the yield for each part. The yield plot may in itself provide valuable insight into possible problems. It also provides the starting point to other activities.
Yield Plots are generated by placing a yield monitor and satellite positioning receiver in the harvester. The crop is then harvested in the usual manner. Information recorded by these sensors is then downloaded into a computer to generate yield plots. Top

Armed with information from yield plots and selective soil sampling, informed decisions can be made regarding the optimum fertilizer rate for each part of each paddock. All selections can be made at the computer desk.
Data is then transferred to the chemical applicator fitted with a GPS receiver. As the sprayer or seeder travels over the paddock, the satellite receiver senses its position. It then automatically applies the chemical at the chosen rate for each area.
This type of controlled application will work for fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides. Top

High precision GPS also allows the spray operator to navigate, without any visual input. This directly removes the need for foam markers and makes such activities possible 24 hours a day. Top

One method of determining weed infestation involves visually sighting weeds during the harvest. This data is recorded along with the yield data. After the harvest, areas of weed infestation can then be plotted providing information for variable spraying. Top

All data whether it is yield maps, soil test results, fertilizer and chemical applications are stored in a computer database. This database can be interrogated and viewed using "user friendly" graphical software. The information can be viewed in various ways and used in discussion with agronomists to make informed management decisions.
Over time this digital information can be efficiently indexed and viewed to build up accurate historical records to assist in farm management. Top

No! The computer is merely a tool like many others the farmer will use.
For those people initially uncomfortable with the personal computer, we offer a service, preparing all computer maps and information. This service is performed while the farmer gradually becomes familiar with the technology.
The best approach to any new technology is to take one step at a time. Choose the area that you see will give you the best return and learn more about the options.
The best initial investment that you can make is in education. This gives you a realistic expectation of where the technology can help and allows for more informed purchase of equipment.
In many cases, yield mapping is the best starting point. With the investment of a yield monitor and positioning system, yield plots can be prepared showing the variation in the paddocks.
Examples of overlays are soil type, topography, land ownership and crop cover. As all the data are stored digitally it can be modified, copied and reproduced at will. If these data sets are then combined with agronomic models and decision support systems a powerful management tool can be constructed. The next generation of arable software will be of this type.
YEILD MONITORS
Yield monitors can provide yield information with 97 to 98% accuracy while the combine is moving through the field. Top

Soil tests taken every four years provide a person with a base of information to make fertilization and planting decisions. Test results are generated for every 2 1/2 acres of the field. The Global Positioning System satellite of the U.S. Department of Defense provides the exact location of soil samples and test results. This data is fed into a computer. As with yields, maps produced then show varying levels of lime, potassium, and phosphorus in the field.

Economical Seed Placement.

Planter equipment is already in use that varies seeding rates on the go. Lower, wetter ground may benefit more from greater numbers of seed. However, putting that same amount of seed on higher ground might be a waste of time and money.

Accurate Fertilization.

With information from multiple soil tests, one can make decisions about applying varying rates of fertilizer. Specialized application equipment "reads" the maps via computer and changes fertilizer rates while on the move. Again, signals from the GPS allow the spreader truck to "know" its location at any given moment.
Conclusion
Our firm provides the service of obtaining soil samples, mapping their location, mapping elements of your fields such as soil type, topography, crop types, as well as infill with grid coordinates of the entire farm operation. We then take this information and input it into a computer and display the information graphically and combine this picture with a relational database. All this information is then provided to the individual so that he or she can sit down with an agronomist to interpret the results and determine how to vary the operations to increase yield and reduce costs as well.
It is also our hope to introduce in the near future photo interpretation and remote sensing techniques coupled with Landsat imagery to try to predict crop failure before it occurs, in order to make changes to save the operation before disaster strikes. We can also assist you in providing accurate locations of new tile installations with the use of GPS. Please do not hesitate to contact us to see how we can help you. Top