Precision Agriculture is a technology-enabled farming approach that focuses on observing, measuring, and responding to inter- and intra-field variability inputs, aiming to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and improve environmental sustainability.
Originating with GPS satellites, precision agriculture became widely popular in the 1980s and 1990s as a result of accessible GPS receivers, mapping software, and satellite imagery. With the advent of new technologies like sensors, drones, and autonomous cars, the farming industry has changed and is now more productive, sustainable, and efficient globally.
What are the benefits of precision agriculture?
Precision agriculture technologies allow farmers to target inputs to specific areas of the field, saving on inputs and increasing crop yield and quality. They also help farmers monitor and manage crops more effectively, responding to potential problems quickly. This approach also optimizes irrigation practices, saving water and energy. Key advantages include refined cultivation practices, reduced volatility and risk, waste management, reduced production costs, minimal environmental impact, optimized fertilizer use, water management, and improved soil health.
Precision Ag Technologies
Utilizing computer-based applications, precision agriculture solutions generate accurate yield maps, input amounts, field maps, crop scouting, and farm plans. By creating environmentally friendly farming methods, these instruments reduce expenses while raising yields. These applications are not appropriate for large-scale precision farming solutions, though, because they only provide low-value data. Precision agriculture utilizes various technologies and tools to improve efficiency and productivity, it’s critical that you understand the equipment and technology required for precision farming. Here are a few:
- Mapping and field data collection require Global Positioning System (GPS), a satellite-based navigation system that provides location and time in all weather. Farmers use GPS receivers on their vehicles or equipment to track field location, shape, size, irrigation systems, drainage ditches, and fence lines. This data can be used to create detailed field maps for planning and scheduling field operations, variable rate technology in agricultural input management, and field performance analysis.
- Geographical information systems (GIS) are computer databases that input, store, retrieve, analyze, and display geographical data in map-like form. GIS creates, stores, and analyzes spatial data on field boundaries, topography, soil types, crop types, and other features for precision agriculture. GIS can help farmers choose the best places to plant crops or identify pest- and disease-prone areas.
- Grid sampling divides fields into 0.5–5 ha-sized units. Grid soil samples will determine crop input application rates. After collection, the Grid Samples are combined and sent to the lab for analysis. Grid sampling can measure soil characteristics like pH, nutrient content, and organic matter spatially by collecting soil samples from different parts of a field. This data can inform fertilization, irrigation, etc. decisions.
- Variable-rate technology (VRT) uses farm field equipment to precisely control crop inputs like tillage, insect control, fertilizer, plant population, and irrigation. The idea behind VRT is that different parts of a field may have different soil types, topographies, crop characteristics, and other factors that affect input needs. VRT helps farmers maximize resource use and productivity.
- Precision agriculture uses yield monitors to record crop yields during harvest. Sensors measure grain or other crop flow through the combine harvester, and a computer or other data recording device records the yield data. Yield monitors can map crop yields across a field to show spatial variability and identify poor or good yields. Yield monitors measure the moisture content and test the weight of harvested crops. This data can optimize crop storage and handling and improve quality.
- Yield maps are created from GPS-equipped combine harvester data. Yield maps show crop yield variability across a field and identify poor or good yielding areas. Yield maps help farmers optimize resource management by identifying field areas with different resource needs. They can also aid planning and decision-making by visualizing and spatializing data analysis.
- Remote sensors are usually aerial or satellite. Field color can vary with soil type, crop development, field boundaries, roads, water, etc. Remote science in agriculture involves viewing crops from a satellite or low-flying aircraft without touching them, recording and displaying the image, and providing a map to identify field problems earlier and more effectively.
- Precision agriculture Auto-Guidance Systems use GPS and other sensors to help farmers navigate their vehicles and equipment around fields reliably. These systems usually have a GPS receiver, display unit, and other sensors like cameras or lasers to provide field and vehicle position data. Precision agriculture uses auto-guidance systems for navigation, row guidance, equipment guidance, and record keeping and data analysis.
- Precision agriculture instruments known as proximate sensors are used to measure crop and soil properties in close proximity. They can be mounted on vehicles or other agri-related equipment or used handheld. Farmers are able to react to changing conditions and make necessary adjustments thanks to the real-time or nearly real-time data collected by these sensors. With proximate sensors you can measure pests and diseases, crop characteristics, and soil characteristics.
- To analyze the data collected by other precision farming technology components and make it available in formats like maps, graphs, charts, or reports, computer hardware and software support is needed.
Looking into the future
With precision agriculture, farmers can identify the best crops and hybrid seeds for a given area, replant only in those areas, apply the right number of inputs, save money and time, lessen their impact on the environment, plan irrigation schedules, foresee pest infestations, apply weedicides without endangering biodiversity, and harvest produce earlier. By 2026, the precision farming market is projected to grow to a value of $12.84 billion globally. Due to climate change, erratic natural disasters, and a growing population, this technology optimizes agri-input resources without increasing costs or workload. Precision agriculture data can boost productivity and farm management.
