It is additional than probably that if you are straight involved in the agricultural globe at some point you have heard about precision agriculture. Just like the tablet computer systems right now, or the Macarena in the 1990s, precision agriculture is that unavoidable thing that everybody is speaking about and with very good reason. With a guarantee of drastically rising productivity by integrating 21st century agriculture technologies into the farm, 1 can’t help but to get excited about all the potential positive aspects. And given that surfactant for weed killer relies on sophisticated on-board computing systems you can expect tomorrow’s tractors to extra closely resemble the auto from Knight Rider than your dad’s John Deere.
The premise behind precision agriculture is basic given that terrains are not uniform in most of their dimensions such as soil composition, nutritional desires, crop yields, and pest/illness presence, then the traditional practice of treating them uniformly is hardly best. Precision agriculture intends to resolve this difficulty by splitting each block into a grid of smaller sized plots of land and micromanaging them individually, or performing “web-site distinct management” as we say in agriculture. Of course this is too huge a process for folks to do with since it demands collecting and analyzing millions of pieces of data. This is where technology comes into play with a variety of advanced technologies such as GPS systems, yield monitors, variable price applicators, and geospatial statistical analysis computer software.
Soil composition and yield maps
As with any productive scientific endeavor, a excellent precision agriculture process demands precise information. A great place to start is normally by producing soil composition and yield maps of the blocks you wish to analyze. These maps represent the big numbers of samples that will be the fundamental input for geospatial statistical analysis computer software that will create recommendations for distinct processes such as fertilization, sowing density, and pest/disease control.
The challenge with these forms of maps is that they can be incredibly complicated to develop appropriately. A cumulative set of errors coming from several distinct elements such as GPS program accuracy limitations, usage of various harvesting machines on the identical fields (A number of yield monitors), and time delays on information capture due to hardware capacity, can drive the margin of error exponentially even to the point of rendering it useless. This is why having a appropriate method for minimizing errors during information capture, and exactly where the posterior filtering of suspiciously out of place information (Outliers) turn into vital activities.
Variable price applications
Presently there are two significant schools of believed behind variable rate applications and potentially even precision agriculture in common on 1 side we have those who want to raise the fields to further heights than had been previously feasible with classic procedures. Their rationale lies behind the truth that given that we’re not utilizing optimal agricultural procedures for every certain web site, then the maximum possible of fields has not been reached and substantial benefits can be accomplished by attempting to maximize production. On the other side of the fence we have professionals who think that due to the reality that an very higher level of production has already been reached on most crops, achievable gains in production due to website distinct management of fields are marginal and not worth pursuing. The focus of these authorities alternatively is centered in expense-cutting by reducing waste and more than application of agricultural supplies (Seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and so forth.). What I’ve noticed is that actual precision agriculture savvy farmers in numerous instances have a position that sits half-way among each camps, and therefore treat each field as a exceptional case that demands to be treated individually to figure out the best method.
After you have decided which strategy suits your present predicament much better, modern day geospatial statistical evaluation application tools will offer you a myriad of mathematical methods for figuring out an optimal application pattern that requires into account the certain circumstances of every person web-site. This application patterns will then be transferred to an on-board laptop that can automatically control application prices of the tools attached to the tractors (Planters, sprayers, etc.) primarily based on the GPS position of the car. Right here once again making sure the minimization of errors in information, such as guaranteeing an correct GPS position, can have a significant effect on the final results of the exercising
