5 steps to start in precision farming.

5 steps to start in precision farming. Many farmers across the world are starting out on their precision farming journey and are looking to make better use of inputs and increase profitability. However, there are some basics to consider before setting out, which can remove a lot of the pain later on. This could be the hassle of setting up A-B lines for a guidance system every time a tractor goes into a field or the problem of duplication of field records, because imported data did not match field records. 1) Importance of measuring Consider why you are collecting data. Basically, if you don’t measure it, you can’t manage it. It’s a term farmers have heard many times, but how much attention has been paid to it and more importantly action taken, based on the results? Getting the tape measure out is as important now as it was seven years ago when I started advising farmers on the fundamentals of precision farming. Taking a few measurements in the field and on farm would make a huge difference to the success of any precision farming investment. Many times I have heard farmers saying: “My tramlines aren’t 24m wide, I must invest in a steering system to help become more accurate.” In theory, this was an understandable observation, but the fundamental measurement hadn’t been taken; the width of the drill. On 75% of occasions, the drill wasn’t as wide as the farmer thought it was. For example, a 4m drill came out to be closer to 3.8m rather than 4m. On that basis, the tramlines were never going to reach 24m, so the farmer may have been 100% accurate without realizing it. Getting the fundamental measurements for all equipment will form the basis for improving accuracy on the farm. 2) Precision agronomy I’m really excited about the potential for precision agronomy using the vast array of sensors and tools available. However, as with the rest of the precision farming process is keeping it as simple as possible. The deciding factor on resolution is the application equipment, which is going to be used to apply the agronomic knowledge. If, for example, the fertiliser spreader has a spread width of 36m, why look at creating variable rate maps with a resolution of 12m? In many instances less will be more. continue