Compared to how it was in past decades, the industry of agriculture has taken on a new form today. It looks different now because it has become a high-tech enterprise. Latest developments and advances in GPS antenna, electronic sensors, and other related technology has pushed the farming sphere into what can be best described as a technological wonderland.  

Beyond the now de rigor elements of a modern large tractor, inside their enclosed cabin you are likely to find computer displays that indicate the machine’s level of performance, or the machinery attachment’s operating characteristics such as seed planters, and field position.  

It sounds amazing but that is not all there is. Soon flying robots and automated machinery that can autonomously survey and treat crops will become an ordinary sight to behold in farming lands. Little by little, we are laying the foundations of precision farming or precision agriculture. 

This inundation of high-tech gadgetry in the farming industry is driven by one ultimate purpose and that is optimization. This is from both the environmental and economic standpoint. What we are after here is the optimal application amount of any input, from fertilizer, pesticide, water, labor, and fuel — where and when they are needed to become a step closer to high crop yields. 

GPS Antenna Systems Provides for Hyperlocal Info

At any point on earth’s surface, GPS can provide us the accurate location information that we need. This is done by calculating your distance with respect to a minimum of 3 orbiting satellites at once. This allows your farming equipment with GPS antennas to identify their position inside a farm field and with that, they can make necessary operational tweaks to make way for optimal productivity at that specific location. 

Take into account the fertility of the soil. A farmworker can take advantage of a GPS receiver in identifying preselected field areas for collecting soil samples. A dedicated laboratory takes charge from here and analyzes the submitted soil samples. Eventually, they’d be able to come up with a geographic information system fertility map. 

Information, Tools, and Analysis

Three things will define what successful precision agriculture is all about. First, there has to be site-specific information present, the soil fertility map satisfies this aspect. It calls for the ability to understand and come up with decisions with respect to the site-specific information. Most of the time, decision-making will be based upon the computer-models which perform the statistical and mathematical analysis of relationships among variables such as the yield of the crop itself and soil fertility.  

Then lastly, a farmworker needs to have the necessary physical tools that will help him put into action all the final management decisions. For example, a GPS-equipped VRT fertilizer applicator provides this purpose. It automatically implements the necessary rate adjustment that is appropriate for every single field position. 

Other examples of successful precision farming include variation in the rates of planting seeds with regard to the type of the soil itself as well as the use of sensors that help in identifying crop diseases, weeds or insects which allows for identifying areas of the field where pesticide application is most needed.