ISLAND PRESS, MARCH 2018For the modern farmer, a plot of land is no longer just a piece of land. It is a library of information ranging from soil moisture and fertility to weeds and pests. Making the most out of this “big data” is at the center of precision agriculture. Precision agriculture emerged in the mid-1980s when experts began to understand how different growing conditions can be, even within a single field itself. By looking at specific needs with precision, farmers can take a targeted approach to applying farm inputs such as fertilizer and pesticides. This doesn’t just reduce costs and wastage, it also limits environmental emissions and reduces risks to human and environmental health.
Precision agriculture runs contrary to current practices in which farm inputs are broadly applied, resulting in environmentally damaging chemical runoffs. Computers, global positioning systems, geographic information systems, as well as sensors all provide the data necessary to give each tiny parcel of the field exactly what it needs. And with the cost of technology going down, most farm equipment in wealthy countries is now outfitted with sensors that can measure just about anything.
Imagine that your tractor can track crop growth, weeds, diseases, and even nitrogen levels and moisture in the soil as you drive around your fields (or possibly as your tractor drives itself). During harvest time, the combines measure grain quality and map yields for each patch of land. All this information can ...
