Precision Agriculture

Management zones are the foundation of a good soil fertility program. Uniform fields are a rarity, and growers need to manage land according to soil variability.

See what’s new in the machinery world.

Watch a video ride-and-drives featuring both machines.

A line-of-sight propane tank monitor called Tank Q is the invention of Ohio man, Chris Clabaugh.

All those late nights and countless hours spent in the cab may be a thing of the past sooner than you think.

The foundation of success with high populations is hybrid selection, says Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie.

The value of zone management goes beyond cutting input costs; it also allows farmers to effectively focus inputs and attention. If you don’t have background information on a field, then grid-based management does the job, says Brad Beutke, who helps with the Farm Journal Test Plots and farms near Clinton, Ill. “But if you have yield history, calibrated yields maps, soil surveys, elevation maps or aerial imagery, for example, then it’s worth the effort to take advantage of the data.” Instead of trying to randomize out variability with a super-imposed grid, zone management uses historical data and experience to pave a path. Regardless of where you are on the technology adoption curve, zone management is beneficial.

Historical data and experience divide fields based on natural variability, characteristics

The Farm Journal Test Plot team makes it a priority to take the latest technology tools to the field for first-hand experience.

Precision agriculture certainly holds strong promise for farmers. The problem is that the experience of using it often turns out to be something less than idyllic.