Precision Farming with GIS
Precision farming offers farmers new tools to visualize and manage their land and better understand the conditions of their soil. Precision farming uses GIS, an acronym for Geographical Information Systems, to divide a field into small parts so that the field can be viewed in more detail. Think of it as a magnifying glass for a field that allows you to fine-tune cultivation practices, leading to better yields and reducing waste and spending.
This information can be used to reduce fertilizer waste by providing accurate information on what kind of nutrients are already in the ground and what is the ph. of land is.
This is achieved by dividing the space into small units and then analyzing the soil. If the soil in an area is too alkaline or acidic, it can lock in nutrients and prevent crops from absorbing them. With precision cultivation, these areas can be treated to obtain a uniform ph for the entire field. level, which allows for better crop management.
Farmers are also seeing what kind of nutrients are in the soil so they don’t waste money buying fertilizers that may already be in the ground. One area of the field may be high in nutrients while the other area may be very low. Precision cultivation allows you to apply more accurate amounts of fertilizer to your field, reducing waste and increasing yields.
Water supply is another area that farmers can benefit from because precision farming can show areas where water drains quickly or slowly. If the water flows quickly, it can take away nutrients, if it flows slowly, it can drown the roots, reducing the yield.
Here is a list of GIS map levels that can be used to help farmers identify the needs of their fields.
LAND MAPS: This is one of the main maps available to the farmer for obvious reasons. This map shows what kind of soil the field is made up of, what is the pH, what nutrients are in the soil and how well the soil drains away.
DEMS: Abbreviation for Digital Elevation Models, this map is useful for showing where water flows and how well it flows. This information may reveal areas where the accumulation of fertilizers and pesticides may be a problem. It can also show the farmer areas that may dry out so that the necessary fertilizer can be removed quickly.
HYDROGRAPHY: This type of map deals with water problems. By exposing water flow and runoff patterns, a farmer can better identify irrigation problems that may not be easily known to the field by looking with the naked eye. This allows for more precise management of water resources, which reduces water use.
Although precision farming is still a relatively new field of research, it has many exciting opportunities from which the agricultural industry can greatly benefit. Many farmers have already started using this technique and are experiencing positive results from the information.
