Millions of tonnes of food are required to feed our population. The Earth’s population is growing by the day, yet the resources available for food production are depleting faster than the population. As a result, food will become the most major challenge for the people of the world in the current century.

Precision Agriculture

Precision agriculture, on the other hand, is capable of increasing millions of tonnes of food production. As a result, we may conclude that precision agriculture is a modern-day necessity. What exactly is Precision agriculture? What are the methods for putting it into action?

The integration of information technology and modern instruments in agriculture results in higher yields, lower input requirements, and more efficient use of natural resources, which is known as Precision agriculture (PA).

Precision agriculture relies on the global positioning system (GPS), geographic information system (GIS), sensing, and variable rate technology (VRT) as its primary tools.

The management of agricultural inputs particular to the site is simple thanks to GPS and GIS technology. These are used for field mapping, soil sampling, crop scouting, tractor steering, input application to the field, and yield mapping. All of these variables should be carefully calculated using GPS and GIS software. 

In this programme, radio navigation techniques are utilised to locate things on Earth. The GPS receiver’s pseudo-random signals from the four satellites are used to determine the location of the goods; greater precision is gained when the signals are stronger.

The satellite continuously broadcasts the signals, however, there will be a mistake if the targeted location is in motion. To eliminate inaccuracies, DGPS is used, which provides precise information and control over the targeted position.

Another aspect of the PA is yield monitoring, which is used to calculate the harvested product over a specific piece of land. In the early 1980s, the first yield monitor was produced, which was utilised for yield mapping and field positioning. This tool provides information regarding soil variability and management practices, as well as how they affect crop yield. Site-specific mapping systems and yield monitoring programmes are also developed and used to produce crops under varying conditions, either in separate fields or the same field. These tools provide immediate input to farmers by estimating yield variability within the field, creating yield maps, and providing critical information about management strategies. The exact dose of fertiliser is applied using this yield map based on the needs of the soil and crops.

Another outstanding precision agricultural tool is Variable Rate Technology (VRT), which is used to improve production efficiency by applying inputs in the amount and place where they are actually needed. By eliminating the use of unneeded inputs, this technique has the potential to reduce production costs and increase farm profitability.

Finally, precision agriculture has assisted farmers in improving crop production efficiency and reducing environmental impacts by adjusting crop seed rate, fertiliser application rate, and pesticide application in a site-specific condition as well as in a broader range within the soil variability properties, topography, and crop yield.

Summary

The use of Precision Agriculture Technologies and modern instruments in agriculture results in higher yields, lower input requirements, and more efficient use of natural resources. Precision agriculture relies on the global positioning system (GPS), geographic information systems (GIS), sensing, and variable rate technology as its primary tools. Precision agriculture has assisted farmers in improving crop production efficiency and reducing environmental impacts. Another outstanding precision agricultural tool is Variable Rate Technology (VRT), which is used to improve production efficiency by applying inputs in the amount and place where they are actually needed.

Dr. Rizwan Maqbool
Assistant Professor, Department of Agronomy, UAF
Bilal Ahmed Khan
College of Agriculture, UOS
Prof. Dr. Muhammad Ather Nadeem
College of Agriculture, UOS

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