Precision Agriculture an Overview

1. Precision Agriculturean Overview

2. Precision Agriculture? • Human need • Environment • Hypoxia • $750,000,000 (excess N flowing down the Mississippi river/yr) • Developed vs Developing Countries • High vs Low yielding environments

3. Many research & development practices are not designed to foster site-specific management • Continued success in wheat germplasm and technology dissemination worldwide depends on the free and uninhibited flow of genetic materials and information. Restrictions imposed on such movement due to intellectual property protection could have serious consequences on the ability of developing countries to sustain wheat productivity growth. • …. further gains would have to come from specifically targeting breeding efforts to the unique characteristics of marginal environments

4. What is Precision Agriculture? • The concept of precision farming entails the use of some high-tech equipment of (sic) assessing field conditions and applying chemicals and fertilizers. …. Managing small areas within a field to reduce chemical use and improve productivity is the goal of precision farming methods. Ess and Morgan

5. What is Precision Agriculture? • Treating small areas of a field as separate management units for the purpose of optimizing crop production based on in-field variability

6. Site Specific Management • The application of an input to a specific area based on the evaluation of variability of the need for that input. Richardson, 1996. • Recognition of site-specific differences within fields and tailoring management accordingly, instead of managing an entire field based on some hypothetical average. Emmert, 1995.

7. Definitions of Precision Agriculture • Using information to better manage farms at the field level or finer resolution. • Optimizing inputs to produce the largest net income. • Optimizing inputs to produce the highest long term yields. • Combine yield monitors, GPS, Grid Soil Sampling.

8. What is Precision Farming? • Management by the Field • Management by the Foot • Global Positioning Systems • Yield Monitors • Sensor Based Weed Control • Grid Sampling • Variable Rate Fertilizer Application • Managing to Maximize Net Return – • Agronomic • Economic

9. Oklahoma State University’s Definition of Precision Agriculture • Variable rate application of fertilizers, pesticides or other inputs based on the sensed needs of the crop within the following constraints: • Available Technology • Agronomic • Economic • Environmental

10. Large Scale (Macro) Variability Within a Field

11. Intermediate Scale Variability Within a Field IKONI Imagery 4 m Resolution

12. Small Scale (Micro) Variability Within a Field

13. Variability in Weed Populations

14. Variability in Grain Yield

15. Aerial and Satellite Images GPS Constellations Management Yield Map Computer GIS - Precision Farming Software GPS Referenced Soil Samples Fertilizer Prescription Soils Maps, Elevation Maps, etc. Map Based - Precision Farming

16. Variable Rate Spray Nozzle Decision Making And Agronomic Strategy Computer and Sensor Assembly Direction of Travel Plant On-the- Go Sensing of Plant Needs and Variable Rate Treatment

17. Map Based vs. Real Time • Transition: Aerial/Satellite Imagery • Sense and treat current crop • Near real-time • Variables that change rapidly, e.g. N • Resolution limited by ability to accurately and precisely locate position • Indirect Measurements • Real-Time: • Sense and treat current crop • Real-Time, sense and treat on-the-go • Variables that change rapidly, e.g. N • High resolution, 1 m • Indirect measurement (with existing sensors) • Map Based: • Treat next season’s crop • Historic information • 3. Slowly changing variables e.g. pH • 4. Coarse resolution • 5. Can directly measure variables e.g. pH

18. History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application 1991

19. 1993 1992 First discussion between the Departments of Plant and Soil Sciences and Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering concerning the possibility of sensing biomass in wheat and bermudagrass. Biomass was to be used as an indicator of nutrient need (based on removal). History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

20. 1994 History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

21. 1995 History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

22. 1996 History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

23. www.dasnr.okstate.edu/nitrogen_use 1997 1998 History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

24. 1999 TEAM-VRT entered into discussions with John Mayfield, Patchen, Inc., concerning the potential commercialization of a sensor-based N fertilizer applicator for cereal crops. 2001 2000 History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application

25. History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application 2002

26. History Oklahoma State University Optical Sensor Based Nitrogen Fertilizer Application 2003-Present

27. Today