Theme: Precision Farming Techniques
Step into the world of precision farming techniques—where data, sensors, and smart decisions transform every field pass into measurable results. Explore approachable insights, real farm stories, and practical steps you can apply this season.
Laying the Data Foundation
Reliable boundaries unlock accurate prescriptions and consistent scouting routes. Start by mapping fields with RTK-corrected GPS and keep versions organized, so equipment, agronomists, and apps align without confusion during busy seasons.
Laying the Data Foundation
Yield monitors, seed meters, and flow sensors only shine when calibrated. Schedule quick pre-season checks and mid-season verifications to reduce drift, protect data quality, and keep trends meaningful for long-term comparisons.
Grid sampling is reliable, but zone sampling often adds context from elevation, conductivity, and historic yield. Blend methods pragmatically, validate zones with ground truth, and revisit boundaries as new data confirms patterns.
Soil Sensing and Smart Mapping
EC scans highlight texture differences and water movement, helping identify management zones. Pair EC with soil tests to fine-tune fertility plans, drainage improvements, or cover crop mixes aligned to each zone’s needs.
Soil Sensing and Smart Mapping
Variable-Rate Seeding and Nutrition
Seeding by Potential
Thicker stands in high-potential zones can capture sunlight and resources efficiently. Meanwhile, fragile soils benefit from lower populations. Validate with side-by-side strips and track stand counts alongside yield to refine annually.
Nitrogen: Timing, Placement, and Rate
Split applications, sensor-informed topdress, and zone-based rates reduce losses and protect yield potential. Use soil nitrate, crop models, and historic response curves to set starting points, then adjust using in-season imagery cues.
Micronutrients and pH Nuance
Uniform applications ignore micro-variability. Address pH and micronutrients by zone, especially in fields with strong texture contrasts. Keep meticulous notes and share outcomes with neighbors to crowdsource smarter benchmarks.
Drones, Satellites, and Crop Health
NDVI highlights vigor, but combining indices with ground truthing prevents misreads. Layer imagery with soil maps and weather to distinguish nutrient deficiencies from moisture stress, pest pressure, or compaction lines.
Drones, Satellites, and Crop Health
Plan drone routes at critical growth stages and consistent altitudes. Repeated, comparable flights reveal trends. Share stitched maps with your agronomist, then prioritize walk-ins where imagery flags meaningful, actionable differences.
Soil Moisture Probes and Thresholds
Install probes at rooting depths, set actionable thresholds, and align irrigation with crop growth stages. Pair sensor alerts with short weather forecasts to avoid over-watering just before rain events arrive.
Variable-Rate Irrigation on Pivots
Prescription zones for pivots can mirror soil maps and elevation layers. Lighter soils get frequent, lighter passes; heavier areas receive less. Monitor uniformity and update maps after major earthworks or drainage changes.
Engage: Share Your Best Water Win
Tell us about a simple tweak—nozzle change, schedule shift, or moisture alarm—that saved water without hurting yield. Subscribe for monthly water-smart tips that turn small habits into field-wide gains.
Analytics, Decisions, and Continuous Learning
Design side-by-side strips with clear hypotheses and enough replications to trust results. Record conditions meticulously, then analyze by zone to avoid averaging away the insights that truly drive change.
Analytics, Decisions, and Continuous Learning
Compare fields by soil type, hybrid, and management zone—not just overall yield. Post-harvest meetings translate lessons into next season’s prescriptions. Invite your agronomist and equipment rep for richer, practical perspectives.