Back to top Precision tools Precision farming does not have to mean space age technology. But most precision agriculture practiced today is extremely high tech, unheard of just a few years ago. Satellites launched for military and navigation purposes are now harnessed to pinpoint the position of planting, harvesting, sampling and application equipment. By using precise positioning information, computerized monitors track yields across fields. Precision technology is an IPM tool, helping growers apply only necessary inputs at the right place and the right time, cutting input costs and improving returns.
Automation is accomplished by computer.
The dose size each subdivision needs is fed into a computer on the variable rate applicator. Satellite signals tell the computer where it is located within a field at all times. Computer software checks position, looks up the dose needed for that location, and applies it accurately before moving on. However, fruit and vegetable growers, small scale operations, even golf courses and landscapes can also benefit from site-specific management without a big upfront investment. In practice, this simply means examining your operation not on the basis of an entire field, orchard block or fairway, but dividing these large units into smaller ones.