Field personnel are armed with the latest technology, varying from GPS signal receivers to in-cab computers. A couple of good old-fashioned soil probes come in handy too. In many cases, when a farmer orders an application of fertilizer from a local Southern States store, the product is delivered to the field and applied using trucks equipped with a precision application system that uses Global Positioning System technology.
Precision farming is one of the hottest topics in the ag press.
Now, Southern States is taking this cutting-edge management tool off the pages and putting it on farms. Precision Ag Specialist Waters is working to educate farmers about the benefits of the new technologies. Variable-rate application saves the Georgia farmer money. As the work grows, it will come to include refined soil sampling techniques and replace grid sampling with tests based on aerial photos, soil maps, yield maps and the like. Precision farming is also expected to play a key role in nutrient managing planning.