All the farmer has to do is keep the front wheels straight. The farmer also can use the GPS for recording areas where soil acidity and fertilizer are low or high. Later, with the GIS, the farmer can create a map to use for future reference. Once these samples are analyzed, each analysis is assigned to its exact location. The farmer now has a clear understanding of a field's makeup.
Precision farming has many other applications.
For example, in a study on Sauvie Island near Portland, OSU researchers are using the same technology to answer questions about a struggle between farmers and Canada geese. On Sauvie Island, wheat grows well. Or at least it used to. But geese love wheat, and Sauvie Island is part wildlife refuge. With an estimated 180,000 of the birds using the island, and the number increasing, farmers are upset about perceived damage to their crops.