Farming methods then can be tailored to a specific site on a farm. The equipment helps farmers understand yield as well as soil quality, factoring in recommended rates of seeding and herbicide use. Prescribed treatments are entered into an automated applicator system, which offers just the right amount of water, nutrients or pesticides to every part of the field. In barnyards, electronic perches can weigh chickens. In salmon hatcheries, the same technology measures fish mass.
Tracking costs Back in the office, computers track costs.
They monitor equipment maintenance and repair. They also offer long-range weather forecasts to aid the timing of planting, harvesting and mowing. In the Bay Area, he says, farmers have to achieve a higher output than farmers in, say, Kansas or Nevada. The average acre of alfalfa in California yields 6.7 tons per season. His farm produces nine tons an acre.