INTELLIGENT PRECISION FARMING

SOIL MANAGEMENT ZONES

• The Courtyard Partnership has been studying precision farming techniques for more than 10 years. We analysed the benefits claimed for the systems on offer and investigated the pitfalls. Many systems that were adopted by precision farming enthusiasts would not stand rigorous cost-benefit analysis over a period of years.

• By using existing farm knowledge of soil types and other data such as yield maps and geological maps, we can greatly simplify the mapping of soil variations and thereby radically reduce the costs of setting up and running our system.

• We have created a fresh approach that is both innovative and economically sound.  Its main strengths are that it leaves you in full control of base fertiliser applications, and its uses extend to the manipulation of nitrogen applications, seed rates and cultivation techniques.

• Soil variations within field boundaries can lead to inefficiencies if no allowances are made for them.  Ideally, different soil types require different management techniques, and years of blanket fertiliser treatments within fields often create imbalances. Our aim is to define soil zones so that they can be managed individually.

 

• Example of soil changes within a field

 

 

 

 

 

HOW DO WE DEFINE YOUR MANAGMENT ZONES

• In order to define management zones we go through the following procedure:
• We examine all relevant mapped material, including geological maps, soil survey maps, pH maps, yield maps and contour maps.

• We convene a meeting with farm staff, agronomists and any other person who is familiar with soil variations on the farm, and pool their practical knowledge with the theoretical information derived from maps.
• We then draw a draft map of management zones, and take this map into the relevant fields in order to record the actual boundaries. We use a GPS data logger to log all soil zones and an experienced soil scientist ratifies the boundaries.
• Experience has shown us that the approximate mean size of soil management zones is in the region of five hectares. 
• Soil management zones only need to be defined once, although experience may show that the boundaries require fine-tuning.

• Example of Palm GPS used to map management zones

 

 

 

 

 

FERTILISER RECOMMENDATIONS

• These are needed on an annual basis to allow purchase of the necessary fertiliser and to determine where it should be spread.

• Our recommendations take into account local conditions and the characteristics of your particular soil types. Although crop off-takes are based on the figures given in DEFRA publication RB209, soils may leach or fix nutrients in a way that is not allowed for in RB209.

• Example of a variable application map provided with all fertiliser recommendations.

 

 

 

SUMMARY

Our precision farming system has many advantages, inasmuch as it minimizes cost by the use of an intelligent decision-making process rather than arbitrary grid sampling and statistical analysis.

Instead of imposing “our system” on you, the whole process is open to input from farm staff, and in this way, we hope to be able to fine-tune the system on an annual basis until it is as near perfect as it is possible to get. All fertiliser applications can be done using your own equipment and staff.