What is Precision Agriculture?

Dr. Pierre Robert is often credited as the father of precision agriculture through his research and theories from the 1980s. As technology advanced, so did the capabilities of the modern farmer to apply Robert’s precision principles to their operations. So what exactly is precision agriculture, and what does it have to do with crop insurance?

For a quick definition, Dr. Amanda Ashworth from the USDA’s Agricultural Research Service, says precision agriculture can be defined as the following:

Precision agriculture is a general term to describe farming tools based on observing, measuring, and responding to within-field variability via crop management.

For a bit of a more long-winded approach, it has also been defined by the US government in the Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act as:

“The term “precision agriculture” means an integrated information- and production-based farming system that is designed to increase long-term, site-specific, and whole-farm production efficiencies, productivity, and profitability while minimizing unintended impacts on wildlife and the environment by-

(A) combining agricultural sciences, agricultural inputs and practices, agronomic production databases, and precision agriculture technologies to efficiently manage agronomic and livestock production systems;

(B) gathering on-farm information pertaining to the variation and interaction of site-specific spatial and temporal factors affecting crop and livestock production;

(C) integrating such information with appropriate data derived from field scouting, remote sensing, and other precision agriculture technologies in a timely manner in order to facilitate on-farm decision-making; or

(D) using such information to prescribe and deliver site-specific application of agricultural inputs and management practices in agricultural production systems.”

Essentially, precision agriculture is a farm management tactic designed to integrate gathered information on a producer’s crops and fields into a system that promotes efficiency while increasing production. In theory, precision does this by identifying problem areas in a field and integrating with other technology to apply the necessary inputs specifically and directly to the crops that need them most, or by varying input amounts as integrated devices go through the field based on the field’s data.

While some companies claim fully driverless capabilities, it is common for the operator to still ride along in the cab in case of accidents or emergencies, and US law at the time of this writing still requires an operator to be able to see the drone they are flying.

Variable rate technology (VRT) systems allow many of these automated devices to precisely apply inputs to the field. A VRT allows inputs to be applied more heavily in problem spots and lightly or not at all for the rest of the field. When everything is combined and managed through farm management software, it helps make input applications as precise as possible. With the right equipment, this setup can bring an operation even closer to fully automatic processes.

This is just a brief rundown. Digging into it, new tech has become available to make nearly every aspect of an operation trackable, generating even more data available at a producer’s fingertips for adjusting how their farm operates.

Another benefit of precision technology is that many diverse problems can be rapidly identified. With a combination of satellite imagery and scouting drones, several common issues can be quickly and easily pinpointed and added to the data map. Decent scouting drones can often discover additional issues the satellite may not have picked up, as they allow a closer view of the crops. With more new autonomous tech that integrates with precision, this data enables a producer to automate more of their processes, saving time for other duties.

While all this new data and technology can be incredibly useful, there are also a few problematic aspects. To begin, there are two heavy burdens of entry for a full precision farming setup. These barriers are cost and device education. The new machines and devices required for precision can be expensive, and with all the new bells and whistles that hook to computers and additional tech, it can take some time to learn how it all works. With the hook-up to computers and internet technology, there have been recent concerns about cyber-security issues too, though there have been very few recorded breaches as of the writing of this article. This piece from the South Dakota State University Extension does a fantastic job of covering a multitude of potential cyber issues that could occur within a digital precision farming operation.

Finally, machinery that relies so much on advanced computing technology is more prone to strange bugs and glitches. Mechanical issues are already a massive problem when they delay time-sensitive operations, and running into a tech support issue due to computer malfunctions that slow progress to a halt can be incredibly frustrating. Additionally, with the new advanced equipment, it can be much more difficult to fix a show-stopping problem, as it may require a licensed technician to properly correct the issue.

That’s right, crop insurance can also integrate with your precision agriculture setup, typically through your farm management software. While providing useful information about each field, precision farming software can also provide the necessary information for filling out some of your crop insurance paperwork. Here’s a quick summary on how it works.

To begin, a producer wanting to integrate crop insurance into their precision system will need to partner with their crop insurance agency to share their precision data related to what, where, and when their crops are planted.  It is generally suggested that a producer have a couple of years or more of experience working with precision agriculture first to make the integration process easier.  Additionally, if you are working with Silveus Insurance Group, we can help you complete that initial integration process. The first year may require more hands-on work as the support representatives learn about your farm, but once the setup is completed a producer can share their recorded information straight from their precision software to the agency cutting out a massive amount of producer paperwork.

Once the data is submitted to the crop insurance agency it can be filled directly into the paperwork and reports on the agency side. Precision software reports exactly what was planted instead of the entire CLU (or common land unit). A CLU can often include obstructions such as strips of grass, ditches, sections with trees, etc. After switching from traditional reporting, 95% of precision producers report fewer acres to the FSA office.  Assuming you produce the same amount of grain and report fewer total acres, this would raise your APH. The diagram included can be used for a visual reference.