An analysis of the potential of precision farming in Northern Europe

Abstract. Precision farming is the process of adjusting husbandry practices within a field according to measured spatial variability. In this review, we explore the prospects for precision farming using the principles that underly conventional soil management and agronomy. The cost-effectiveness of precision farming is determined by the cost of defining zones within fields, the stability of zones through time, the difference in treatment between zones in terms of cost, and the responsiveness of the crop in terms of yield and quality to changes in treatment. Cost-effective precision farming is most likely where prior knowledge indicates large heterogeneity and where treatment zones can be predicted, for example from soil type or field history. Soil related factors are likely to provide the main basis for precision farming because they tend to be stable through time and influence crop performance. In particular, soil mapping may usefully indicate the moisture available for crop growth, organic matter maps may be utilized for precision application of fertilizers and soil acting herbicides, and variation in soil pH can be mapped and used as a basis for variable lime application. However, comprehensive nutrient mapping is less likely to be economic with existing techniques of chemical analysis. The value of yield mapping lies in identifying zones which are sufficiently stable to be of use in determining future practices. Maps of grain quality and nutrient content would significantly augment the value of yield maps in guiding marketing decisions and future agronomy. Interactions between soil differences and seasonal weather are large, so yield maps show considerable differences from season to season. Interpretation of such maps needs to follow a careful, informed, analytical process. Extensive and thorough field experimentation by crop scientists over many years has shown that yield variation arises as a result of a large and complex range of factors. It is highly improbable that simple explanations will be appropriate for much in-field yield variation. However, the capacity to sense yield variability within fields as opposed to between fields, where there are many confounding differences, provides an opportunity for the industry to improve its understanding of soil-based effects on crop performance. This should support its decision taking, whether through precision farming or through field-by-field agronomy. The main obstacle to the adoption of precision farming is the lack of appropriate sensors. Optimal sensor configurations that will measure the specific needs identified by end-users need to be developed. The conclusions reached in this paper probably apply to farming throughout northern Europe.