FIELD CROPS

Field crop production has been a leading area for digital agriculture in many places around the world, due in part to large scale and mechanization.  Machine guidance and site-specific input application is commonplace.  Natural variations in soil characteristics, spatially and temporally managing water, nutrients, and pesticides offer great opportunities to add value.  Automation is poised to change production environments in the coming years.

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Hand holding phone with app

CONTxT application

One of the challenges in fully utilizing data from cropping systems is integrating all of the assorted “layers” of data that should accompany yield data.  Some of this is public (soil, topography, weather) and much is private (as applied maps, seed, chemical, fertilizer choices, costs,…

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Current Posts

Extension UAV Initiative Update

The Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service UAV (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle, aka drones) Initiative started in 2017 with Specialists conducting field-level research and expanded in 2018 with funding support from Dr. Jason Henderson to acquire UAVs for Educators across the state. The initial group was comprised of 17 Educators and has since grown to over 20…

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Digital Field Records – an easy way

Field records (who, what, where, how) are those elements of records and data that are often missing when we try to analyze data. They have value from several perspectives. Unfortunately, most farms use a notebook or assorted formats of records that are incomplete and rarely digital. Digital format allows sorting, aggregation and analysis (by field,…

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Key Terms

Flow Sensor

Measures the amount of flow through an enclosure (tube, pipe or housing) per unit of time. A common use in precision agriculture is for a combine yield monitor.

L1/L2 GPS signals

Refers to the radio frequencies used by GPS satellites. An antenna that can receive both L1 and L2 frequencies (in the MHz range) can communicate with older (L1) and newer (L2) satellites.

Controlled traffic farming

A management system where all the vehicles used in a field keep to the same permanent traffic lanes in order to reduce soil compaction.

Differential correction

Modification of GPS signal information to increase accuracy. Correction of a signal is done from a second GPS receiver/transmitter at a known fixed location. The signal is then transmitted to the tractor, combine or other equipment that corrects the proper location through differential processing. Differential correction signals can be transmitted from satellites, on AM or FM radio, or through other means.
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Resources

More resources from Purdue and around the globe

Teralytic

Alabama Precision Ag Extension

Purdue Agricultural Data Engine

MyWay RTK

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