What Is Precision Agriculture?

Precision Agriculture, or precision farming, is a farming system that uses new technology to allow a closer, more site-specific management of the factors affecting crop production.

Global Positioning Systems (GPS) enable farmers to break fields of crops into smaller units and keep more accurate information on those units through the use of Geographic Information System (GIS) computer software. GPS allows a farmer to return to accurately return to a certain spot in a field again and again.

Special computer-driven equipment can then change the rate at which fertilizer, seed, plant health products and other inputs are used based on the needs of the soil and crop in that smaller unit of the field.

Precision agriculture is different to different growers, because the challenges of each different crop and locality are different. That’s why it’s sometimes difficult even for experts to agree on the definition of precision agriculture.