Global positioning and geographic information systems help create an environmentally friendly farm

New uses of global positioning systems are invented every day and are most efficient at the edge of multiple technologies combining the best aspects of each technology into an integrated solution. Art and science of modern agriculture joins together global positioning and geographic information systems to develop and implement new methods of processing critical location and environmental information for precision agriculture and site-specific farming. The latest agricultural innovations rely on the integration of simpler Gpsmap 78 or Dakota 20, Legend HCx, Dakota 10, to more sophisticated Rino 655t and on-board computers, data collection sensors, and GPS time and position navigation and coordinate reference systems.

These technologies enable three dimensional elevated topographic maps rendered in real time. Onboard GPS navigation devices for trucks and tractors and real time GPS enabled topographic mapping technology guides farmers in low visibility field conditions such as rain, dust, fog, and darkness. Where farmers may have once treated their fields uniformly, they are now seeing benefits from precision managing of their fields. Precision agriculture is gaining in popularity largely due to the introduction of high technology GPS instruments, radars, tools and applications into the agricultural community that are extremely accurate, cost effective, and user friendly.  Precision agriculture controls application of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers along with accurate dispersion of chemicals reduces expenses and produces a higher yield environmentally friendly farm. 

The geographic information system allow for real-time data collection and integration with data received from GPS satellite constellation producing an accurate position information which is leading to the efficient management and analysis of large amounts of geospatial data. The precision farming integrated solution includes suite of GPS and GIS enabled applications which together are being used for farm planning, field mapping, soil sampling, tractor guidance, crop scouting, variable rate applications, and yield mapping. Precision agriculture is about collecting timely geospatial information on soil-plant-animal requirements and prescribing and applying site-specific treatments to increase agricultural production and protect the environment. By using integrated global positioning and geographic information system to guide fleet of tractors the entire process from leveling the field to planting the seed to irrigating the crop has become much more efficient. Multi-GNSS Glonass enabled devices, such as eTrex 10, could be integrated with computerized tools to help farmers and agricultural businesses become more productive and efficient in their precision farming activities.

Equipped with advanced GPS navigation systems comprised of sensitive GPS receivers, GPS enabled radars, quad helix antennas, multi functional displays, agricultural communities successfully enhance operations in their farming businesses. Location information is collected by GPS receivers, processed by multi functional displays and delivered by means of the onboard GPS integration network and field command centers for mapping field boundaries, roads, irrigation systems, and problem areas in crops such as weeds or disease. The accuracy of GPS allows farmers to create farm specific topographic maps with precise acreage for field areas, road locations and distances between points of interest, for farmers to navigate to specific locations in the field, collect soil samples and monitor crop conditions.