SSMG-44 Adamchuk.p65

The concept of precision agriculture emerged from the belief that variability of growing conditions is one of the major contributors to field-scale differences in yield, and that varying the agricultural inputs according to local changes in soil properties could be beneficial. Many producers have already accumulated a yield history from several growing seasons. However, to engage in an effective decision-making process, it is equally important to obtain high quality information about the spatial structure of different soil attributes which may limit the yield in certain areas of the field. The ability to generate such information rapidly and at an acceptable cost remains one of the biggest limitations. Conducting a variable rate application of fertilizers, lime, and other agricultural inputs without accurate soil maps is frequently inappropriate and may result in economical losses. Therefore, sensor development is expected to increase the effectiveness of precision agriculture. In particular, sensors for on-the-go measurement of soil properties have the potential to provide benefits from the increased density of measurements at a relatively low cost (Pierce and Nowak, 1999).