Precision Agriculture Technology in a Regional Approach: the Abc Foudation Experience

The adoption of precision agriculture practices is just starting in Brazil. In Paraná State, ABC Foundation, a research organization owned by farmers, is conducting a strong program of evaluation and adjustment of precision agriculture techniques. The farmers profile in the region, always incorporating new technologies, and the coop environment, make possible the development of such studies. An example of the regional development is the no till system, established in the region 25 years ago. No till technology increased soil fertility and yield, providing sustainability to the productive system. This paper aims to present the whole idea, efforts being made, results and challenges as an interdisciplinary experience. The program is divided into two major projects. The first one, started in 1998, contemplates the detailed study of 14 fields between 20 and 30 hectares each. Yield mapping, remote sensing, soil grid sampling and other practices are being used to understand the variability within each field, always looking for profitability. A great amount of information has been acquired and the understanding of variability is being possible with the knowledge about regional aspects. The second project is the implementation of the regional infrastructure that will allow farmers adopt related technologies. Basic information such as topographic maps, soil and climate, among others are being organized. Recently, it was produced digital color ortophotos covering an area of 2.200,000 hectares, with emphasis on productive land. A database including information from technical assistance, soil classification, meteorological and environmental aspects is being georeferenced and linked in a GIS. As the project is primarily designed to produce and let this information available to the associated farmers, an application was build using the Map Objects library from ESRI, the “GeoFarm” software. It was designed to be simple to install and use, in order to be easily accessible to the farmers with minimal training. With the GeoFarm, the user can explore the ortophotos and other layers, add GPS-taken coordinates, print layouts, make queries and drawings, and manage the associated farm database. Today in its second version, the software is already been used in 133 farms. It is a planning tool to help bring the latest technological solutions to each farmer desktop. 1. GIS FOR COOPERATIVES AND GROUPS OF RURAL PRODUCERS GIS's will have each time more importance in precision agriculture, specially as concerns to automation in the field. Cooperatives and organised producers in the form of groups or associations has the constant challenge to evolve in the search of better economic results for its agricultural organisations and companies. The Technology of Information is being largely used on the different enterprises, since the industry, service renderings and now on the agribusiness. It aims to increase the competitiveness of the companies, pressed by globalisation and the need to compete with transnational companies and worldwide activities. Systems of geographic informations allow us a better planning of the desirable resources for the production from the recognition of the farms in space, to the presence of rivers, areas of protection, native vegetable coverings, roads and the physical structures scattered in the farms and service renderings cooperatives. Through a GIS it is permitted to compare the different results obtained in each crop, in each farm or whatever unit desired to be compared. With a GIS it is possible to use tools of logistics, helping in the studies of reduction of costs of transportation, storage and of new enterprises such as the better way to construct new silos, factories of food for animals, posts of attendance for the associates, the recognition of the better safe alternative routes and ways to allow the outflow of the crop safely. 2. CREATION OF A DATA BANK The competitiveness increased by the globalized environment has put us in front of constant challenges. The brazilian agriculture and cattle raising activity stopped being an amateur one to be viewed as highly competitive. In order to us to face the market requests, supplying products of quality, concerning the environment and economic maintenance, it is necessary a complete control of a assemblage of technologies. With the increase of informatics, data bank tools has been largely used on the different branches of business. On agriculture and cattle activities it attends the technique-economical accompaniment and now appears as an alternative to compare the different technologies used in each farm. 3. ENVIRONMENT AND AGRICULTURE ACTIVITIES Nowadays the pressure of society demands from us the development of the concept of sustainance. It is not enough only the domain of technology and the consequent rise of productivity. The respect to the environment, has introduced in our middle a constant concern about the use of raw materials that do not attack man and the environment. In an activity such as modern agriculture, the presence of artificial raw materials created by man is necessary. The cost / benefit must be constantly observed, since in the measure that population requests more safe raw materials the synthesis cost of new molecules is high. Suppliers of raw materials, producers and consumers must be constantly in touch and showing the strength of each sector in search of a maintainable agriculture and cattle raising activity in economical, environmental and social aspects.