A Farmer's Guide to Precision Agriculture - Benefits, Technology, and Examples

What is Precision Agriculture?

Considered a new wave of the agricultural revolution, the ultimate goal of precision agriculture is to get a greater yield with less input.

This is done by using technology to calculate exactly how much seed, fertiliser, pesticide etc needs to be applied and exactly where in the field it needs to be delivered.

This almost ‘site specific’ approach reduces the amount of product used and means areas of land that are harder to manage get the attention they need, while more robust and productive areas are not taking up unnecessary amounts of your time.

The Advantages of Precision Farming

The advantages of precision farming are significant and many.

First of all, it saves money and product use. By only applying exactly what you need to where it is needed reduces any chemical waste and saves product.

By adopting a precision farming approach, you will use less fuel in tractors and machinery and it saves time as you are not treating any areas unnecessarily. In turn, this saves on man hours and labour costs and frees up time to be used elsewhere on the farm.

You will also increase yields and boost production by allocating resources more efficiently and solving problem areas. The uniformity and quality of crops could be increased too, and this will appeal to retailers and bring higher market prices.

The collection of data allows for better planning and decision making. You will soon know about, and be able to quickly respond to, problems like disease outbreaks in crops, nutrient deficits and bad weather.

Then there are the environmental benefits. The more precise approach leads to a reduction in waste and use of crop fertilisers, herbicides and pesticides and the potential for water pollution. There will be less emissions as machines are not running more than they need to and this will also lead to less soil compaction and therefore a healthier soil base.

Are There Any Disadvantages?

As mentioned previously, farming doesn’t work on a one size fits all approach and there are some things to consider before deciding whether precision farming will work for you.

It can be a costly method to implement as there will be a high upfront costs for the equipment, sensors and software needed. It is also a very technical approach so a decent level of know-how will be required, or new training may be needed to get up to speed with it.

The data can sometimes be difficult to interpret and convert into actions so software and even support from an agronomist may be needed, which comes with a cost. It is also worth bearing in mind that online data is at risk of being illegally accessed so the issue of data privacy and security will need to be addressed.

Precision farming is heavily dependent upon technology, so if there are issues that stop the technology working, then it may delay on-farm operations.

GPS systems, for example, are also targets for theft and it takes time to deal with the police, insurance and retailers to get a replacement. Many rural areas experience problems with internet connection and this will also impact how effectively you can use the technology.

Then, all these challenges aside, depending on your set up, it just might not be a viable approach. If you have a small area of land and relatively small operation – is precision farming going to be worth the cost and effort to implement depending upon what you get out?

Examples of Precision Agriculture in Practice

So, we have looked at the pros and cons of precision farming but how do you do it? The best way is to consider it in practice, so let’s take a look at some of the ways in which it works.

GPS

Overall, GPS can be used for jobs such as field planning and mapping, soil sampling, tractor guidance, crop scouting, yield mapping, variable rate applications of seeds, lime, slurry, fertilisers, fungicides and pesticides. With GPS, it is easier to match production techniques or crop yields to the particular type of land that you have.

GPS works with a range of farm tools and machinery and has advanced technologies such as auto-steer which takes control of tractors for millimetre accuracy of field work. It is more expensive though, so most users of GPS have a guidance system in the cab which directs you via an app or display in the tractor. It can adjust height if on rough terrain, prevents overlapping and overuse of spraying, alters the depth for sowing depending on soil type and controls quantities distributed for spreading.

AI

Artificial Intelligence (AI) uses applications such as automation and predictive analytics to become one of the most useful tools in modern day farming. AI-powered robots can perform tasks like planting and harvesting, while predictive analytics can help you make informed decisions on irrigation and pest control. AI algorithms can also detect diseases in plants or animals through image analysis which allow you to respond quicker and more efficiently.

Remote Sensing

Remote sensing - satellite sensors, aerial sensors and ground-based sensors - use various methods for collecting and analysing data about crops and farmland which is then translated into actions for land cover and land use mapping, environmental monitoring and crop management.

It works by capturing and analysing electromagnetic radiation emitted or reflected by objects or surfaces on Earth from a distance.

Variable Rate Application

Variable rate application can be either map or sensor based and, rather than a uniform application, it is a variable application taking into account which areas need more and why.

Often this is used for seeding at different rates and chemical applications. The variable rate system, for example, will only spray the parts of the crop that need weed killer or pesticides depending on the level of the problem in particular areas. The same principle applies to the amount of fertiliser being sprayed as some areas, depending on soil type and weather factors, will need more nutrient than others.

Drones

Drones are increasing in popularity on the farm as they can fly over a field and deliver information back to you within minutes – in which time you might have only covered a small corner of land during a field walk.

Drones can take pictures, map the land and its geography and alert you to issues such as crop disease and injured livestock. It is expected that drones will at some stage remove the need for human power in a lot of farm jobs.

SFI

At the beginning of the year, the then government added four new precision farming actions to the SFI options. They were for variable rate application of nutrients; camera or remote sensor guided herbicide spraying; robotic mechanical weeding and robotic non-mechanical weeding.

Each action had to be carried out for a duration of three years and would have earned you between £27 per hectare and £150 per hectare.

There have been a number of updates since then so let’s look a little more at two offers which have been expanded.

PRF1

PRF1 relates to variable rate application of nutrients. You will get £27 per hectare, per year, for three years if you meet this action.

Eligible land needs to be receiving applications of at least one major nutrient (nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) and magnesium (Mg)) at a rate typically above 100 kilograms (kg) N per ha, 40kg P per ha and 40kg K per ha, per year.

It has to be registered with an eligible land cover on your digital maps and be declared with a land use code which is compatible with the eligible land cover.

Land types meeting the criteria are arable land used to grow crops, temporary grassland, arable land lying fallow, improved permanent grassland and horticulture permanent crops.

It is worth noting that extra permissions will be needed for land that contains SSSIs and historic and archaeological features and that the government will also require evidence and invoices to prove you have met the actions.

PRF2

PRF2 relates to camera or remote sensor guided herbicide spraying. This will earn you £43 per hectare, per year and is carried out over three years. Land eligibility and criteria is similar to the above.

Camera recognition is currently available for docks and nettles in grass or leys containing clover, all weeds in maize, certain crops grown on wide row spacings (such as potatoes) and stubbles – where there’s green growth. Remote sensing technology uses artificial intelligence to recognise target weeds.

You must apply systemic (contact) herbicides on land entered into this action using camera or remote sensing technology that: identifies specific weeds to be controlled and automatically switches on individual nozzles to apply the herbicides directly to the identified weeds.

You can only carry out a ‘blanket’ application if you’re applying glyphosate, residual herbicides before sown crop plants or weeds or pre-harvest herbicide or desiccant to combinable crops.

Tools Available

Agrii has a number of tools and resources available on-line to help you get the best out of your business.

Use our calculator to work out the number of seeds needed for cropping, any losses occurring from the combine or break crops.

Listen in to the Tramlines podcast which tells stories and gives updates straight from the field. It covers everything from soil health and forage tips to variety selection and global supply chain disruption. We also have a library of documents for you to peruse and a health and safety wellbeing hub.

In addition, we have Contour, an app which gives you and your agronomist access to important information on a daily basis. Log in to access monitoring and analysis of the weather data and forecast, evaluation of the availability of the field for processing/spraying, monitoring the dynamics of plant growth and models for calculating fertilisers for the planned yield.

Other Grants Available

In addition to the much-publicised SFI schemes, there are a number of other funding pots which may be applicable to engaging in precision farming.

Invited applicants can apply for a grant to help fund farm and horticulture productivity under the Improving Farm Productivity grant round 2.

It is for capital items to improve farm and horticulture productivity with grants between £25,000 and £500,000 available for robotic or automatic equipment and grants between £15,000 and £100,000 available for solar photovoltaic (PV) systems. You have until 11.59pm on July 31, 2025, to submit your full application for these.

Summary

Precision farming is modern approach to a centuries old industry and is set to be a permanent fixture as a popular farming method.

As the focus for farmers is to produce more food and be more environmentally friendly, the need to be time efficient and cost effective is prevalent.

There are many advantages to precision farming whether it be the increase in yield, time saved and the environmental benefits. However, there are disadvantages to consider like the upfront costs required to buy equipment, the need for a decent level of internet connectivity and that for small farming operations, the financial costs may not be justified.

However, there are a number of ways that you can incorporate some element of precision farming into your business and there are grants from the government to help finance it.