1. Exact field location
Knowing the exact field location (field coordinates) enables precision weather tracking. After all, farming is an unpredictable business in which unfavorable weather represents one of the main threats to farmer’s yield. Therefore, successful farmers, oriented towards intelligent field management, always track weather conditions based on the coordinates of their fields.
2. Size of the field and its utilization
Besides field location, size of the field and its utilization (the percentage of planted crops on the field) is also a very important piece of information to every farm manager. One of the main reasons for that is because the size of the field, as well as its utilization usually dictates which crops can be grown in the field.
For instance, orchards are usually raised on smaller surfaces while arable crops usually cover a larger land area. On the other hand, information about field utilization is essential for making plans regarding new crop productions, particularly in the case when the part of the field is already occupied with some other crop.
3. Crop rotation
Farmers who practice intelligent field management always know which crops are grown in their fields during the last few years. That way, they can easily make plans about the crops that will be planted in the future.
4. PH value and soil type
One of the most important facts about every field is its soil type and pH value. Soil type determines which crops can be grown on a specific field (some crops prefer clay while others are more appropriate for sandy soils). Moreover, soil type will also determine water management on the field (for instance, sandy soil requires frequent irrigation with smaller amounts of water due to its high porosity).
Together with soil type, successful farmers who practice intelligent field management, manage their crop production based on the results of the chemical analysis. PH value is, therefore, one of the most important pieces of field information that directly affects nutrient management, thus affecting crop performance and final yield.
Knowing the aforementioned facts about fields is essential for practicing intelligent field management. However, having all the data about the fields in a single place is even more important for achieving a successful farm business.
In the picture below, there is an example how successful farmers manage their fields in AGRIVI farm management software.
