Experts have so far identified some common precision farming mistakes that farmers, whether in their beginner levels or in the pro levels should avoid if they are to expect any success. In order to establish a good foundation about the nature of mistakes that can be expected, we can have a look at what precision farming is, to begin with.
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What is precision farming?
Precision farming refers to what type of farming management concept that is usually based on the observation, mensuration, in response to the inter and intra field variability. The main goal of precision farming is usually to create a decision support system for the entire farm management, in a bid to optimize the returns on inputs, while still preserving their available resources.
Precision farming, also known as precision agriculture, is characterized by the use of information technology, as well as a collection of items that include :
- GPS guidance
- Control systems
- Sensors
- Robotics
- Drones
- Autonomous vehicles
- Variable-rate technology
- GPS best soil sampling
- Telematics
- and software
As already described, The use of the above items and is meant to make the practice of farming a bit more accurate and controlled.
Precision agriculture is perceived as a key component of the Third Wave of what is known as modern agricultural Revolutions. The very first wave of the agricultural Revolution was characterized by an increase in the use of mechanics. this wave lasted between 1900 and 1930. During this period each farmer was capable of producing enough food to feed close to 26 people. The second wave of the agricultural Revolution (green revolution), was characterized by new approaches to genetic modification, that saw each farmer’s capacity to produce food rice too close to 155 people. By 2050, the entire global population is expected to be above 9.6 billion, hence food production should be doubled from the present-day levels in a bid to ensure that every month is fed. Precision farming has enabled the present-day farmer to feed 265 people on the same piece of land.
Common mistakes in precision agriculture
You can agree with me that, with the increasing demand for food, we cannot afford to make mistakes as far as food production is concerned. In this article, we shall look into the main mistakes that farmers should seek to avoid if their objective is to prosper.
Making unnecessary withdrawals
Precision farming is most likely going to bring in a significant amount of income on a predetermined basis. it could be once a month, or once a year. whatever that may be, to a farmer, he or she should ensure that unnecessary withdrawals and debt are avoided by all means.it Is also prudent to avoid investments that are made on a whim, to the purchase of products that are quite costly. One can go through the expenditure list, and highlight everything that they purchased and did not use in the last year. how much money could they have saved?
Poor record taking
Coming from the list above, you may have that to yourself, “I actually do not have an expenditure list!’. if that is you, then you have run right into the second common mistake that can make when doing precision farming. one should never get sloppy with the record taking. Everything from profits and losses to expenditures, maintenance, and ongoing costs should be budgeted for and managed carefully.
There is also the part in which the farmer is supposed to keep records on items such as:
- Soil data
- Soil maps
- Irrigation stats
- Weather patterns
- Harvest yields
Keeping good and understandable records is crucial for the creation of an understanding of how to improve any farm. It is also essential for the establishment of areas that need improvement, and for the simplification of the sorting of taxes.
Not learning from past mistakes
Refusing to take lessons from one’s past mistakes ( in some cases even refusing to admit to having him committed the mistake in the first place), is one of the things that can undermine your success as a precision farmer. if you fail to record the data that matters, and also failed to analyze the mistakes that you make, you are highly likely to repeat the same mistakes over and over again, and this can cost you time, effort, and money.
A better way of dealing with this is to actually reassess the farming methods and practices, even before actualizing them and making the mistakes.
You can for instance assess the efficiency of the tractors and farm equipment before purchasing either, by making comparisons with the stats for industrial averages. this will help you ensure that the Final product that you settle on, is the best for the amount of money you are spending and that it will serve you in the best way possible.
Focusing on quantity, not quality
Having more crops does not always mean that he will have profit. you should therefore focus on quality, not quantity. By farming a small quantity of high-quality crops such as beetroot, you can end up fetching more profits than what everyone else who is Farming corn in your estate is. doing some research about the market niches is a good way to determine which crop will be most profitable for you, even on a small piece of land.
Farming alone
There is a lot of help that you can source from various farmers, regardless of your current location. By teaming up with a group of other farmers, you can end up improving agriculture. You therefore do not have to make the very tough decisions on your own. you can meet other farmers on Online forums, where you can put forward the questions that matter, and to contribute in areas that you are knowledgeable in.
As you can see, one can go about precision farming very well if they intentionally decide to avoid such issues. With minimal but gradual effort, you can make that money blackhole disappear, as you fulfill an even greater goal of feeding a larger number of people. Taking into perspective all the elements of farm management will generally reduce your stress levels to a great extent. Precision agriculture may be tedious in the beginning, but you will begin to attain a sense of fulfillment as you can control various elements of production, and as you avoid some crucial mistakes.
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That will be all for this article about precision farming mistakes. I hope you learned something new, and that you will not hesitate to even deepen your knowledge about profitable farming by going through the above-recommended 4 part series. I believe you will have an eventful decade if you acquire sufficient knowledge before you dive into any type of agricultural venture.
I wish you well,
Eric, investor and team member at Gold Retired!
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