Download CRSC 6 – Introduction to Precision Agriculture

Precision Agriculture
Chapter 1 Study Guide
I. Introduction
1. True or False. The concept of treating a small area of a field as separate
management units is new.
2. Define Precision Agriculture.
3. ____________ _________________ is the variation in measured crop and
soil characteristics over distance and depth.
II. Variability and Time
1. True or False. Current whole-field management approaches often ignore
variability in soil related characteristics.
2. List three major areas of potential resulting from input variation and crop
response.
3. In the United States _________ percent of all acres planted in corn
received an application of nitrogen fertilizer.
4. Variable-rate applicators exist in the market today that can apply up to
______ combinations of fertilizer products. These can be changed
___________.
III. The Scope of Precision Farming
A.
Soil Testing
1. When measuring soil nutrients, a tool such as the ____________ can
be used to identify the locations where soil samples are taken.
2. _________________ are used to identify areas of the field which have
different levels of nutrients.
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B.
Tillage
1. List two tillage factors which could be varied with the assistance of
GPS and soil sensor technology.
C.
Planting
1. Varying the seeding rate based on ______________ ____________
can allow a farmer to plant more seeds on soils that can sustain the
higher plant populations.
D.
Fertilizer
1. Soil testing results are used with crop yield goals and other variables to
produce fertilizer application ________________.
E.
Spraying
1. True or False. It is possible to apply pesticide to individual plants while
driving across the field.
F.
Crop Scouting
1. ________________ or _____________ ______________ taken from
above can detect weeds, drainage problems, or insect stress.
G.
Harvesting
1. List two technologies enabling yield monitoring with grain combines.
IV. The Cycle of Precision Farming
1. Sketch the cycle of activities within a precision farming system.
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1. T or F. The concept of treating small areas of a farm field as separate
management units is a recent concept.
2. ___________ _____________ is the variation of crop, soil and
environmental characteristics over distance and depth.
3. ___________ _____________ is the variation of crop, soil and
environmental characteristics over time.
4. Name two soil-related characteristics that were described in Chapter 1 as
being very stable.
5. Name two soil-related characteristics that were described in Chapter 1 as
likely to change quickly (within the course of a day).
6. In Chapter 1, it was argued that precision farming has the potential to affect
crop production input costs and revenues. What are two site-specific
management strategies that can be implemented with the goal of
increasing profit?
7. There have been reports of variable-rate crop chemical application
technologies leading to application reductions of ________ % or more.
8. What two types of data must be collected and recorded in order to create
an as-applied map?
9. __________ ____________ techniques involve using aerial or satellite
images to detect factors that can affect crop yield.
10. What precision farming operation is considered by many to be the logical
first stem for implementing a precision farming program?
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