Integrating precision farming tools to achieve sustainability

A 55-ac field has been monitored for precision agriculture related information for the past four years. The field has been farmed using conventional methods to create a baseline for the introduction of site specific farming techniques. The field has projected corn yield goals of 100 to 135 bushels ac(-1). The actual corn yield across the field has varied from 20 to 180 bushels ac(-1). The field will now be managed site specifically using the following information: maps of soil type, pH, CEC, P, K, CA, and Mg; deer damage; corn yield; soybean yield; hyperspectral images of vegetation and soils; and GPS referenced weed maps. A soil sampling protocol has been developed that seeks to optimize the profitability of soil sampling compared to the current standard 2.5-ac grid sampling technique.