Sensors for Delineation of Spatial Management Zones

Precision agriculture management techniques have allowed producers to make more efficient use of production inputs, thereby creating a more sustainable agricultural system. One of the keys to spatial management success is quantification of field variability. Current techniques of soil sampling in grid patterns have been shown to be woefully inadequate. The overall goal of the project is to develop a new system for rapidly delineating field management zones utilizing a sensor suite and associated analysis techniques. This goal will be achieved by first strengthening and completing sensor development, evaluation, calibration, and data collection activities that have already been initiated by the PI's in the areas of soil texture and compaction, electrical conductivity, terrain modeling, low-level remote sensing, and ground penetrating radar. We will.then utilize the extensive historic.alproduction data we have collected on ,6 farm fields to delineate smart management .zonesin those fields. Finally, we will develop a methodology to predict those management zones using only the sensor data. The field evaluation system that will be developed in this project will be an important tool for small and mid-sized farmers who want to use prudent spatial management techniques, but who lack the capital to purchase equipment and services. lt will also provide a method to quickly evaluate fields for which little or no historicall data exists.