Freely available spatial data provides farmers an opportunity to take part in precision agriculture with little financial risk. Dr. Ana Morales-Ona Smith is a cooperative extension service soil fertility specialist and a professor in the department of crop, soil, and environmental scienced for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture. She says historical spatial data can show trends for entire fields. In addition, the data can be used hand in hand with things such as soil and tissue sampling to help farmers make more targeted nutrient management decisions.
From Space To The Soil: How Farmers Can Use Historical Mapping To Reduce Financial Risk
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment/Photo courtesy of the University