PRECISION FARMING PRIMER © 1999   About The Precision Farming Primer book "Precision farming involves doing the right thing, in the right way, at the right place and time.  It isn't just a bunch of pretty maps for visceral viewing, but mapped data and a set of new procedures linking these data to appropriate management actions."   (Back to the Table of Contents))

Intended Audience

The Precision Farming Primer is a collection of Joseph K. Berry's popular "Inside the GIS Toolbox" column published in the @gInnovator newsletter from 1993 through 2000.  It uncovers the potential and pitfalls of the rapidly evolving field of precision farming—not only what precision farming can and can't not do, but how it does it.  This book is ideal for farmers, crop consultants, agronomists, farm input advisors, technology developers and scientists who are interested in a basic understanding of the concerns and considerations surrounding precision farming.  The concepts are presented in an informal manner designed so the reader can grasp the broad issues and then delve into more detail, even to the algorithm level.

Content and Organization

The Precision Farming Primer describes a comprehensive approach to precision farming consisting of five parts.  The early discussions are concerned with the nature, accuracy and application of the two types of spatial data used in precision farming—continuously logged data, such as yield measurements and discrete point data, such as soil samples.  The third part of the book discusses the procedures of mapped data analysis used to derive relationships between farm outputs (yield map) and the inputs (maps of soil properties, nutrient, terrain and other factors).  The next portion of the book investigates spatial modeling approaches that use site-specific relationships to determine appropriate management actions.  The final portion discusses general issues surrounding GIS and GPS technology.  The appendices provide more detailed discussion of the material presented, a compilation of resources and a software checklist.

The book is available for online viewing at http://dev.pacificmeridian.com/basis2/pfprimer/Default.html

CD disk and hardcopy versions with tutorial software and exercises are planned for fall 2000.  Contact the author at jberry@innovativegis.com for more information on the hardcopy and CD versions.

Copyright Notice

This book is a compilation of the articles written by Joseph K. Berry for the "Inside the GIS Toolbox" column appearing in the @gInnovator newsletter and are individually copyrighted by Meredith Publishing (© 1993-2000).  The electronic and hardcopy versions of this book including text, graphics and supporting materials are copyrighted by Joseph K. Berry.

(© 1999)  All rights are reserved.   Distribution of parts or all of this book in electronic or hardcopy form is prohibited without prior written permission of the author.

The Precision Farming Primer
Published by Berry & Associates // Spatial Information Systems, Inc. (BASIS)
Copyright ã 1999 by Joseph K. Berry
ISBN pending
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Print Data

For more information about this book and related materials contact...

Joseph K. Berry
Berry & Associates // Spatial Information Systems, Inc.
2000 South College Avenue, Suite 300, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA  80525
Phone: 970-490-2155   Email: jberry@innovativegis.com    Website: www.innovativegis.com/basis

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