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March 10, 2005
Geospatial Applications: A Comparison of Spatially and Conventionally Managed Farms
The North Dakota State University Extension Service and North Dakota Farm Business Management personnel are cooperating with 10 North Dakota farmers to evaluate the possible advantages of using geospatial technology in crop production. The primary goal of the comparison of spatially and conventionally managed farm programs is to improve our understanding of the economic and environmental factors important to farmers who adopt geospatial technologies to produce crops. This interdisciplinary research, Extension and education project will compare crop production on 160 acres on each of 10 farms using geospatial technologies. Crop production and land will be similar on each farm. The program will compare the farms for three years. The geospatial technologies will include:
Five Dickinson and five Carrington area farmers are cooperating in this three-year project. Farm Business Management instructors Steve Metzger, Carrington, and Jerry Tuhy, Dickinson, are selecting the cooperating farmers. The producers will work with Roger Ashley, Dickinson Research Extension Center area cropping systems specialist, and Greg Endres, Carrington Research Extension Center area cropping systems specialist, to assist with spatial management decisions. The cooperating farmers will use GIS software supplied by Ag. Leader Inc. to keep track of crop inputs, remote sensing data, crop yield data and field management zones on their fields. The farmers will use hand-held computers with attached GPS units to help scout the fields during the growing seasons. The farmers will use recommended variable rate input applications on their designated fields. Producers can use their own variable rate application equipment or variable rate equipment available from commercial applicators. They also will harvest the designated fields with combines equipped with yield monitors. I will provide green and NDVI layers of Landsat imagery taken during the growing season on each of the geospatially-managed fields for initial use in delineating management zones. During each growing season, the geospatial specialist will acquire a 1-foot resolution infrared and multispectral aerial photograph of each field. The growers will be able to download copies of the aerial photography from a program Web site on the same day it is acquired. Producers will use the photographs for crop and field evaluation. The participating farmers will collect combine yield data with corresponding GPS location data. After each growing season, the geospatial specialists will assist the farmers in analyzing the yield data and correlating it with the other digital layers available for each field. The program consultant team members will meet periodically during the growing seasons to evaluate remotely sensed data and assist growers with management recommendations. The consultant team members will receive copies of the aerial photography and satellite imagery. The consultation team also will meet annually, between growing seasons, to evaluate progress and assist with management recommendations. Participants will have opportunities for training on the geospatial management software, GPS application equipment and remote sensing technologies. They also will be trained on the potential economic and environmental impacts of spatial management. I will assess each field annually for potential groundwater and surface water contamination using the NDSU groundwater and surface water pesticide assessment systems. The pesticide assessment will be used to compare the effects of spatial land management with conventional land management on water resources. Program personnel will prepare annual reports comparing the production and economic factors with the spatially and conventionally managed fields. For more information about the Spatially Managed Farms Program contact me by phone at (701) 231-8213 or e-mail at John.Nowatzki@ndsu.edu. ### Source: John
Nowatzki, (701) 231-8213, jnowatzk@ndsuext.nodak.edu |
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