Precision farming: the common sense passé?

'Precision farming is emerging'. It's one of the headlines that pops up in the trade journals every so often. Apparently a trend has arisen in which the whole of the agricultural sector in the Netherlands is cooperating. Until now, in practice it seems to be mainly a market for machine builders and software developers. The leading contractors and farmers eagerly take advantage of the trend and see plenty of opportunities, but how do they keep it applicable to their own farm?

Precision farming is mainly about efficient and meticulous work. Today this also means the use of a whole mountain of sensors that have to serve as extra eyes and ears for the entrepreneur in the agricultural work area. Automation is therefore a form of burden reduction.

The technology and collected data help us, if we function properly, to be able to observe and perform more than ever at the same time. Yet I do not see this as the basic principle of precision farming. There is a pitfall in that. Do not be fooled by all the data that comes to you as a result, but always let this be an addition to your common sense.

Experience trumps Google
As a successor, I experience it almost every day. As a young dog you are brimming with new ideas for a different approach. It can always be better and more can be found online than ever. When you start working with these new plans you have found, you often find out (say in 75% of the cases) that an hour of searching on Google cannot match more than 40 years of experience in the profession and the experience on a specific location.

I also look at the emergence and use of precision farming techniques. Soil scans, for example, are very interesting, but do they also provide a good picture of what has happened on the plot in recent decades? This technique is also not (yet) error-free and accurate enough.

'Nieuw Nederlands Weiden' is also a fantastic system for saving labor and still realizing a good intake of fresh grass, although you have to be able to switch in time when grass growth decreases. Sensors and algorithms are getting better and better, but an entrepreneur who 'gets it right' still does better than an entrepreneur who is 'still wet behind the ears'.

Work smarter
A few years ago I was firmly convinced that common sense would no longer be necessary with precision farming. Now I come back to that. Use the knowledge and experience you have gained and do not be confused by new information. On the other hand, don't be alarmed by the technology. Where necessary, hire consultants who have experience with these systems and interpreting the data.

Working harder is not an option, because there are only 24 hours in 1 day. Working smarter, on the other hand, is possible. All systems can and should work for you and not the other way around. As farmers, we already have enough to do.

Coen Uijterlinde is project leader at DLV Advies

DLV Advice

DLV Advies is an independent consultancy for entrepreneurs, companies and organizations in the agricultural sector. In addition to individual advice, DLV supervises study groups and is active in various Agri&Food projects.

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