A Brief History of Precision Farming! How did it all start?

How did it all start?

We can safely call agriculture the greatest revolution in the history of mankind. It all started with the cultivation of wheat and barley. In the past, people found application of agricultural products not only for nutrition, but also for improving all aspects of the already sedentary lifestyle.

Farming is not easy. It requires reasonable costs, proper farming equipment, time, and far more resources than most people think they need.

It goes without saying that when this amount of effort is put into farming, it is important to maximize what is produced/mined.

This gives meaning to precision farming — precise and smart use of available resources in order to achieve optimal results.

Beginning of precision farming

If we talk about the theorizing of precision agriculture, we can point to the 80s of the last century. And the father of modern understanding — Dr. Pierre Robert.

Pierre Robert explains part of the principles of precision agriculture through a soil map database (circa 1985)

While in college, Dr. Robert created the concept of precision agriculture, then spent years studying and introducing its principles.

Dr. Robert's main claim is that resources should be allocated as follows: a greater amount on weaker crops/areas in the field and less on the stronger ones, rather than using a general approach.

In this way, farmers will invest only the right amount needed to improve the crops/fields they need and prevent deterioration of the already good ones.

However, like any great idea, it is flawless only on paper. At that time, and despite the use of cutting-edge equipment, some aspects of precision agriculture were technologically limited. Unlike today, when we have innovations sufficient for the effective application of these solutions.

Key First Solutions of Precision Farming

One of the first and significant solutions for precision farming is the application of a variable rate (VRA).

Knowledge of soil and crops is an important component of precision farming.But manual control of a machine and the implementation of a variable rate when processing hundreds of acres is almost impossible.

Fortunately, technological innovations in agriculture intervene here, namely navigation displays, with the help of which the application of a product, with the right amount and in a specific place in the field becomes a much easier and faster task.

Some of the advantages of VRA:

Saving resources:The variable rate application reduces the excessive use of raw materials, which helps farmers save both money and time.

Higher yields:VRA improves yields from less developed crops to acceptable levels. This means a larger crop for the same acres of land.

Care for the environment:With VRA, fewer chemicals are used. A smaller amount of chemicals is better for the environment, soil and crop. Like the other VRA benefits, this benefit increases exponentially for larger farms.

The Growth and Future of Precision Farming

In the early 2000s, the implementation of precision farming solutions began to gain traction among more innovative farms. The results were not long in coming, and two decades later, no matter the size of the farm, farmers could develop a more profitable business thanks to precision farming solutions.

And trends indicate that the future of precision agriculture is closely linked to digital platforms/such as GeoScan/to generate detailed information from the farm and its analysis.

Precision Farming in Bulgaria

NIK is a pioneer in offering precision farming solutions in Bulgaria. Founded in 2002, the focus of the company remains unchanged, namely offering complete solutions for automation and optimization of processes in agricultural farms.

Are you curious how it all started? Find out more here

NIK started with the solutions of the innovative leader in this field — Trimble. The American company Trimble was founded back in 1978, shortly before Pierre Roberts became a pioneer in the very industry in which we find ourselves today.

See more about the technological revolution in the following video: