Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Precision farming
services
Electronic
hardware
Data-managing
software
FIGURE 3.1
Definition of agricultural infotronic systems (AIS).
instructions in real time. To provide such a capability, AIS consists of electronic
hardware, data-managing software and precision farming service elements” (Zhang,
2007a). Figure 3.1 graphically illustrates the combined elements of the redefined
AIS, integrated, using electronic hardware, data-managing software and precision
farming services, with the main goal of providing the needed operation instruc-
tions at the time and place the operation is performed. The following sections will
describe the functionalities of those key AIS elements, using several examples that
have been successfully applied in precision or automated agricultural production.
3.3 ELECTRONIC HARDWARE
3.3.1 O
VERVIEW
Electronic hardware is the backbone of AIS and consists of data collection, com-
puting, and transmitting elements. Among them, data collecting elements acquire
collectable data from either conventional sensors, or other data sources such as data-
bases and weather broadcasts. Data computing devices are used to take actionable
information from collected data to support optimized agricultural operations. Data
transmitting elements are designed to deliver data of various formats within the AIS
and/or communicate data with other systems connected to the AIS.
3.3.2 D
ATA
C
OLLECTING
E
LEMENTS
Field data collection is an essential function of AIS, capable of reliably and promptly
collecting situational data needed to support effective farming operations. Determining
machinery positioning in a field during operation is one of the most common field
data collection tasks performed in automated agriculture production, as this piece of
information determines the operation location, the most basic information for site-
specific management as well as for machinery navigation. GPS receivers are widely
used to measure such position data in field operations. An effective precision farm-
ing operation requires having much operation relevant data, including but not limited
