ARS | Publication request: MISSOURI PRECISION AGRICULTURE RESEARCH AND EDUCATION

Submitted to: International Conference on Precision Agriculture Abstracts & Proceedings
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: December 1, 1996
Publication Date: N/A

Technical Abstract: Over the past five years, a team of University of Missouri and USDA, Agricultural Research Service scientists has been measuring and mapping within-field soil and productivity variability in Missouri. Projects have included (1) data collection, (2) management planning, (3) precision field operations, and (4) evaluation. Data collection has consisted of developing techniques and instrumentation to efficiently obtain spatial measurements of grain production and the factors which limit production (such as soil properties, weed infestations, plant available water, etc.). Management planning has included investigation of the spatial variability of crop yield and soil parameters and the relationships between them. This naturally has led to the development of criteria and procedures for variable management. Most of our efforts have been within these first two areas. In the last two areas, precision field operations and evaluation of fprecision management, we have been determining the economic and environmental impacts of variable rate N, P, and K fertilizers and corn population. Research fields have been established on claypan soil fields in the north-central part of the state and Mississippi River Delta soils in the southeast corner of the state. This paper provides an overview of projects and describes the development of related extension and outreach activities.