GPS in Agriculture – A Growing Market!

1999 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 60-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. V. Stafford
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Large Market ◽  
Technical Requirements

This paper, and the paper which follows it, were first presented at the IBC '98 Conference ‘Space-Based Navigation Industry’, which was held in London, 11–12 June 1998.In conventional arable agriculture, position within the field was usually irrelevant! However, the advent of precision agriculture, wherein inputs are targeted according to locally-determined requirements within the field, has opened up a potentially large market for GPS. Indeed, it was the availability of GPS which permitted the development and implementation of precision agriculture – a concept which holds the promise of significant economic and environmental benefits to the farmer. This paper indicates the technical requirements for GPS and presents three case studies where a positioning system is required.

Environmental Benefits of Precision Agriculture Adoption

2020 ◽  
pp. 637-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marco Medici ◽  
Søren Marcus Pedersen ◽  
Giacomo Carli ◽  
Maria Rita Tagliaventi
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Pesticide Application ◽  
Policy Makers ◽  
Application Rates ◽  
Biodiversity Policy ◽  
Lime Application

The purpose of this study is to analyse the environmental benefits of precision agriculture technology adoption obtained from the mitigation of negative environmental impacts of agricultural inputs in modern farming. Our literature review of the environmental benefits related to the adoption of precision agriculture solutions is aimed at raising farmers' and other stakeholders' awareness of the actual environmental impacts from this set of new technologies. Existing studies were categorised according to the environmental impacts of different agricultural activities: nitrogen application, lime application, pesticide application, manure application and herbicide application. Our findings highlighted the effects of the reduction of input application rates and the consequent impacts on climate, soil, water and biodiversity. Policy makers can benefit from the outcomes of this study developing an understanding of the environmental impact of precision agriculture in order to promote and support initiatives aimed at fostering sustainable agriculture.

scholarly journals Applying Nitrogen Site-Specifically Using Soil Electrical Conductivity Maps and Precision Agriculture Technology

2001 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. 767-776 ◽  
Author(s):  
E.D. Lund ◽  
M.C. Wolcott ◽  
G.P. Hanson
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Crop Yield ◽  
Soil Texture ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Soil Electrical Conductivity ◽  
Variable Yield ◽  
Wide Range

Soil texture varies significantly within many agricultural fields. The physical properties of soil, such as soil texture, have a direct effect on water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, crop yield, production capability, and nitrogen (N) loss variations within a field. In short, mobile nutrients are used, lost, and stored differently as soil textures vary. A uniform application of N to varying soils results in a wide range of N availability to the crop. N applied in excess of crop usage results in a waste of the grower’s input expense, a potential negative effect on the environment, and in some crops a reduction of crop quality, yield, and harvestability. Inadequate N levels represent a lost opportunity for crop yield and profit. The global positioning system (GPS)-referenced mapping of bulk soil electrical conductivity (EC) has been shown to serve as an effective proxy for soil texture and other soil properties. Soils with a high clay content conduct more electricity than coarser textured soils, which results in higher EC values. This paper will describe the EC mapping process and provide case studies of site-specific N applications based on EC maps. Results of these case studies suggest that N can be managed site-specifically using a variety of management practices, including soil sampling, variable yield goals, and cropping history.

scholarly journals Monitoring cattle behavior and pasture use with GPS and GIS

2000 ◽  
Vol 80 (3) ◽  
pp. 405-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
L.W. Turner ◽  
M.C. Udal ◽  
B. T. Larson ◽  
S.A. Shearer
Keyword(s):  
Information System ◽  
Geographic Information System ◽  
Global Positioning System ◽  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Geographic Information ◽  
Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽  
Positioning System ◽  
Gps Technology ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Livestock Behavior

Precision agriculture is already being used commercially to improve variability management in row crop agriculture. In the same way, understanding how spatial and temporal variability of animal, forage, soil and landscape features affect grazing behavior and forage utilization provides potential to modify pasture management, improve efficiency of utilization, and maximize profits. Recent advances in global positioning system (GPS) technology have allowed the development of lightweight GPS collar receivers suitable for monitoring animal position at 5-min intervals. The GPS data can be imported into a geographic information system (GIS) to assess animal behavior characteristics and pasture utilization. This paper describes application and use of GPS technology on intensively managed beef cattle, and implications for livestock behavior and management research on pasture. Key words: Livestock behavior, electronics, grazing, forage, global positioning system, geographic information system

scholarly journals Strategies to Improve the Energy Performance of Buildings: A Review of Their Life Cycle Impact

Buildings ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (8) ◽  
pp. 105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nadia MIRABELLA ◽  
Martin RÖCK ◽  
Marcella Ruschi Mendes SAADE ◽  
Carolin SPIRINCKX ◽  
Marc BOSMANS ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Life Cycle ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Environmental Impacts ◽  
Energy Use ◽  
Ghg Emissions ◽  
Energy Performance ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Embodied Energy ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Operational Energy

Globally, the building sector is responsible for more than 40% of energy use and it contributes approximately 30% of the global Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions. This high contribution stimulates research and policies to reduce the operational energy use and related GHG emissions of buildings. However, the environmental impacts of buildings can extend wide beyond the operational phase, and the portion of impacts related to the embodied energy of the building becomes relatively more important in low energy buildings. Therefore, the goal of the research is gaining insights into the environmental impacts of various building strategies for energy efficiency requirements compared to the life cycle environmental impacts of the whole building. The goal is to detect and investigate existing trade-offs in current approaches and solutions proposed by the research community. A literature review is driven by six fundamental and specific research questions (RQs), and performed based on two main tasks: (i) selection of literature studies, and (ii) critical analysis of the selected studies in line with the RQs. A final sample of 59 papers and 178 case studies has been collected, and key criteria are systematically analysed in a matrix. The study reveals that the high heterogeneity of the case studies makes it difficult to compare these in a straightforward way, but it allows to provide an overview of current methodological challenges and research gaps. Furthermore, the most complete studies provide valuable insights in the environmental benefits of the identified energy performance strategies over the building life cycle, but also shows the risk of burden shifting if only operational energy use is focused on, or when a limited number of environmental impact categories are assessed.

scholarly journals Prospects of applying 3-D printing to economics of remote communities

2018 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 488-509 ◽  
Author(s):  
Svetlana Obydenkova ◽  
Nicholas C. Anzalone ◽  
Joshua M. Pearce
Keyword(s):  
Open Source ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Raw Materials ◽  
Economic Feasibility ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Remote Communities ◽  
Fused Filament Fabrication ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Reindeer Herder

Purpose Isolated communities face a variety of inconveniences including severe remoteness, poor roads and extreme climate conditions, resulting in the lack of security of supply chains and exorbitant prices for cargo delivery. This paper aims to investigate the present advantages and prospects of applying 3-D printing to improve economics and everyday life of remote communities, reindeer herder case taken as an example. Design/methodology/approach This study covers the use of a low-cost open-source 3-D printer (RepRap) capable of fused filament fabrication to reduce operating costs for nomadic reindeer herder groups. Three case studies are provided for reindeer-specific applications to probe economic and technical viability of the technology, namely, ear-tags, electric fence components and lasso accessories. Findings 3-D printed objects feature technical characteristics similar to those of analogues available on the market while reducing the price by 63 per cent. Distributed 3-D printing reduces the cost of raw materials by 68 per cent and shipping costs by 50 because of lower trip frequency. If all reindeer herders globally were to adopt distributed manufacturing of the three aforementioned sample items only, their annual savings from such solution would amount to US$2m. The paper discovers other economic, entrepreneurial, technical and environmental opportunities offered by 3-D printing put to service the needs of remote communities. Research limitations As the paper is the first-ever study of 3-D printing potential applied to the reindeer husbandry case, it is based on a more thorough analysis of the techno-economic feasibility of the technology, while cultural and entrepreneurial factors have been discussed as preconditions only. Practical implications The paper might serve as a valuable source of information for entrepreneurs, as well as for students and academics for further case studies in this area. Originality/value In remote conditions, 3-D printing offers a more sustainable way of good manufacturing. Numerous open source designs already available for specialists, financial effectiveness, environmental benefits and vast opportunities for entrepreneurs are among the most promising advantages of the technology.

Prediction of Bubbles, Crashes, and Antibubbles

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Didier Sornette
Keyword(s):  
Stock Market ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Power Law ◽  
Statistical Tests ◽  
Statistical Significance ◽  
Large Market ◽  
Simple Power ◽  
Market Crashes ◽  
Successes And Failures

This chapter examines how to predict stock market crashes and other large market events as well as the limitations of forecasting, in particular in terms of the horizon of visibility and expected precision. Several case studies are presented in detail, with a careful count of successes and failures. After providing an overview of the nature of predictions, the chapter explains how to develop and interpret statistical tests of log-periodicity. It then considers the concept of an “antibubble,” using as an example the Japanese collapse from the beginning of 1990 to the present. It also describes the first guidelines for prediction, a hierarchy of prediction schemes that includes the simple power law, and the statistical significance of the forward predictions.

scholarly journals Economic, Agronomic, and Environmental Benefits From the Adoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies

2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 40-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas Koutsos ◽  
Georgios Menexes
Keyword(s):  
Precision Agriculture ◽  
Production Efficiency ◽  
Farming System ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Production Costs ◽  
Modern Agriculture ◽  
Technology Innovations ◽  
Farm Production ◽  
Farming Efficiency ◽  
Lower Production

Precision agriculture (PA) as an integrated information- and production-based farming system is designed to delivery high-end technology solutions to increase farm production efficiency and profitability while minimizing environmental impacts on the ecosystems and the environment. PA technologies are technology innovations that incorporate recent advances in modern agriculture providing evidence for lower production costs, increased farming efficiency and reduced impacts. However, the adoption of the precision agriculture technologies has encountered difficulties such as additional application or management costs and investment on new equipment and trained employees. Some of these PA technologies were proven efficient, providing tangible benefits with lower costs and as a result they quickly gained scientific interest. To investigate further the economic, agronomic, and environmental benefits from the adoption of PA technologies a systematic review was conducted, based on the systematic search and evaluation of related eligible articles.

scholarly journals Driving factors and obstacles in adopting structural steel in Hong Kong: Case studies

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yang Yang ◽  
Albert P.C. Chan
Keyword(s):  
Hong Kong ◽  
Structural Steel ◽  
Case Studies ◽  
Tall Buildings ◽  
Driving Factors ◽  
Framed Structures ◽  
High Rise ◽  
Long Span ◽  
Technical Requirements ◽  
Early Return

The construction applications of structural steel mainly include super high-rise buildings and long-span structures. The advantages offered by structural steel to the construction sector and building environment have long been recognised, as evidenced by the increasing market share of structural steelwork in many marketplaces, but not in Hong Kong. The annual import quantity of fabricated steel structures in Hong Kong is 0.2 - 0.3 million tons, which indicates a low demand for structural steelwork in the local construction industry. This study aims to identify the major barriers and potential driving factors to the use of structural steel in Hong Kong. Interviews were conducted with a private developer, three main contractors, and two steel specialist contractors. These industry professionals offered four construction applications that addressed the major problems and driving factors for using steel-framed structures. The four cases included a Chinese opera centre, a swimming pool, a 24-story hotel, and a commercial building. These case studies reveal that steel-framed structures are adopted only for projects that have technical requirements. Otherwise, reinforced concrete structures are used because steel-framed structures are cost-efficient for super high-rise and long-span structures but not for normal types of buildings. The fast construction of structural steelwork can result in an early return on investment, which may outweigh the high construction cost. This advantage will be particularly significant for retail building projects with high land prices in Hong Kong. This study offers strategies for facilitating the fast construction of structural steelwork. If these strategies are implemented to resolve problems, then the application of steel-framed structures to many tall buildings in Hong Kong can be feasible.

scholarly journals Lightweight Design Solutions in the Automotive Field: Environmental Modelling Based on Fuel Reduction Value Applied to Diesel Turbocharged Vehicles

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Delogu ◽  
Francesco Del Pero ◽  
Marco Pierini
Keyword(s):  
Case Studies ◽  
Lightweight Design ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Environmental Benefits ◽  
Added Value ◽  
Fuel Reduction ◽  
Mass Reduction ◽  
Environmental Modelling ◽  
Impact Reduction ◽  
Wide Range

A tailored model for the assessment of environmental benefits achievable by “light-weighting” in the automotive field is presented. The model is based on the Fuel Reduction Value (FRV) coefficient, which expresses the Fuel Consumption (FC) saving involved by a 100 kg mass reduction. The work is composed of two main sections: simulation and environmental modelling. Simulation modelling performs an in-depth calculation of weight-induced FC whose outcome is the FRV evaluated for a wide range of Diesel Turbocharged (DT) vehicle case studies. Environmental modelling converts fuel saving to impact reduction basing on the FRVs obtained by simulations. Results show that for the considered case studies, FRV is within the range 0.115–0.143 and 0.142–0.388 L/100 km × 100 kg, respectively, for mass reduction only and powertrain adaptation (secondary effects). The implementation of FRVs within the environmental modelling represents the added value of the research and makes the model a valuable tool for application to real case studies of automotive lightweight LCA.

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