Summary:
The global positioning system (GPS) and GPS receivers provide the means to determine position at locations anywhere on earth. Developed by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) and used for many civilian purposes, from fishing to flying, GPS has also made precision farming a reality. A typical configuration for on-farm agricultural applications includes a GPS receiver and antenna, a differential correction receiver and antenna, and cables to interface differentially-corrected (DGPS) data from the receiver to other electronic equipment such as a yield monitor or a variable rate controller. Accurate, automated position tracking with GPS receivers allows farmers and agricultural service providers to record geo-referenced data and to apply variable rates of inputs to smaller areas within larger fields.
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