Md. Samiul Basir, Dennis Buckmaster, Ankita Raturi, Yaguang Zhang
{"title":"From pen and paper to digital precision: a comprehensive review of on-farm recordkeeping","authors":"Md. Samiul Basir, Dennis Buckmaster, Ankita Raturi, Yaguang Zhang","doi":"10.1007/s11119-024-10172-7","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p>In the present era of agricultural digitalization, documenting on-farm operations is critical. These records contextualize other layers of data and underpin economic analysis and informed decision-making. On-farm recordkeeping is rooted in an ancient tradition and has evolved from pen and paper to digital means integrating diverse tools and methods. These tools vary widely in mode of data recording and this presents challenges in achieving complete, accurate and interoperable data. Assessing this diversity of existing recordkeeping systems is a key step toward the improvement in recordkeeping systems that enhance data quality and interoperability. Despite the importance, as of present, comprehensive studies addressing this challenge are lacking. A systematic review of existing on-farm recordkeeping systems was carried out to address their advantages and weaknesses and to analyze their features and traits, focusing on interoperability and adherence to efficient and comprehensive on-farm recordkeeping. Paper-based recordkeeping, a longstanding and reliable method, is gradually being replaced by digital platforms. Many universities and agencies have released farm management spreadsheets and interactive database forms representing the initial step toward intuitive recordkeeping. Furthermore, farm management software, web apps, and user-friendly smartphone apps are increasingly crucial for handling agricultural big data. Notably, among the surveyed software packages and apps, most of them are not free and only a few support data interoperability. The survey also indicates a scope for further development in open-source tools with automation in recordkeeping. Adopting digital on-farm recordkeeping tools can positively impact both on and off the farm, fostering data interoperability, controlled yet flexible data access, completeness, and appropriate accuracy.</p>","PeriodicalId":20423,"journal":{"name":"Precision Agriculture","volume":"164 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-07-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Precision Agriculture","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-024-10172-7","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In the present era of agricultural digitalization, documenting on-farm operations is critical. These records contextualize other layers of data and underpin economic analysis and informed decision-making. On-farm recordkeeping is rooted in an ancient tradition and has evolved from pen and paper to digital means integrating diverse tools and methods. These tools vary widely in mode of data recording and this presents challenges in achieving complete, accurate and interoperable data. Assessing this diversity of existing recordkeeping systems is a key step toward the improvement in recordkeeping systems that enhance data quality and interoperability. Despite the importance, as of present, comprehensive studies addressing this challenge are lacking. A systematic review of existing on-farm recordkeeping systems was carried out to address their advantages and weaknesses and to analyze their features and traits, focusing on interoperability and adherence to efficient and comprehensive on-farm recordkeeping. Paper-based recordkeeping, a longstanding and reliable method, is gradually being replaced by digital platforms. Many universities and agencies have released farm management spreadsheets and interactive database forms representing the initial step toward intuitive recordkeeping. Furthermore, farm management software, web apps, and user-friendly smartphone apps are increasingly crucial for handling agricultural big data. Notably, among the surveyed software packages and apps, most of them are not free and only a few support data interoperability. The survey also indicates a scope for further development in open-source tools with automation in recordkeeping. Adopting digital on-farm recordkeeping tools can positively impact both on and off the farm, fostering data interoperability, controlled yet flexible data access, completeness, and appropriate accuracy.
期刊介绍:
Precision Agriculture promotes the most innovative results coming from the research in the field of precision agriculture. It provides an effective forum for disseminating original and fundamental research and experience in the rapidly advancing area of precision farming.
There are many topics in the field of precision agriculture; therefore, the topics that are addressed include, but are not limited to:
Natural Resources Variability: Soil and landscape variability, digital elevation models, soil mapping, geostatistics, geographic information systems, microclimate, weather forecasting, remote sensing, management units, scale, etc.
Managing Variability: Sampling techniques, site-specific nutrient and crop protection chemical recommendation, crop quality, tillage, seed density, seed variety, yield mapping, remote sensing, record keeping systems, data interpretation and use, crops (corn, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, peanut, cotton, vegetables, etc.), management scale, etc.
Engineering Technology: Computers, positioning systems, DGPS, machinery, tillage, planting, nutrient and crop protection implements, manure, irrigation, fertigation, yield monitor and mapping, soil physical and chemical characteristic sensors, weed/pest mapping, etc.
Profitability: MEY, net returns, BMPs, optimum recommendations, crop quality, technology cost, sustainability, social impacts, marketing, cooperatives, farm scale, crop type, etc.
Environment: Nutrient, crop protection chemicals, sediments, leaching, runoff, practices, field, watershed, on/off farm, artificial drainage, ground water, surface water, etc.
Technology Transfer: Skill needs, education, training, outreach, methods, surveys, agri-business, producers, distance education, Internet, simulations models, decision support systems, expert systems, on-farm experimentation, partnerships, quality of rural life, etc.