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***** ИЗВЕСТИЯ *****
НИЖНЕВОЛЖСКОГО АГРОУНИВЕРСИТЕТСКОГО КОМПЛЕКСА
ЭКОНОМИЧЕСКИЕ НАУКИ
ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ПРИНЦИПОВ ТОЧНОГО ЗЕМЛЕДЕЛИЯ Э. Шилерова, кандидат технических наук, член Академического сената
Н.Н. Балашова, доктор экономических наук, профессор
Точное земледелие - это тенденция 21-го века. С его помощью достигается эффективное управление сельскохозяйственными предприятиями. Это современная система земледелия основана на принципах, изученных и реализованных поколениями фермеров и мелких хозяйств в течение сотен лет - от отличного знания своих земель в целом до единичных участков с их различными характеристиками. Развитие точных систем считается инновационным направлением в оздоровлении сельского хозяйства во всем мире. Точное сельское хозяйство ориентировано на максимальное использование земли, посевов, человеческого ресурса, современных технологий и техники, соблюдение внесения питательных веществ в почву, современных информационных систем в течение всего жизненного цикла растений (от посева до уборки). Использование данных информационного хранилища дает возможность правильного выбора культуры и сорта, оптимальной дозы внесения удобрений и средств защиты растений, а также прогнозировать урожайность. В настоящее время, в связи с GPS Агросистемы, создаются специальные модули. Например, модуль участков -зарегистрированные земельные участки, на которых возделываются культуры, напрямую связано с порталом фермера и формирует информационную базу для корпоративного
Ключевые слова: точное земледелие, данные и информация, корпоративные
УДК 631.151: 631.153.7
USING THE PRINCIPLES OF THE PRECISION AGRICULTURE FOR A BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
E. Silerova, Ph.D., the Member of the Academic Senate
A. Ovchinnikov, Doctor of Agricultural sciences, Professor, correspondent member of Russian Academy of Sciences
N. N. Balashova, Doctor of Economical sciences, Professor Volgograd state agrarian university
Precise agriculture is the trend of 21st century. It enables effective and economic management in agricultural enterprises. This modern system of farming is based on the principles known and realized by the generation of farmers and smallholders for hundreds of years - from perfect knowledge of their land to single fields with their different characteristics. The development of precise systems is considered an innovative dividing line in the resort of agriculture in the whole world. Precise agriculture is oriented to the maximum usage of the potential of land, crops, machines and a human factor. Modern technologies usage fully respects the sources of nutrients in land, usage of machines within the whole life cycle of plants (from sowing to harvesting). It is possible to use the data from data warehouses for the selection of a proper variety, proper fertilization, plant protection and yield measuring. Nowadays, in connection to the GPS Agro system, there are created special modules. For instance the module of land blocks - registration of land areas, on which the enterprise is run, is directly connected to the Portal of a farmer and it is possible to import all the data.
Key words: precise agriculture, data and information, enterprise information systems.
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***** ИЗВЕСТИЯ ***** № 1 (37), 2015
НИЖНЕВОЛЖСКОГО АГРОУНИВЕРСИТЕТСКОГО КОМПЛЕКСА
Precise farming is a way of farming, which is based on the possibility of using existing spatial non-uniformity of soil properties and fertility management to improve efficiency.
The basic principle of precision farming is directing the operations of individual work to a maximum equivalent to the conditions of specific sites on the plot. Precision agriculture is based on the knowledge of soil variability and allows access to specific parts of the hunting ground separately according to the level of observed factors.
To obtain data on the land there is used the sampling of soil, plants, the mapping by means of sensors or methods of aerial and satellite imaging. To assess the variability of factors related to plant nutrition (agrochemical properties of soil, especially available nutrient supply of P, K, Mg and soil reaction) there is still the most widely used method of taking soil samples.
The current assessments of variability are mostly based on the analysis of samples taken in the network points. The choice of sampling scheme is individual, based on the monitored plot of land, and must respect the spatial variability of measured parameters, technical, economic and analytical possibilities and the method of final evaluation of the data obtained.
The amount of data obtained with regular monitoring of individual parcels and activities on these parcels increases rapidly, and it is important to work with them and use them to increase the efficient use of single sources. Data obtained on the basis of the principles of precision farming activities also affect the competitiveness of the company.
Material and methods. The objective of the contribution is to propose the module of further data usage on the basis of realized analysis. The principles of precise agriculture improve the quality of the access to natural factors. Another shift to improve the quality of the environment protection is the proposal to use integrated solution of data warehouses created on the basis of precise agriculture principles. Connection and other usage of data in enterprise information systems, for instance for creating seed procedures, for calculation used in trading with single commodities, for internal accounting, improve the management of the whole agricultural enterprise.
In the Czech Republic, the principles of precise agriculture are used by 15% of agricultural enterprises. On the basis of realized examination in selected agricultural enterprises there will be proposed methodology of data warehouses usage for other managing. Farmers need to find if the methods of management were successful and how to continue next year for annual planning. The result will be the complex tool for the management and control of agricultural enterprises.
Result. However, the economic benefit of precision agriculture is still unknown. Positive effects can be caused by the fact that we will specify the exact cost of the entire production process. Figure 1 shows that precise agriculture requires accurate information, highly skilled human capital and local applications - factors that create an ideal source of data for further processing and evaluation of economic efficiency.
information human capital application - software
Figure 1 - Precise agriculture
This means a guarantee that the quantity of inputs corresponds exactly to the costs. Seeds, fertilizers and pesticides are applied according to the soil quality. In the same way, the soil can be modified in dependence on the exact spatial conditions. With using GPS localization system it is possible to map the field imbalance accurately and to use the application technique so that it would react to the variability of fields and enable the most efficient use of all resources.
Stored data are the most valuable of the mentioned process. Farmers can work with data related exactly to each plot, to each plant species, to each tractor, to each worker. Based on the available technology it is almost possible to watch those data online. A management worker can monitor the movement of machinery and the equipment effectiveness. These are the data obtained directly from the activities associated with work on individual plots - soil tillage, sowing, plant protection, harvesting. It is therefore possible to calculate very precisely and accurately the cost per unit.
The principles of precise agriculture are already very well developed for the use of single parcels potential. The obtained data are stored in data warehouses, they are the source of further qualitative shift in land use - these data can be used directly in the design of crop rotation and find out how the principle of precision agriculture usage affected the efficiency of the enterprise. Growing interventions are proper to be converted into a graphic form for better comparison, and harmonize them with the proposed silvicultural measures.
In the Czech Republic the principle of precise agriculture is used by about 15% of agriculture companies. The situation is particularly influenced by the amount of expenses that are associated with the acquisition of technologies needed to implement the principles of precise agriculture.
If a farmer collects a large amount of information about all parcels, it does not mean that he/she is practicing precise farming. He/she must be able to work with this amount of information that is stored throughout the year. Stored data must make sense and must be transferred to a specific operational solution. Nowadays only those are successful who can not only produce economically, but also sell very effectively. It is therefore important to work with the data in the agricultural enterprise.
It is also possible to use quality software to monitor financial flows in the company and compare them with the prices of products. The use of well-processed business data has the impact on quality managerial decisions. Currently, means for working with stored data can be used - the type of Business Intelligence software.
Business Intelligence Software type helps to make better use of corporate resources. While using Business Intelligence (BI) applications it is possible to get our own data, quickly and easily find out the results of business activities - production, sales, circulation of materials. Simplified outputs from existing systems and better support for decision making and planning can be understood as the biggest advantage and benefits of BI.
Nowadays, it is common to have an immediate access to single reports and on-line access to the required surveys. The accuracy and quality of outputs is stressed to a greater extent, and BI tools are no longer just the prerogative of senior management, but increasingly they are used by everyday and ordinary users.
Agriculture is the production area where a set of producers and consumers is relatively stable and not too big. Farmers often sell their produce before sowing, the year ahead. In 2011 in the Czech Republic, approximately 30% of farmers had sold the production of certain commodities of the year 2012. The amount of profit can then be affected only by the quality of management. Here the important role is played by the principle of the precise agriculture usage, which leads to lowering costs and thus to the possibility of profit increasing and the quality of work with data that are monitored in the agriculture enterprise.
Based on the survey (April 2012) on farms implementing the principles of precise agriculture the following results can be stated: The survey was conducted in 84 farms, the method of direct questioning was used. In the previous year there was realized the same inquiry, but a questionnaire survey was used - the questionnaire was placed on the Internet and was available to respondents for one month. One month after inquiring there was web presentation available for the respondents. The same set of respondents was approached, i. e. 84. The return of questionnaires was 11% - only 10 respondents completed a questionnaire. Results based on such investigations are not very objective. Therefore, in 2012 there was used direct questioning. Respondents, who answered in 2011, use data recorded in their databases also to other activities than tillage, sowing, fertilizing and harvesting.
Table 1 - Working with date
yes no
Use for other activities 45 % 55 %
Use for crop rotation 15 % 85 %
Connection with economy 4 % 96 %
Respondents who answered the question for further use positively, i. e. that they use the data for other activities, use them to implement the principles of precise agriculture and they work with data when creating model situations. They use very often only the data stored in the database and they process these data by hand on paper. All 45 % of respondents use the data to further improve the quality of soil cultivation, fertilization, seeding and harvesting.
In general, all of them use the connection to the GPS, and based on the data on the state of property other activities already mentioned are carried out. Only 15 % of respondents in relation to the data modify crop rotations. Data on the supply of nutrients in the soil, knowledge of the requirements of individual crops and the market price of crops may affect the crop rotation. In the Czech Republic in response to the increasing market price of grain, their sown area already exceeds 60% of the total sown area of agricultural land. In such cases, using the principles of precise agriculture has a great influence on the amount of yield and opportunities for economic monitoring of individual plots.
Only 4% of respondents continue to work with data that can be obtained when using applications associated with precise agriculture. They form on the basis of data on the quality of individual parcels, the economic situation in the company and the expected development of prices of individual commodity analysis of the current situation and predictions for the coming years, what crops will be most economical and in particular in relation to the quality of land to grow. Unfortunately, software that would allow to carry out these activities is not available for the companies. In many cases they use the possibility of available table processor (Excel), and they often acquire data again, they do not have the possibility to use the stored data. This leads to multiple data redundancy.
Current information and communication technologies make it possible to process large volumes of data. However, data are often stored in different places - in companies there are atomized databases and their interconnection is difficult and often impractical. In particular, there are applications in agriculture, which are often used by only one worker, and he/she currently works with the data of a particular application, and it is not possible to carry out the analysis with making use of all data in the company. It is necessary to design integrated databases and then to work with the data for the entire enterprise. It is important to link data from crop husbandry, animal husbandry with other data in the enterprise - sale, economic data, data from human resources. Appropriate data sharing leads to a qualitatively higher utilization of all resources, the effect of it is reducing costs, increasing yields, and with precise agriculture also improving the quality of the environment.
Figgure 2 - Create of Database
Figure 2 is the design of an integrated database. Into a single database or different interconnected databases there are stored the data from individual processes in the enterprise. Stored data can be further used by appropriate tools - for example through Business Intelligence Software. Knowledge of the management in the field (in our case agriculture) as well as their ability to work with stored data will create a long-term competitive advantage. The software that is designed to work directly with the proposed data can be used - this option will be more expensive, but for many users easier. Inquiries made of company data are already created. The user only learns how to use these questions (functions).
The second option is a software solution using the type of database environment, or a table processor. Workers create queries directly in the selected software according to current requirements. Selecting the appropriate option will be affected by: 1. financial sources of the company 2. human factor - knowledge of the field and the ability to control and use ICT.
Figure 3 - Use of the Database
The advantage of the created database is the possibility of the access according to the requirements of users and their access rights to the selected data. Models can be formed (Figure 3) when we create predictions in crop husbandry - we use corporate data (internal) and modeling efficiency is best processed with external data (such as the expected market prices, sales volumes, etc.). In the current economic environment, an important element to enhance competitiveness is not only to use the latest scientific knowledge, but also to be joined into this activity.
Conclusion. Creating a business strategy must be closely associated with the creation of an information strategy. Data and information have become one of the most valuable corporate resources. Their use, importance, influence on the further development of the company are fully influenced by the ability of the management to use all data and information (internal and external). The quality of the information strategy is given by the team ability to define information needs. When creating a database that the individual modules of the information
system will use, its individual elements must be clearly defined. When creating a database there must be team representative of each business unit in order to create a quality database, which becomes a fundamental starting point for the creation of reports for further decisions.
In this environment of rapid technological changes, agricultural development and changes in economic situation, a strategy should be based on the variant with the best ratio of price-performance (creating the best option according to the current reporting requirement). Agriculture is becoming a knowledge-intensive sector, where what employees will know (what data and information source) is a key factor in profitability. Ownership of tools of precise agriculture has its place in business and information strategy, but it is not the only possibility for increasing competitiveness. More important element is the involvement of precision farming tools into the corporate chain of production - sale - employees - economy. Precise agriculture will fully support the development of the company if the interconnection of all parts of the enterprise occurs, and it is only possible in that situation when we model the stored data of all ongoing activities of the enterprise.
References
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