Precision agriculture: Using paddock information to make cropping systems internationally competitive

Precision agriculture was introduced to Australia in the early 1990s as a hi-tech crop management system that comprised on-the-go yield monitors, real-time GPS (Global Positioning Systems) and other information technologies. While the technology looks complex, its application can be remarkably simple, and summarised as improving crop management by reducing the level of uncontrolled variation which currently exists in farming systems. The potential benefits include greater profitability, more consistent product quality and reduced environmental risk. The ability to be informed about the performance of the system also increases the certainty during changes that are inevitable if agriculture is to maintain competitiveness in an increasingly tough international marketplace.