Precision technology is playing a critical role in helping scientists tackle some of the biggest challenges facing agriculture, from climate change and biodiversity loss to food security and sustainable land use.
Researchers at the James Hutton Institute are increasingly relying on advanced positioning systems, drones and data integration tools to improve the accuracy of agricultural and environmental research.
According to Damien Bienkowski, senior researcher in remote sensing at the James Hutton Institute, precision underpins much of the organisation's work.
"The James Hutton Institute is tackling some of the most pressing challenges facing farming and the environment, from climate change, biodiversity loss and food security to rural land use," he said.
"It aims to provide scientific solutions by working in collaboration with academics, industry, farmers, growers and policymakers to develop new crop varieties, tools, interventions, products and agricultural practices to adapt to and mitigate these challenges."
Much of that work depends on collecting highly accurate information in the field.
"Across agricultural research, reliable results depend on the ability to measure, map and monitor with accuracy," said Bienkowski.
"Cutting-edge research into peatland depth, loss and restoration, plot-scale crop trials or precision agriculture can require positional accuracy down to centimetres, or even sub-centimetres."
To achieve that level of precision, researchers use technologies such as real-time kinematic (RTK) positioning and differential GPS.
"These systems can improve the accuracy of conventional GPS data by up to a thousandfold, ensuring that every measurement, observation and sample is tied to an exact location," he said.
The technology is used throughout the institute's field operations, ensuring experimental plots are planted and managed accurately.
"Whether conducting experiments on potato disease resistance or barley genetic trials, accurate planting is critical," said Bienkowski. "Much of the institute’s farming machinery is equipped with precision GPS technology, ensuring that the right material is sown in precisely the right place."
Precision positioning is becoming even more important as researchers increasingly combine multiple sources of information.
"Precision becomes even more critical when integrating multiple streams of data, a growing reality in agricultural research," he said.
A current example is research being carried out by Cranfield University PhD student Sam Holden, who is using an RTK-equipped drone to study the nitrogen legacy effects of pea and bean intercrops in crop rotations.
"These data are then linked with ground-based sampling, allowing vegetative indices derived from the drone imagery to be connected to biological nitrogen fixation rates and final crop yields," Bienkowski explained.
"For the approach to work, the exact location of each ground sample must match precisely with the data from the drone. Any mismatch could compromise the integrity of the research."
Drone technology is also supporting projects such as Root2Res, which aims to develop crop varieties capable of maintaining productivity under changing climate conditions.
Meanwhile, initiatives such as FarmBalance are exploring how precision data can help farmers unlock the value of natural capital while improving business resilience.
"Precision is enabling scientists and farmers to understand their land better, optimise production and build resilience for the future," said Bienkowski.
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