What popular precision farming devices are used on farms?

Today, Ukrainian farms utilise systems of parallel guidance with GPS and autopilots (80% of modern machinery), RTK stations for accuracy up to 2.5 cm, mobile weather stations, N-Sensor nitrogen sensors, drones for aerial photography and application of products, as well as software suites for data analysis. According to expert estimates, approximately 30% of Ukrainian enterprises have already implemented elements of precision farming.

Parallel Guidance Systems and Autopilots

The most popular technology among farmers. Parallel guidance systems (course indicators) show the operator the correct course on a monitor. Autopilots do the same but control the machinery autonomously without the driver's involvement.

Both types operate based on GPS receivers. The base accuracy is 15-30 cm when using the free satellite signal. For greater accuracy, RTK correction is used, which provides an error of only 2.5 cm.

The advantages are obvious. The machinery follows strictly defined lines, with no overlaps or misses. Seed savings reach 5-8%, fertilisers up to 10%, and fuel about 6%. The driver does not get tired and can work at night. The system pays for itself within a year on areas from 500 hectares.

The cost of simple course indicators starts from 20 thousand hryvnias. A full-featured autopilot costs from 100 to 300 thousand depending on its functionality. Leading manufacturers are Trimble, John Deere, Raven, and from Ukraine - Smilab.

RTK Stations and Correction Systems

RTK (Real-Time Kinematic) is a technology that provides the highest positioning accuracy. A base station is installed in the field or on the farm, transmitting a correction signal to machinery receivers within a radius of 10-50 km.

RTK accuracy reaches 1-3 cm, which is critically important for differential seeding and product application. The system remembers every pass of the machinery, allowing it to return to the exact same spot months later.

A base RTK station costs from 150 to 400 thousand hryvnias. An alternative is a subscription to network RTK services like AgroRTK, costing about 15-25 thousand per year per receiver. For large farms, owning a station is more cost-effective.

According to 2024 data, over 20% of large agroholdings in Ukraine use RTK technologies. Among medium-sized farms, this figure is lower - about 10%, but it is growing rapidly.

Mobile Weather Stations

Weather affects everything in farming. Mobile weather stations are installed directly in the fields, collecting data on temperature, air and soil humidity, wind speed, and precipitation.

The information is transmitted online to the farm office. The agronomist sees current data, plans treatments, and forecasts disease development. For example, knowing the leaf wetness and temperature, one can predict the risk of phytophthora.

Simple stations cost 15-30 thousand hryvnias, professional ones up to 100 thousand. Data is stored for years, allowing analysis of trends and comparison of seasons. This helps in planning crop rotation and selecting more resilient hybrids.

Nitrogen Nutrition Sensors

N-Sensor and similar devices measure plants' nitrogen needs on the go. The sensor is mounted on a sprayer or fertiliser spreader, scanning crops with an infrared beam.

The system analyses light reflection from the leaves, determining chlorophyll content. Low chlorophyll indicates nitrogen deficiency. The sensor automatically changes the application rate - increasing the dose where needed and decreasing it where plants are green.

Fertiliser application efficiency improves by 7-14% according to various estimates. In practice, this means savings of 20-40 dollars per hectare while maintaining yield. For a 3000-hectare farm, annual savings reach 100-150 thousand dollars.

The technology is not cheap. A Yara N-Sensor costs about 15-20 thousand euros. Therefore, it is purchased mainly by large enterprises or used as a service - ordering application from specialised companies with the equipment.

Drones in Agriculture

Agri-drones perform two main tasks: monitoring and application of products. According to 2024 data, over 5000 drones are used in the agro-sector in Ukraine.

Drones for aerial photography take images of fields in visible and infrared spectra. Imaging accuracy is 1-2 cm per pixel, which is dozens of times better than satellite images. The agronomist sees every problem area - plant loss, diseases, uneven germination.

NDVI maps are built based on the images, showing vegetation status. Green zones indicate healthy plants, yellow and red indicate problems. This allows for spot application of products, treating only diseased areas instead of the entire field.

Sprayer drones carry 10-30 litres of working solution, treating up to 10 hectares per hour. They are effective on complex terrain, in orchards, and berry plantations. The cost of treatment is about 280 hryvnias per hectare compared to 150-200 hryvnias with a conventional sprayer, but in hard-to-reach areas there is no alternative.

Drone prices vary. A simple quadcopter for filming starts from 50 thousand hryvnias, a professional sprayer from 8 thousand dollars. Many farms do not buy their own drones but order filming and treatment services.

Software Suites and the Farm Office

Data from all devices is collected in a unified management system. This is specialised software - a farm office or farm management system.

The program stores electronic field maps with history of treatments, fertiliser application, and yields. The system shows where which crops were sown, how much fertiliser was applied, and what the result was. This helps plan the next season and adjust technologies.

Modern systems integrate with accounting, logistics, and inventory management. The agronomist sees seed and product stocks, plans purchases. The manager controls fuel consumption, machinery utilisation, and operator productivity.

Basic solutions are free or cost 10-20 thousand per year. Professional platforms like SmartFarming, Cropio start from 50 thousand per year depending on the area. But they pay for themselves through better work organisation and reduced losses.

Overall Summary

Precision farming delivers real results. According to research by American associations, productivity increases by 4-6%, fertiliser use is optimised by 7-14%, herbicide use is reduced by 9-15%, and fuel savings reach 6-16%.

In Ukraine, technologies are being implemented gradually. Most start with parallel guidance systems - this is the simplest and fastest to pay back. Then they add weather stations, sensors, drones. A full complex is installed mainly by large enterprises, but medium-sized farms from 1000 hectares are also actively investing.

The main thing is not to buy everything at once. It is worth starting with one direction, training staff, and establishing processes. When the system is operational and shows results, then expand the functionality. This way, precision farming becomes not a fashionable toy, but a working tool for increasing profit.