GPS World, February 2016

MACHINECONTROLUPDATE Farmer and Surveyor Share Data FEBRUARY 2016 WWW GPSWORLD COM GPS WORLD 61 BY Tim Burch SURVEY SCENE COLUMNIST A s surveyors we are constantly trying to find ways to incorporate our skills into other occupations to increase productivity We also see the modern farmer moving away from small family operations with only several hundred acres morphing into farm management corporations with tens of thousands of acres as well as millions of dollars of equipment Efficiency is what they are after and they are spending significant amounts of money on technology to make it happen My own curiosity and research has opened my eyes to how far the farming profession has grown and in many ways surpassed the land surveyor with technology But I think there is still common ground that needs to be explored so lets start at the root of each profession As different as the two professions may seem farming and surveying have one large common link data More specifically the tools methods and procedures they operate to acquire the data used in their everyday jobs and projects The implementation of GPS equipment and the ability to collect location data has greatly improved the productivity of both professions but for drastically different reasons However as technology continues to march forward and storage and data evaluation use grows the surveyor and the farmer will begin to use each others skillsets to increase their own usefulness COMING TOGETHER Both of these noble professions are using a highly accurate form of measurement and data recording but we must review further how they can help each other To do that we must analyze what each is doing with the technology Surveyors and GPS Use Roles of the surveyor are to measure land provide professional knowledge regarding parcel boundaries and collect data for engineering and drainage purposes Most of this data is now collected by GPS methods and is in NAD83 state plane coordinates with NAVD88 elevations This information can be supplemented by county and state GIS data as well Surveyors also have knowledge of existing monuments by local state and federal authorities tied to these coordinate systems datums so all future surveys can be related to each other geographically Farmers and GPS Use Farmers who have embraced GPS technology now have the power not only to map and collect data but to also utilize previous data for crop efficiency This ability to run a more efficient farming system is happening now for many farmers The farmer is educated in regard to seed germination weed and bug prevention and maximizing crop yields so collecting this data has become a necessary task HARVESTING DATA The farmer and the surveyor can use their knowledge in many ways for the mutual benefit of increasing crop yields efficiently working the land and maximizing production The surveyors knowledge of topography and drainage can assist the farmer with shaping land to minimize water runoff and loss of key nutrients in the soil This loss is estimated to be an average of two to three tons of soil per acre per year Installation of drainage tile in addition to grading can be critical to minimizing soil loss and the surveyor can help with this analysis Accurate boundaries allow the farmer to know the limits of his property The surveyor can provide this information so the farmer can maximize his planting configuration yet not encroach on adjacent property The surveyor can also help with the creation of land management systems to help farmland owners plan for financial decisions and tax strategies The biggest opportunity for the surveyor is to offer assistance to the farmer who has little or no knowledge of data collection This geospatial data can be confusing to those not familiar with this information Farmers who become educated in analyzing and reading crop data can increase production and yields Surveyors have the math skills and background to assist with the management of the data from a location standpoint This effort will help the farmer know soil conditions germination spray application and harvesting to maximize the cost effectiveness of his investment in the land Together the farmer and the surveyor can create a successful partnership that can increase crop production worldwide Data is the crop that brings them together and planted with the right amount of care and nurturing this data can become more valuable than ever Tim Burch GPS Worlds co contributing editor for survey is survey department manager for Chastain Associates LLC in the Decatur Illinois area He has been working as a professional land surveyor since 1985 and is the secretary Board of Directors National Society of Professional Surveyors Read his full column at gpsworld com opinions and subscribe to the Survey Scene newsletter at gpsworld com subscribe