Variable Rate Technology and Variable Rate Application

Abstract

In a field comprising of different or a particular species of crop, there may be noticed variability in the fertilizer need, irrigation requirement, seed rate, chemical requirement (pesticides, herbicides, weedicides), etc. However, it is a difficult task to detect the individual requirements of a crop by mere observation; therefore, precision agriculture puts forth a technology known as variable rate technology (VRT) that helps in easy and accurate detection of individual requirements of each crop thereby reducing human errors. VRT refers to a technology that enables variable rate application of materials in precision agriculture. It is the ability to adapt parameters on machine to apply, for instance, seed or fertilizer, according to the exact variation in plant growth or soil nutrients and type. The chapter looks into working of different variable rate technologies and their application in precision agriculture.