ABSTRACT
Precision means exactness or accuracy in performance of a particular task. In the present context, it refers to accuracy of various agricultural practices and farming per square that are carried out by farmers. Precision is actually a concept that got imbibed into agricultural endeavor of human beings, since pre-historic times. Precision also induced evolution of agricultural techniques and farming. Earliest of the steps towards precision could be seen in preferential seeding of a particular crop species in the vicinity of prehistoric human dwelling sites of early to late Neolithic period. Neolithic farmers gained by seeding and growing a precise crop species in those backyards of their dwellings. It overcame difficulty in tedious collection of grains from swamps or plains that had admixtures of all kinds of plant species. In this case, precision in terms of crop species and domestication allowed farmer greater quantity of harvests. It is interesting to note that since these early stages of agricultural history, precision as a concept has been quietly imbibed and utilized too, mainly to make farming easier and enhance productivity of land. Farmers devised procedures and manufactured implements that enhanced accuracy. Precise soil management using plough meant better nutrient and water management. Farmers introduced ploughing and line sowing during ancient period. Ploughing and line sowing is indeed a conspicuous effort to add greater
degree of precision into farming, in terms of planting geometry and density, efficient interception of light, as well as moisture and nutrient scavenging. It is a major event in the agricultural history that added precision to farms worldwide. Line sowing improved crop production compared to a field randomly broadcasted with seeds. Tillage and line sowing added precision to several other procedures like timing of interculture operations, top dressing, irrigation, pesticide application, and harvesting. During modern era (1820th century), precision got imbibed into agriculture through various improvements that farmers effected on to their implements, seeding procedures, irrigation devises, harvesting, and grain processing. During this period of history, farmers literally gained in efficiency and productivity by adding precision to farming procedures. Most glaring of the procedures introduced by farmers that added precision are precise planting dates to match with precipitation pattern and season. Even today, we strive hard to add precision into planting dates, seeding depth and plant population because it improves nutrient scavenging, moisture absorption and grain harvests significantly. Precise crop species and precise field to match fertility requirements of crops are other measures that improved productivity. Irrigation channels helped farmers in the supply of precise quantities of water at various stages of the crop development. During recent decades, there has been a steady improvement in precision aspects of implements, gadgets and procedures adopted in the field. Invention of fertilizer formulations improved accuracy further. Soil fertility could be mended accurately and sustained despite repeated cropping of the same field. Soil nutrients could be accurately replenished using various soil chemical analysis procedures and soil test crop response (STCR) studies. Automatic irrigation based on periodic soil moisture measurements and crops’ need improved accuracy of crop production. Together, aspects like precise crop species/genotype, nutrient replenishment and irrigation were instrumental in enhancing crop yield. We should note that precise selection and genetic improvement of crop species has added to grain harvests significantly.
