GPS Tracking for Agriculture

I’ve spent over 12 years working in the GPS tracking industry, especially in how our technology can help farmers. At Skywonder Technology Company Limited, based in Shenzhen, China, we’ve seen how GPS tracking for agriculture can truly transform farming operations around the world, from the Middle East to Europe, Africa, and beyond.

The Challenges of Modern Farming and the Role of GPS Tracking for Agriculture

Farming has never been easy, but today’s challenges are different from those of the past. Farmers are now expected to produce more with less—less time, less land, and less impact on the environment. Managing large farms, keeping track of machines, and monitoring livestock can be overwhelming. This is where agriculture GPS tracking, a technology we’ve worked on at Skywonder, can help.

Why This Is a Big Problem

Without the right tools, farming can be very inefficient. Tractors might not be used the best way, leading to wasted fuel. Crops could be planted in areas where they won’t grow well, reducing how much is harvested. Livestock might wander off, increasing the risk of losing them or them getting sick. These are real problems that farmers face every day, and they directly affect their income.

How GPS Technology Can Help Farming

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, “Despite a decrease in land and labor used in farming, total farm output more than tripled between 1948 and 2021.” This remarkable increase is largely due to the adoption of new farming technologies, like GPS in agriculture, which have enabled farmers to produce more with less effort.

Precision Planting

• Accurate Mapping: One of the best things about GPS in farming is precision planting. With GPS technology, farmers can map out their fields very accurately. This helps them plant crops in just the right spot, making the most of water and fertilizer. The result is better crop yields and less waste.
• Better Planting: At Skywonder, we’ve worked with farmers who have used our GPS tracking systems to improve how they plant their crops. One farmer in Brazil was having trouble with uneven crop yields. By using our agriculture GPS tracking, he could map his fields and see which areas were likely to flood. He then adjusted his planting accordingly. This led to more crops and a more successful farm.

Making Equipment More Efficient

• Monitoring Equipment: Managing farm equipment is another area where GPS technology in agriculture is helpful. Our GPS systems allow farmers to see where their tractors, combines, and other machines are at all times. This information is important for scheduling maintenance and repairs, making sure that equipment is always working well.
• Maintenance Planning: It also helps in keeping track of fuel use, which can save money. For example, a farmer in Saudi Arabia used our GPS trackers to keep an eye on his tractors. Before using our technology, his fuel costs were too high, and his machines often broke down.
• Fuel Savings: After using our GPS technology, he could see where fuel was being wasted and plan better routes. This saved him 20% on fuel costs and reduced the time his machines were out of action.

Managing Livestock

• Tracking Animals: Taking care of livestock is another important part of farming that can benefit from GPS agriculture. Our devices can be attached to animals to monitor their location and movements in real-time. This not only helps in keeping track of the herd but also allows for better health monitoring.
• Early Warning: Farmers can quickly see if an animal is not moving as expected, which could be an early sign of sickness. A farmer in Kenya who used our GPS trackers on his cattle found that he could spend less time manually checking on his herd. The system alerted him whenever an animal strayed too far or wasn’t behaving normally. This allowed for quicker action and better overall herd management, leading to healthier animals and higher productivity.

Challenges: Connectivity Issues When Using GPS Tracking on Farms

However, using GPS tracking on farms isn’t always easy. Connectivity is often a big problem, especially in remote areas where farming usually happens. Without a good connection, the GPS technology might not work as well. Farmers may also be hesitant to try new technology if they are used to older methods.

Solving Connectivity Issues

At Skywonder, we’ve worked hard to solve these problems. We’ve developed GPS systems that work even in areas with poor connectivity, so farmers in even the most remote places can use our technology. For example, a farmer in Australia had connectivity problems because his land was so large. We gave him a solution that combined satellite and cellular data, making sure his GPS systems worked even in tough conditions.

Success Story

Moss Perrow Sr. has seen a lot of changes on his family farm over the years, but he says GPS has made the biggest impact. Now 83, Moss remembers when his sons decided to put GPS on all the farm equipment—tractors, cotton pickers, and sprayers—about 10 years ago. That was a game-changer, says his son Drake Perrow. “That’s what does all the work,” he says. “You set it up for planting, and once it’s set up, it does it all.”

For the Perrow family, it was the peanuts that were the problem. Drake remembers the frustration: “We had odd rows, and turning the equipment around was a nightmare. After a long day of planting, we were exhausted physically and mentally. Keeping equipment on track was a constant struggle.” But after they got GPS, everything changed. “The nightmare turned into a dream,” says Drake.

Drake says, “We went from making four or five passes to one to get the peanuts planted. The time and money we save is amazing.” And with GPS, they can farm with a much smaller crew. “We can do more with less,” he says.

Learn more about how modern farmers are benefiting from GPS agriculture in this story from the Quad-City Times.

The Future of GPS in Farming

As we look to the future, the role of GPS in farming will only keep growing. The combination of IoT devices and our advanced GPS tracking systems will give farmers even more information to make decisions. Do farmers use GPS to make their jobs easier? Absolutely—and the benefits are only expanding. We’re excited to be leading this technological revolution, providing tools that make farming more efficient, sustainable, and profitable.

Conclusion

In conclusion, GPS tracking is not just a tool—it’s a game-changer for farming. At Skywonder, we’ve spent over a decade improving our technology to meet the needs of farmers around the world. Whether it’s precision planting, equipment monitoring, or livestock management, our GPS systems provide the accuracy and reliability that modern farming needs. And as technology continues to evolve, we’ll be there, leading the way and helping farmers overcome the challenges of today and tomorrow.