How does farm planning produce better crops?

Farm planning is the process of developing a comprehensive plan for the management and operation of a farm. The goal of a farm plan is to optimise the use of resources and increase efficiency and profitability. It is an ongoing process that should be reviewed and updated regularly. The more data you collect, the more informed decisions you can make. 

Soil maintenance 

Your crops need good soil, with ample minerals, in order to grow. The better the soil, the better the crops. You need to have a plan in place for when the soil is not as rich as it needs to be. Soil tests and sensors will give you the data, so you can add fertilisers, or make decisions accordingly. For regenerative farming, you can alternate crops, to add nutrients back in without the harmful chemicals.  

Field mapping 

To utilise the maximum amount of space you have, you need to plan how you are going to plant your crops. It may not be the most efficient solution to run vertically or horizontally, as not all fields are symmetrical and rectangular in shape. Mapping the field using specialised software will increase your planting efficiency. LiveFarmer farm management software allows you to trace around the area, automatically calculates the size, and then sets the best way to plough the field. 

Crop selection and management 

You know what fields you have, and you know to an extent the size of each field. Do you know the soil composition and whether certain crops can grow on your land? Conducting market research will enable you to identify which crops have the highest demand, but you need to make sure it can grow on your land. This can help you make informed decisions about which crops to plant and how much of each crop to grow. Another part of the farm plan that helps with getting more from your crops, is the rotation schedule. Some plants require certain nutrients in the soil, where others enrich the soil with those nutrients. Cover crops protect the soil from over exposure to Sun, and becomes biomatter that then puts the nutrients back in to the soil. Without a scheduled plan, the cover crop stage could be overlooked, which could lead to worse yields over time.