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Differential GPS may helpful in precision farming. How?

Arfan Arshad, Muhammad Riaz
Department of Agriculture Engineering, University of Agriculture Faisalabad
Corresponding Email:arfanarshad52@gmail.com

Available online at: http://www.scientificarena.com/2017/02/differential-gps-may-helpful-in.html

Abstract:
Differential GPS( DGPS) is a system in which differences between observed and computed co-
ordinates ranges( known as differential corrections) at a particular known point are transmitted to
users(GPS receivers at other points) to upgrade the accuracy of the users receivers position.
DGPS are used for various purposes in precision farming and in which a few of them are to map
out crops, map crop yields, control chemical applications and seeding. It is also proving to be
useful in ground and hydrographic surveying.

How DGPS work?

Differential GPS is a network of two receivers, in which one receiver is immobile and other
that's moving around making position measurements. The stationary receiver is the key which
link all the satellite measurements into a solid local reference. DGPS uses a network of
stationary, ground-based reference stations to recording the change between the positions
specified by the GPS satellite systems and the known fixed positions. These stations record the
variation between the measured satellite pseudo ranges and internally computed pseudo ranges
and send to receiver stations which correct their pseudo ranges. The most common form of
DGPS (used internationally for maritime navigation) operates in the MF Radio beacon band
(285-325 kHz).The DGPS system works as follows:

1. Base stations receive GPS signal from each of the satellites and then measure the
accuracy.
2. The base stations compute how much of a correction is required per satellite and transmit
this information to DGPS units.
3. After receiving the original signal from each satellite and correct information from base
station DGPS send data to user.
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After receiving the data from receiver the user can directly use it for different purposes because it
is error free data and there is no need to preprocess this data.

Why DGPS?

Differential Global Positioning System, is an enhancement in GPS that is created to

provide more location accuracy from the 15-meter nominal GPS accuracy to about 10 cm for
best implementations. Satellites in the space provides signals to the earth’s surface at the speed
of light, but through any atmospheric change there can be an error. And due to this error a delay
can be caused, and for all these errors, DGPS is created and it adjusts these errors to provide
accurate location. Corrections for DGPS initiate from a reference station whose location is
known.

Errors can be estimated in the GPS by the receivers in these reference stations because
reference stations have an accurate knowledge of their own location. As a result, the horizontal
accuracy of the system can be improved from 100m (95 per cent of the time) to better than 10m.
DGPS continues to be a key tool for highly precise navigation on land and sea. DGPS can yield
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measurements accurate to a couple of meters in moving applications and even better in

stationary situations.

How Accurate is it?

Previously when we took reading from GPS SA on the error could be as much as
100 meters. Differential GPS would enable us to get fixes within 10 meter of the actual position.
After applying corrections the errors that were left were truly random noise, so by taking average
of corrected position as a stationary point, for about 3-5 minutes, the position attained was
usually within 3 meters of the real position. When applying differential correction (right hand
image), the scattering become within a 5 meter radius, (inner green circle). By taking Average of
some of these points for a few minutes gives a position not more than 1 or 2 meter from the
actual surveyed position.
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Typical DGPS scatter (SA off)

Typical GPS scatter (SA off)

Role of DGPS in precision farming:

Current agricultural management practices are changing from assuming homogenous
fields to attempting to address field variability by dividing the field into smaller zones and
managing these zones separately. Precision farming can be defined as the collecting of data
dealing with spatial and temporal variation within a field and then using that data to manage
inputs. Precision farming is made possible by joining computers, on-the-go sensors, Differential
Global Positioning Systems (DGPS), and other devices. DGPS is having a great impact on
navigation in the agricultural industry; it gives a producer the ability to know a specific location.
By knowing location, farmers can look at the field as a group of small zones and determine if the
field is uniform or not (break the field up into smaller fields or grids). Computers and
geographical information systems (GIS) provide opportunity to producers to record location and
other information. For example, a yield monitor used with DGPS enable a farmer to record yield
for every location in the field.
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Smart farming:

DGPS is a part of the smart farming system. Smart farming includes data analytics solutions,
software applications, sensing technologies, hardware and software systems, communication
systems and positioning technologies or telematics. Hence, DGPS used in precision forming
having all these functions in their system and are known to be a part of smart farming.

DGPS technology in precision farming:

There are different kinds of DGPS used in precision farming.

 Real time differential system

 Local Area DGPS (LADGPS)
 Wide-Area DGPS (WADGPS)
 Real time differential code (RTIME)
 Real time phase (RTSKI)
 Real time industry standard (RTCM)

These systems are helpful in precision forming and many other fields.
Advantages:
 GPS is quite accurate; however, using DGPS pushes its accuracy even further.
 GPS/DGPS makes A/L guidance every precise as oppose to ILS and MLS.
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Disadvantages:
 Most of the Errors are completely eliminated after using DGPS; however Rx-based (i.e.
Rx-Noise & Multipath) and atmospheric errors (i.e. Ionosphere & Troposphere) would
still present.
 The coverage area to take advantage of DGPS is limited. 
 To ensure larger handling area more DGPS stations are needed.
 The position accuracy disturbs as the distance between DGPS and satellite increases.

Conclusions:
Hence, DGPS are helpful in precision farming. Solved accuracy problem, able to achieve greater
position accuracy using the DGPS method. They can manage spatial and temporal variation of
yield as well as control chemical applications and seeding. The government should make a
policy about using such types of technology.