We're not having the same conversation. You're talking about a farmer
mapping his fertilizer needs to specific areas of his fields. My
original posting dealt with maps of the US showing average yields.

As an aside (since this is not what I originally wrote about), I doubt
that most farmers are up to the level of agricultural sophistication
that you speak of. I think that's still pretty much "cutting edge"
stuff. Yes, I've seen the booths at the Ohio State Fair on that, but
most farmers that wander by just grin and shake their heads. Most
farmers don't "drive this year's tractor pulling next year's combine",
to use a common phrase. (And yes, the really slick combines are
self-propelled.) Even with extension agent services available (I get the
newsletter from my extension agent in White and Van Buren Counties in
Tennessee), most farmers are still a bit more low-tech in their
techniques. I would not be surprised to find that the same tractors and
combine my grandfather and I used to harvest oats, wheat, and soybeans
are still in use by some small-farm operator in Ohio.

Jim

Gene Mechtly wrote:
> 
> On Sun, 9 Sep 2001, James R. Frysinger wrote:
> 
> > ... I suppose it's easier to get farmers to make the transition to
> > dealing in terms of yield per hectare than in terms of yield per square
> > meter...
> 
> Not if they are using GPS with resolutions less than one meter and want to
> optimize their use of fertilizer.

-- 
Metric Methods(SM)           "Don't be late to metricate!"
James R. Frysinger, CAMS     http://www.metricmethods.com/
10 Captiva Row               e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Charleston, SC 29407         phone/FAX:  843.225.6789

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