Accurate Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) sources are important in several aspects of production agriculture today. This technology was the driver for the development of variable-rate application (VRA) of crop inputs and seed. The process started by collecting GPS reference soil samples that lead to the creation of VRA fertilizer application maps. Now, farmers and service providers have the ability to create VRA maps for almost every product applied during the growing season.

Nate Bonde farms with his two cousins, Gary and John Bonde near Nerstrand Minn. They've been increasingly using precision farming practices in their operation since 2008 when they switched from ridge-till for corn production to strip-till.