Precision Agriculture Software and Resources
These software tools and information resources are provided to facilitate information and technical exchange.
In some cases, permission has been obtained from the publishers to provide downloadable pdf versions of papers. This is not a licence to copy the material.
Those interested in using the work reported here should cite the source of the material in full (author, publication, etc) or this website.
The use of the figures and graphics in these resources is not permitted without the prior consent of the author.
CSIRO's Precision Viticulture group has developed a range of software tools to help manage and analyse spatial information. These tools are available to download free of charge.
The notes and software described here are based on a number of technical, circumstantial or otherwise specified assumptions and parameters. The user must make its own assessment of the suitability for use of the information or material contained in or generated from these notes.
The DataSubsampler tool is a simple program to randomly select lines from a text file.
It is used to create a new file containing a randomly selected subset of the rows of the original file. The rows in the new file are retained in their original order. This tool is useful for creating a randomly selected dataset of reduced size, from a larger dataset.
 Download zip file (380 KB)
Download user documentation (36 KB)
The GSLib2Grid tool converts GSLib format files, which are output from the Stanford Geostatistical Modeling Software (S-GeMS; http://sgems.sourceforge.net), into ESRI grid files.
GSLib2Grid is useful when needing use the outputs of S-GeMS in ArcGIS.
Download zip file (441 KB)
Download user documentation (46 KB)
The Grid Extract tool is an ArcGIS extension to extract values from raster grids at selected points.
These points can be either specified, or can be randomly selected using the tool. The purpose of the tool is to enable statistical analysis of values at a subset of points from one or more raster surfaces.
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.3 - includes GridExtract,
Persistor, BlockGrid and PostVesper (491 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.3 (pdf 73 KB)
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.2 - includes GridExtract,
Persistor, BlockGrid and PostVesper (491 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.2 (pdf 73 KB)
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.1 (405 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.1 (pdf 65 KB)
The Persistor tool is an ArcGIS extension tool that automates the creation of maps summarising the temporal persistence of spatial patterns (eg patterns of high and low yield).
The tool uses the two approaches of Bramley and Hamilton (2004) for representing the persistence of spatial patterns (eg crop yields) over a number of time periods.
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.3 - includes GridExtract,
Persistor, BlockGrid and PostVesper (491 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.3 (pdf 182 KB)
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.2 - includes GridExtract,
Persistor, BlockGrid and PostVesper (491 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.2 (pdf 182 KB)
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.1 (413 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.1 (pdf 180 KB)
The Block Grid tool is an ArcMap extension used for converting block boundary shapefiles in polygon format to (a) raster format and (b) a text file of X,Y point values.
The file of used X,Y point values can be used by the VESPER program (http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/agric/acpa) for kriging. The size of the grid used to generate the raster can be specified by the user.
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.3 - includes GridExtract,
Persistor, BlockGrid and PostVesper (491 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.3 (pdf 43 KB)
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.2 - includes GridExtract,
Persistor, BlockGrid and PostVesper (491 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.2 (pdf 43 KB)
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.1 (400 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.1 (pdf 39 KB)
The Post VESPER tool is an ArcGIS extension that automates the process of converting the file output by the VESPER kriging program (http://www.usyd.edu.au/su/agric/acpa) into raster format in ArcGIS.
Two rasters created correspond to the predicted values and the standard error of the predictions. The tool will optionally categorise the rasters into equal sized classes, apply a colour ramp and create a layer file.
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.3 - includes GridExtract,
Persistor, BlockGrid and PostVesper (491 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.3 (pdf 43 KB)
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.2 - includes GridExtract,
Persistor, BlockGrid and PostVesper (491 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.2 (pdf 43 KB)
Download zip file version for ArcGIS 9.1 (393 KB)
Download user documentation version for ArcGIS 9.1 (pdf 40 KB)
The ArcPad EM38 Logger applet enables simultaneous logging of GPS and EM38 readings on a Pocket PC.
This applet allows automated logging of EM38 readings together with the point coordinates from a GPS. Logging can be performed either on demand (each time a button is clicked) or continuously at timed intervals (ie at a nominated number of seconds). Logged data are written to an ESRI point shapefile.
Note: A basic knowledge of using Pocket PCs, ArcPad, EM38 and dGPS is assumed.
Download zip file (13 KB)
Download user documentation (698 KB)
Visit CSIRO's website for more information about Precision Agriculture software tools. 
Journal articles
Bramley, R.G.V. 2005. Understanding variability in winegrape production systems. 2. Within vineyard variation in quality over several vintages. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 11 33-42 (pdf 2.3 MB).
Posted with the permission of The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology / Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research. Bramley, R.G.V. and Hamilton, R.P. 2003. Understanding variability in winegrape production systems. 1. Within vineyard variation in yield over several vintages. Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research 10 32-45 (pdf 4.9 MB).
Posted with the permission of The Australian Society of Viticulture and Oenology / Australian Journal of Grape and Wine Research.
Bramley, R.G.V. and Lamb, D.W. 2003. Making sense of vineyard variability in Australia. In: Ortega, R. and Esser, A. (Eds) Precision Viticulture. Proceedings of an international symposium held as part of the IX Congreso Latinoamericano de Viticultura y Enologia, Chile. Centro de Agricultura de Precisión, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Facultad de Agronomía e Ingenería Forestal, Santiago, Chile. pp. 35-54. (pdf 1.3 MB)
Bramley, R. 2003. Smarter thinking on soil survey. Australian and New Zealand Wine Industry Journal 18 (3) 88-94.
Bramley, R., Pearse, B. and Chamberlain, P. 2003. Being Profitable Precisely – A case study of Precision Viticulture from Margaret River. Australian and New Zealand Grapegrower and Winemaker – Annual Technical Issue. 473a, 84-87.
Bramley, R.G.V. and Lanyon, D.M. 2002. Vineyard ‘leakiness’, Proceedings of a workshop held at the Waite Campus, Adelaide, January 24-25, 2002, to scope the potential threat to the sustainability of Australian viticulture through excessive drainage below the root zone. CSIRO Land and Water / GWRDC, Adelaide. (pdf 1.4 MB)
Bramley, R.G.V. 2001. Progress in the development of precision viticulture - Variation in yield, quality and soil properties in contrasting Australian vineyards. In: Currie, L.D. and Loganathan, P (Eds). Precision tools for improving land management. Occasional report No. 14. Fertilizer and Lime Research Centre, Massey University, Palmerston North. pp 25-43. (pdf 3.4 MB)
Bramley, R.G.V. and Proffitt, A.P.B. 1999. Managing variability in viticultural production. Grapegrower and Winemaker 427 11-16. July 1999.
Grape yield mapping protocol
Bramley, R.G.V and Williams, S.K. 2001. A protocol for the construction of yield maps from data collected using commercially available grape yield monitors. Cooperative Research Centre for Viticulture, Adelaide. (pdf 2.6 MB)
Supplement No. 1, February 2005. This addendum updates the original grape yield mapping protocol with respect to data cleaning and the currently available grape yield monitors. Bramley, R.G.V 2005 (pdf 114 kB)
Supplement No. 2, April 2008. Accounting for 'convolution' in grape yield mapping Rob Bramley, Bernd Kleinlagel and Jackie Ouzman (pdf 320 kB)
Precision Viticulture posters
Presented at the 13th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, July/August 2007
Optimising strategies for control of powdery mildew through whole of block experimentation
Terroir is a scale-dependant and manageable attribute
Variation in vineyard productivity and wind quality in a steeply sloping landscape
Exploring canopy management
as a tool to improve wine quality using whole of block experimentation
Presented at the 12th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, July 2004:
Getting started in the management of vineyard variability
A new approach to vineyard experimentation - where and how?
Precision Viticulture: some tips on data management
Other Posters Towards optimal resource management for grape and wine production
A protocol for winegrape yield maps (pdf 4.4 MB)
Digital elevation models and EM38 survey: Useful tools in the assessment of constraints to vineyard productivity. Proceedings of the 11th Australian Wine Industry Technical Conference, October 2001, Adelaide. (pdf 3.6 MB)
Other Precision Agriculture resources
Bramley R.G.V. Some Tips on Map Production for Precision Agriculture.
E-Newsletter of the Southern Precision Agriculture Association 1 (2) 9-11 (pdf 683 kB)
This article is primarily intended for grains growers but should be read in conjunction with the grape yield mapping protocol - see link above. Bramley, R.G.V. and Janik, L.J. 2005. Precision agriculture demands a new approach to soil and plant sampling and analysis – Examples from Australia. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 36 9-22
Bramley, R.G.V. and the late Quabba, R.P. 2001. Opportunities for improving the management of sugarcane production through the adoption of precision agriculture. Proceedings of the 24th International Society of Sugar Cane Technologists Congress (pdf 1.1 MB)
Cook, S.E. and Bramley, R.G.V. 2001. Is agronomy being left behind by precision agriculture? Proceedings of the 10th Australian Agronomy Conference, Hobart, 2001.
Cook, S.E. and Bramley, R.G.V. 2000. Coping with variability in agricultural production – Implications for soil testing and fertilizer management. Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis 31 1531-1551.
Bramley, R.G.V. 1999. Yield mapping: Towards better control of sugarcane production. Australian Sugarcane 3, 8-12.
Bramley, R.G.V., Cook, S.E., Adams, M.L. and Corner, R.J. 1999. Designing your own on-farm experiments: How precision agriculture can help. Grains Research and Development Corporation, Canberra. ISBN 1 875477 37 3.
Cook, S.E. and Bramley, R.G.V. 1998. Precision agriculture - Opportunities, benefits and pitfalls. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 38, 753-763.
Bramley, R.G.V., Cook, S.E. and McMahon, G.G. (Eds). 1997. Precision Agriculture - What Can It Offer The Australian Sugar Industry ? Proceedings of a workshop held at the Mercure Inn, Townsville, 10-12 June. CSIRO Land and Water, Townsville. ISBN 0 643 06048 0.
Visit CSIRO's website for more information about Precision Agriculture, Precision Viticulture and Dr Rob Bramley.
This page last updated
15 January, 2009
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