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Fields

The Field asset is the primary spatial asset in the Farm Data Model (FDM). It represents a specific area of land where agricultural activities take place.

Geometric Properties​

A Field has a b_geometry property that stores its geometric information as a GeoJSON polygon. This allows you to represent the exact shape and location of the field on a map.

The geometry is stored in the WGS 84 coordinate system (SRID 4326), which is the standard for GPS and web mapping.

Properties​

A Field has the following properties, which are stored in the fields table:

  • b_id: A unique identifier for the field. This is the primary key for the fields table.
  • b_name: The name of the field.
  • b_geometry: The geometry of the field, as a GeoJSON polygon.
  • b_id_source: An optional identifier from an external data source.

Relationship to a Farm​

A Field is always associated with a Farm. This relationship is established through the fieldAcquiring table, which links a field (b_id) to a farm (b_id_farm). This table also records:

  • b_start: The date when the farm's management of the field began.
  • b_acquiring_method: The method by which the farm acquired the field (e.g., ownership, lease).

The fieldDiscarding table is used to mark when a field is no longer actively managed by the farm.

Role in Tracking Activities​

The Field asset plays a crucial role in tracking location-specific activities. Actions such as sowing (cultivationStarting) and fertilizing (fertilizerApplication) are directly linked to the field. Other activities, such as harvesting (cultivationHarvesting), are linked to the cultivation which is growing on the field, thereby creating an indirect link to the field.

This interconnected data structure allows you to build a complete history of all activities that have taken place on a specific field, which is essential for traceability, compliance, and precision agriculture.