Measuring land area

[The Ruminant]

What's the best way to measure irregularly shaped plots of land? I have an app on my phone but am not sure how accurate it is. We want to measure the cropped area of the fields, excluding the margins, wild bird cover, tree plantations etc that are dotted around.

Any recommendations, either for a hand held GPS or an accurate app, or another solution altogether, very much appreciated.

 

[Andy26]

Planimeter

http://acme.com/planimeter/

I find it very accurate.

 

[robin banks]

Have found the app to be spot on for large areas such as small up to large fields. I would not use it to measure a small garden but it matches the tractor gps on fields

 

[Brisel]

How accurate do you need to be? My CHS iPhone app says 50% margin of error but in reality it is far better than that.

Planimeter is better. Google Earth used to have an area measuring function but I think you need to pay to upgrade to this now. I use Gatekeeper's mapping module which comes with the precision farming part anyway.

Try the measurement function on this:

http://explorer.geowessex.com/

It's not limited to Dorset as the name suggests.

Magic isn't very fast at all, but does work with a good broadband connection:

http://magic.defra.gov.uk/website/magic/

 

[SilliamWhale]

Whats the best tool for measuring hedgerow lengths and multiple hedges etc?

 

[Brisel]

Google Earth is free & the line measuring tool is still available.

 

[7800]

which is the best iphone app for field measurement?

 

[grumpy]

measuring the circumference of a field don't account for braes,

 

[DrWazzock]

Assuming you can see tramlines on google earth and you want to know what area your sprayer or spreader will think it is, then
go on google earth and used the path thing to draw a path following the headland tramline all the way round the headland field. Multiply path length by sprayer width and that gives headland area.

Now measure length of each straight run non outside tramline, add them up then multiply by sprayer width to find area of main body of field. Now add to headland area and you have total spray able area of field.

 

[grumpy]

Assuming you can see tramlines on google earth and you want to know what area your sprayer or spreader will think it is, then
go on google earth and used the path thing to draw a path following the headland tramline all the way round the headland field. Multiply path length by sprayer width and that gives headland area.

Now measure length of each straight run non outside tramline, add them up then multiply by sprayer width to find area of main body of field. Now add to headland area and you have total spray able area of field.

neighbour has a gps sprayer he sprays endrig then it just comes on and off as it pleases and measures field 100%

 

[yellow belly]

Whats the best tool for measuring hedgerow lengths and multiple hedges etc?

use the els online system
or magic

 

[marshbarn]

use magic mapping ,just trace round outside of field and click measure area and up comes answer. dead easy

 

[Gulli]

walk it with one of those wheel things

 

[caveman]

walk it with one of those wheel things

Doesn't work though.
A circle with a circumference of a tad over 40 equals 127 square.
An area of 10 x 10 has an outside edge of 40 and contains 100 square.
An area of 19 x 1 has an outside edge of 40 and contains 19 square.
I think area was measured piece by piece with a chain (22yrds) which would take account of humps and hollows and give a greater area than measuring on the flat.
I dont think the dumb arse at the rpa, who deemed our fields should be measured by satelite, worked that one out. Not many of us would have as much acerage as pre payment days, according to them.

 

[SimonD]

AGRIplot App, very good IMO.

 

[Gulli]

Doesn't work though.
A circle with a circumference of a tad over 40 equals 127 square.
An area of 10 x 10 has an outside edge of 40 and contains 100 square.
An area of 19 x 1 has an outside edge of 40 and contains 19 square.
I think area was measured piece by piece with a chain (22yrds) which would take account of humps and hollows and give a greater area than measuring on the flat.
I dont think the dumb arse at the rpa, who deemed our fields should be measured by satelite, worked that one out. Not many of us would have as much acerage as pre payment days, according to them.

walk it, if its dead square and flat the nyou only need two sides
but if not then draw it to scale and break it up into squares/triangles/whatevers easiest

or measure it in yards and then its easy to split up into acres

 

[Jaxo]

What's the best way to measure irregularly shaped plots of land? I have an app on my phone but am not sure how accurate it is. We want to measure the cropped area of the fields, excluding the margins, wild bird cover, tree plantations etc that are dotted around.

Any recommendations, either for a hand held GPS or an accurate app, or another solution altogether, very much appreciated.

If one knows to locate the plot to measure in Satellite maps, then the quick solution is satellite map land area calculators, you can find an easy to use tool at http://milloz.com/site/index.php?q=Free-Tools/Area-Measurement-Tool. Steps are simple, just locate the plot in satellite maps, mark the boundaries using marker tools provided, collect the measurements in sq meter, sq foot, cent, acreage, sq mile, sq km etc.

The tool is fairly accurate, if the boundaries marked correctly, then an accuracy of 50 sq meter can be achieved on a level land. please see the accuracy study given at http://milloz.com/site/index.php?q=content/verification-accuracy-geographical-area-calculator

can be used for quick calculation of agricultural area, agricultural wastage, farm planning etc.

 

[B'o'B]

A smartphone app sould be pretty good if you give it a good view of the sky and don't take too long getting around the field.

 

[Will Blackburn]

http://www.daftlogic.com/projects-google-maps-distance-calculator.htm

For hedges or any length.

 

[S J H]

The app measure your land has been good and it's free