Be accurate… then precise

31 January 1997

Be accurate… then precise

DONT confuse precision with accuracy when thinking about precision farming operations, warns Dr Ian Richards of Levington Agriculture.

Using a dartboard to illustrate his point he explains that a thrower could be extremely precise by getting all three darts close together. But if they were off the board, the more accurate thrower, with three widely spaced darts nearer to the bulls eye target, would be better off.

"You can be precise without being accurate. You must remember the difference." Accuracy should be the prime aim. "Then get as precise as you can," he advises.