"Precision agriculture (PA) is a farming management strategy based on observing, measuring and responding to temporal and spatial variability to improve agricultural production sustainability."
Precision agriculture is the use of technology to optimize crop management, including the use of drones and sensors.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): The use of digital mapping and spatial analysis technology to record, manipulate, and analyze geographically referenced data.
Remote Sensing: The use of aerial or satellite imagery to gather information about crops and terrain.
Global Positioning System (GPS): A satellite-based navigation system that provides location and time information.
Sensor Technology: The use of various sensors to measure different parameters such as soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels.
Data Analysis: The use of statistical and mathematical tools to analyze the data collected through sensors and other technologies.
Crop Modeling: The use of computer models to simulate crop growth and development under different conditions.
Variable Rate Technology (VRT): Technology that allows farmers to apply different rates of inputs (e.g. fertilizers, pesticides) as needed, based on the variability of the field.
Yield Monitoring: The use of sensors to measure yield and other crop characteristics on a per-acre basis.
Precision Livestock Farming: A set of technologies and methodologies used in animal agriculture, including automated feeding systems, sensors to monitor animal behavior, and genetic selection.
Soil Health: The study of soil properties and their impact on crop health and productivity. It includes topics such as soil structure, nutrient cycling, and soil biology.
Variable Rate Technology (VRT): VRT refers to the approach of tailoring the use of inputs based on variations in the field. This can include the use of fertilizer, seed, and chemicals.
Remote Sensing: Remote sensing is the use of sensors from afar to gather information about a field. This might include using drones, satellites, or other technology to monitor crop health, soil moisture, or other vital data that can impact crop yield.
Geographic Information Systems (GIS): GIS technology is used to collect, store, and analyze spatial data relating to agriculture. By mapping the landscape, farmers can better understand the characteristics of their fields and optimize crop management practices.
Yield Monitoring: Yield monitoring involves tracking crop yield in near-real time to help farmers make informed decisions about harvesting, crop rotation, and more.
Soil Testing: Soil testing is used to assess soil health and identify areas for improvement. This can help farmers optimize nutrient management, increase crop yields, and improve sustainability.
Automated Steering: Automated steering, or auto-steer, helps tractors and other farm equipment navigate fields accurately and efficiently. This technology can reduce operator error, conserve fuel, and increase productivity.
Crop Scouting: Crop scouting is the process of examining crops to identify potential problems, such as pests or disease. By detecting issues early, farmers can take steps to prevent yield loss and improve plant health.
Weather Forecasting: Weather forecasting can help farmers make informed decisions about planting, irrigation, and other critical activities. By monitoring conditions closely, farmers can optimize crop yields and protect against weather-related disasters.
Precision Irrigation: Precision irrigation involves tailoring water applications to meet the specific needs of crops. This can help farmers conserve water while improving crop yields and mitigating environmental impact.
Variable Seeding: Variable seeding is the process of using different seed rates across fields, based on variations in soil and other factors. This can help improve crop establishment and yield, while reducing the amount of seed used.
"The goal of precision agriculture research is to define a decision support system (DSS) for whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources."
"First conceptual work on PA and practical applications go back to the late 1980s."
"Among these many approaches is a phytogeomorphological approach which ties multi-year crop growth stability/characteristics to topological terrain attributes."
"The interest in the phytogeomorphological approach stems from the fact that the geomorphology component typically dictates the hydrology of the farm field."
"The practice of precision agriculture has been enabled by the advent of GPS and GNSS."
"The farmer's and/or researcher's ability to locate their precise position in a field allows for the creation of maps of the spatial variability of as many variables as can be measured."
"These arrays consist of real-time sensors that measure everything from chlorophyll levels to plant water status, along with multispectral imagery."
"This data is used in conjunction with satellite imagery by variable rate technology (VRT) including seeders, sprayers, etc. to optimally distribute resources."
"Recent technological advances have enabled the use of real-time sensors directly in the soil, which can wirelessly transmit data without the need for human presence."
"Precision agriculture has also been enabled by unmanned aerial vehicles that are relatively inexpensive and can be operated by novice pilots."
"These agricultural drones can be equipped with multispectral or RGB cameras."
"These multispectral images contain multiple values per pixel in addition to the traditional red, green, blue values such as near-infrared and red-edge spectrum values used to process and analyze vegetative indexes such as NDVI maps."
"These drones are capable of capturing imagery and providing additional geographical references such as elevation, which allows software to perform map algebra functions to build precise topography maps."
"These topographic maps can be used to correlate crop health with topography, the results of which can be used to optimize crop inputs such as water, fertilizer, or chemicals such as herbicides and growth regulators through variable rate applications."
"Precision agriculture (PA) is a farming management strategy based on observing, measuring, and responding to temporal and spatial variability to improve agricultural production sustainability."
"The goal of precision agriculture research is to define a decision support system (DSS) for whole farm management with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources."
"The practice of precision agriculture has been enabled by the advent of GPS and GNSS."
"These arrays consist of real-time sensors that measure everything from chlorophyll levels to plant water status, along with multispectral imagery."
"Recent technological advances have enabled the use of real-time sensors directly in the soil, which can wirelessly transmit data without the need for human presence."