Fundamentals of Precision Agriculture

Abstract

Precision agriculture or precision farming is the targeted application of crop input according to the locally determined crop needs. Therefore, it is the geo-referenced application of crop inputs, whose rates should be those required by the crop. The most essential points of information about the topic being described are: overview; brief history of precision agriculture; theoretical basics of precision agriculture; precision agriculture cycle; geo-referenced measurement of within-field parameters; analysis and interpretation of geo-referenced data for mapping within-field parameters; spatially variable rate application of crop inputs; instruments for precision agriculture; current scenario of precision agriculture; current scenario of precision viticulture; Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) and differential correction technique; proximal sensors of within-field soil and crop parameters; remote sensing from Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and satellites; devices for setting up and controlling spatially variable rate crop input application; assisted guidance systems of agricultural machines; perspectives of precision agriculture.