Precision agriculture: Crop management for improved productivity and reduced environmental impact or improved sustainability

Abstract

This chapter gives an account on the application of precision agriculture (PA) over the last 25 years, on the methods used, the results obtained, the adoption of the technology and the effects to crop management, to the environment and the sustainability of agricultural systems. Yield spatial distribution data, soil data, remote sensing data, data collected by crop scouting, as well as weather data can be collected for every field at site-specific level to assist the farm manager in crop management. In agriculture, decision support system refers to the decision taken by the farmer for the management of the farm. Farmers expect new technologies to be proven and robust, cost-effective, and when new equipment is employed for it, to be reliable and well supported for servicing and repair. New sensors that detect irregular reaction of the crops or the soil will improve productivity and profitability, and reduce effects on the environment. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. All rights reserved.