Precision agriculture: new developments and needs in remote sensing and technologies

Abstract

Precision agriculture, a holistic approach to micro-manage agricultural landscapes based on information, knowledge, and new technologies, will accelerate the application of remote sensing techniques to agricultural management. In recent years there has been a wealth of new research developments, particularly based on ground platforms, but also on airborne and spatial platforms. The paper provides a summary of applications by platform. Presently, utilizations by producers are still rare but, in the past few years, several new programs have been offered for nutrient management, particularly nitrogen, crop status monitoring, and irrigation management. There are specific and unique technical and managerial barriers and requirements for the application of remote sensing to soil and crop management. The four principal requirements relate to: spatial resolution, timeliness, coverage frequency, and imagery management infrastructure. Through precision agriculture, specialists trained in imagery analysis, efficient infrastructure for the transfer and management of imagery, better sensor systems, all needed to successfully use remote sensing for agricultural management, will become progressively available. Potential applications of remote sensing to precision agriculture include various aspects of soil monitoring, crop condition monitoring and management, and machinery performance evaluation. This will bring a more profitable and sustainable agriculture where optimal agricultural production is made while protecting environmental quality.