Precision Agriculture: Enabling Technologies

Description

The growing world population is constantly driving the food demand up. Coupled with the ongoing environmental concern farmers are required to be more precise in food production in order to increase food production and at the same time be environmentally sustainable. This book looks at the various technologies that help farmers gradually achieve precision agriculture (PA). The book discusses technologies that help observe measure and compute variabilities in production in order to achieve accuracy in operations. The book also looks at the importance of PA in quality assurance of activity and processes along the value chain by ensuring transparency among value chain players and ensuring compliance with good agricultural practices (GAPs). This book will help the audience understand the principles of PA in crop and animal production and also help them gradually adopt PA practices in production based on their level. Cover Title Page Copyright ABOUT THE AUTHOR TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures List of Tables List of Abbreviations Acknowledgment Preface Chapter 1 Introduction to Precision Agriculture Overview PA History Defining Precision Agriculture PA Misconceptions Variability and the Production System Objectives of SSCM Need for Precision Farming Some Drivers for PA Opportunities in Precision Farming Issues Confronting Precision Farming Chapter 2 Technologies in Precision Agriculture Overview Global Positioning System (GPS) Receivers Geographic Information Systems Remote Sensing Mobile Devices and Precision Agriculture Internet of Things (IOT) in Precision Agriculture Robotics and PA Chapter 3 Variable-Rate Application Overview Variable-Rate Application Methods Basic VRA Concepts Seeding VRA Weed Control VRA New and Developing Vra Systems Other Useful Devices Sensor-Based Devices Lime VRA Fertilizer VRA VRA-N Critique Current VRA-N Strategies VRA-N Considerations for the Future On-The-Go Crop Sensing for VRA-N Economic Comparison of VRA Research Findings Chapter 4 Application of Technology in PA Overview Farm Management Crop Management Machinery Management Labor Management PA Future Requirements Chapter 5 Precision Livestock Farming (PLF) Overview PLF in Dairy PLF in Pig Farming PLF in Poultry Farming Merits and Demerits of PLF Animal Welfare and Other Ethical Implications of PLF Chapter 6 Precision Agriculture and Quality Practices Overview Food Safety Schemes PA and Gaps PA and Traceability Model-Based Statistical Process Control In Summary References Index Back Cover