Sensing technologies for precision specialty crop production

With the advances in electronic and information technologies, various sensing systems have been developed for specialty crop production around the world. Accurate information concerning the spatial variability within fields is very important for precision farming of specialty crops. However, this variability is affected by a variety of factors, including crop yield, soil properties and nutrients, crop nutrients, crop canopy volume and biomass, water content, and pest conditions (disease, weeds, and insects). These factors can be measured using diverse types of sensors and instruments such as field-based electronic sensors, spectroradiometers, machine vision, airborne multispectral and hyperspectral remote sensing, satellite imagery, thermal imaging, RFID, and machine olfaction system, among others. Sensing techniques for crop biomass detection, weed detection, soil properties and nutrients are most advanced and can provide the data required for site specific management. On the other hand, sensing techniques for diseases detection and characterization, as well as crop water status, are based on more complex interaction between plant and sensor, making them more difficult to implement in the field scale and more complex to interpret. This paper presents a review of these sensing technologies and discusses how they are used for precision agriculture and crop management, especially for specialty crops. Some of the challenges and considerations on the use of these sensors and technologies for specialty crop production are also discussed.     

精准农业关键技术及其发展前景

基于精准农业的本质和核心,对精准农业实施过程中的关键技术进行了介绍。主要从农田信息获取的传感器技术、“3S”空间技术、开展农田信息空间变异研究的地统计学技术、智能化变量投入技术和多种技术的集成研究等方面阐述了精准农业研究的现状,探讨了精准农业技术的发展前景。     

Long-term impact of a precision agriculture system on grain crop production

Research is lacking on the long-term impacts of field-scale precision agriculture practices on grain production. Following more than a decade (1993–2003) of yield and soil mapping and water quality assessment, a multi-faceted, ‘precision agriculture system’ (PAS) was implemented from 2004 to 2014 on a 36-ha field in central Missouri. The PAS targeted management practices that address crop production and environmental issues. It included no-till, cover crops, growing winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) instead of corn (Zea mays L.) for field areas where corn was not profitable, site-specific N for wheat and corn using canopy reflectance sensing, variable-rate P, K and lime using intensively grid-sampled data, and targeting of herbicides based on weed pressure. The PAS assessment was accomplished by comparing it to the previous decade of conventional, whole-field corn-soybean (Glycine max L.) mulch-tillage management. In the northern part of the field and compared to pre-PAS corn, relative grain yield of wheat in PAS was greatly improved and temporal yield variation was reduced on shallow topsoil, but relative grain yield was reduced on deep soil in the drainage channel. In the southern part of the field where corn remained in production, PAS did not lead to increased yield, but temporal yield variation was reduced. Across the whole field, soybean yield and temporal yield variation were only marginally influenced by PAS. Spatial yield variation of all three crops was not altered by PAS. Therefore, the greatest production advantage of a decade of precision agriculture was reduced temporal yield variation, which leads to greater yield stability and resilience to changing climate.     

Status quo of adoption of precision agriculture enabling technologies in Swiss plant production

Precision Agriculture - This paper presents the state of application of Precision Agricultural enabling Technology (PAT) in Swiss farms as an example for small-scale, highly mechanised Central...     

Statistical and machine learning methods for crop yield prediction in the context of precision agriculture

Precision Agriculture - It is of critical importance to understand the relationships between crop yield, soil properties and topographic characteristics for agricultural management. This...     

Determinants of adoption and adoption intensity of precision agriculture technologies: evidence from South Dakota

Precision Agriculture - Precision agriculture technologies (PATs) are promoted as part of both economically efficient and environmentally sustainable agriculture practices. Available PATs are...     

精准农业探讨

本文简要介绍了精准农业的由来和技术体系，提出了发展精准农业的对策措施。     

精细农业的研究进展

从农业资源的利用现状出发,论述了精细农业的技术体系和支撑技术体系,分析了精细农业的研究现状及其发展趋势．     

The adoption of precision agriculture enabling technologies in Swiss outdoor vegetable production: a Delphi study

Precision Agriculture - Digital technologies are a promising means to tackle the increasing global challenges (e.g., climate change, water pollution, soil degradation) and revolutionising...     

发展现代农业培养新型农民

社会物质财富的走向总是向着知识经济的方向发展。经济的发展,源于技术的发展,而技术的发展源于知识的进步与更新。农民作为经济的主体,孕育着巨大的财富,启动这一财富的源动力就是要提高农民的素质。提高农民整体素质,是发展农村经济,增加农民收入,实现农业和农村现代化,从根本上解决我国农业、农村和农民问题的基础。     

加大对农业和农民的保护力度--美国农业发展引发的思考

农业补贴是世界通行的做法。笔者通过对美国农业补贴政策的分析，认为入世后的中国农业政策必须加大对农业、农民的补贴支持力度，这不仅必要，而且非常紧迫。笔者提出了中国农业保护政策的基本原则以及具体操作建议，即：加大并稳定中央财政对农业、农民的扶持力度，逐步减免农业税费，减少国家对农产品流通环节的补贴，以粮食生产环节为补贴主体等四条建议。     

传感器在精准农业中的应用

加快我国精准农业发展速度,拓宽其普及应用范围,发展高效、稳定、价格低廉的传感器至关重要。介绍 了生物传感器、电子舌、电子鼻、机器视觉等新型传感器的基本原理及其在农业领域的应用现状,并探讨了在农副产 品生产、加工、储运和流通的各个环节对传感器的不同需求,同时对农情监控传感器的发展方向进行展望。     

挖掘农业内部潜力提升农民收入水平

本文论述了立足于农业内部的发展,充分挖掘农业内部潜力,促进农业增效和农民增收的思路。     

中国农业的发展与精确农业技术体系

介绍了精确农业技术体系的基本内容，论述了我国作为农业大国研究和发展精确农业高新技术的必要性；讨论了我国发展精确农业应注意的几个问题及开发推广精确农业技术的对策。     

精确农业中的定位养分管理

本文介绍了精确农业中定位养分管理的实施与应用状况,包括土壤信息的获取及管理等。提出根据国内各地具体情况,研究适合当地经济发展及农业生产水平的养分管理技术,逐步形成一种相对简单但效果明显的精确农业方式。     

农民专业合作社与农业产业化经营

论述了农民专业合作社与农业产业化经营的关系,分析了农民专业合作社参与农业产业化经营的基本形式与发展方向,提出了现阶段农民专业合作社参与农业产业化经营的现实选择：做大做强农民专业合作社,力争与龙头企业结为较为平等的生产与贸易伙伴。     

试析精细农业与计算机农业

我国农业正经历新的变革，向着现代化迈进，其核心就是以经济效益为中心、资源开发为基础、市场开拓为导向，实行农业产业化经营，发展农业和农村经济。 因此，为产供销、种养加、贸工农、农科教一体化经营服务的农业产前、产中、产后各个环节，应以发展农业和农村经济的主导产业和主导产品为目标。 当前，以计算机为核心的人工智能技术、网络技术、机器人技术、全球卫星定位系统（GPS）、3S应用技术、农业情报信息系统、农业远程教育、数字农业、农产品拍卖市场等，正影响和改变着农业和农村的面貌，并在农业生产、加工、包装、贮运、销…     

Innovation mechanisms in German precision farming

In the precision farming (PF) literature on innovation activities, it becomes apparent that only individual aspects of the entire PF innovation process chain are considered, namely, the knowledge transfer and the adoption of PF applications. Therefore, this study seeks to analyze the innovation mechanisms in the entire PF innovation process chain. The paper identifies potentials, barriers and challenges for PF innovations in Germany and the respective agricultural subsector plant production. An in-depth understanding of innovation mechanisms is required to enhance innovation capabilities, overcome obstacles and bring further innovations to the agricultural field. A mix of qualitative and quantitative methods was applied—including interviews, an expert workshop and a Delphi survey—to explore innovation mechanisms and the role of heterogeneous actors. The research is based on the analytical framework of the sectoral innovation system approach. Key results are the identification of barriers in the later stages of the innovation processes (including validation, serial production and adoption), a gap in the knowledge transfer between science and practice, insufficient communication and co-operation between actors and the important influence of political and legal conditions. Furthermore, this study showed that farmers play an important role in the generation of innovations. For example, farmers are not only adopters or demanders but also impulse providers or co-developers. In conclusion, this study moves the PF innovation debate forward not only by providing adoption facts but also by presenting explanations for the complex interactions between actors throughout the innovation process chain.