Skip to main content
ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #344497
Title: Public–private collaboration toward research, education and innovation opportunities in precision agriculture

Author
item YOST, MATT - Utah State University
item Sudduth, Kenneth - Ken
item Walthall, Charles
item Kitchen, Newell

Submitted to: Precision Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/18/2018
Publication Date: 2/1/2019
Citation: Yost, M.A., Sudduth, K.A., Walthall, C.L., Kitchen, N.R. 2019. Public–private collaboration toward research, education and innovation opportunities in precision agriculture. Precision Agriculture. 20:4-18. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-018-9583-4.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11119-018-9583-4

Interpretive Summary: Regular assessment of precision agriculture (PA) knowledge gaps and opportunities, of PA’s relationship to management decisions and sustainable agriculture, and of the roles of various research and educational institutions helps advance the development, use and adoption of this science. It also helps to limit redundancy in a science that rapidly evolves. Such assessments were conducted by a group of international scientists in a 2016 roundtable discussion. This article synthesizes those discussions and presents international perspectives on developing coordinated, useable decision-support systems from PA to meet sustainability goals. It concludes with milestones needed to advance PA research and development. Results will guide both public and private researchers and other stakeholders seeking to develop PA to help meet national and global sustainability goals for agriculture.

Technical Abstract: Regular assessment of precision agriculture (PA) knowledge gaps and opportunities, of PA’s relationship to management decisions and sustainable agriculture, and of the roles of various research and educational institutions helps advance the development, use and adoption of this science. It also helps to limit redundancy in a science that rapidly evolves. Such assessments were conducted by 32 international public-sector and industry scientists, administrators and stakeholders from Brazil, Canada, Germany, Israel, New Zealand, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States in a 2016 roundtable discussion. This article synthesizes those discussions and presents international perspectives on developing coordinated, useable decision-support systems (DSS) from PA to meet sustainability goals. It concludes with milestones needed to advance PA research and development. Results will guide both public and private researchers and other stakeholders seeking to develop PA to help meet national and global sustainability goals for agriculture. These efforts will also act as a catalyst for regular discussions on PA research, education, and development opportunities and coordination between public and private institutions in an international forum on PA. Expected impacts include global action to help bring PA techniques and technologies into the mainstream of farming systems and acceleration of Genotype x Environment x Management x Socioeconomic (G × E × M × S) efforts to sustainably intensify agriculture.