Author
 |
BARNES, EDWARD |
|
Submitted to: International Symposium on Precision Agriculture
Publication Type: Proceedings Publication Acceptance Date: 10/22/1997 Publication Date: N/A Citation: N/A Interpretive Summary: Historically, many farm management decisions have been made based on average conditions in a field. Recent advances in technology now provide new tools to vary the rate of agricultural inputs according to plant needs and soil type at a very fine scale (as small as 1 m). Management practices utilizing this technology are often referred to as precision or site-specific farming. Precision farming provides more efficient use of resources while minimizing potential environmental damage resulting from misuse of agricultural chemicals. This study provides information on how remote sensing methods can be used to meet many of the information requirements in precision farming. For example, combined with traditional sampling procedures, remotely sensed data can decrease the time and cost associated with obtaining the data needed to manage a field on a meter by meter basis. Further development of these methods will provide agricultural producers with a greater ability to practice precision farming. Technical Abstract: Historically, there has been limited adoption of remote sensing technology for farm management; however, precision farming practices now provide the tools needed to apply information that can be extracted from multi-spectral data. Remotely sensed data can be used as an aid in mapping soil properties, canopy density, evapotranspiration, crop nitrogen status and some pest infestations. Combined with crop models and decision support systems, remote sensing will be able to provide even more powerful tools to determine precision crop management approaches. |
