Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
and on-the-go corrected site-specifi c farming operations. The results of the sensing
and processing can be stored in georeferenced, site-specifi c fi eld maps. This is
necessary whenever the sensing occurs prior to the respective fi eld operation.
The main problem with this general concept is selecting suitable sensing principles
and appropriate processing methods for its signals. A vast variety of concepts and
alternatives has been developed, investigated and analysed in the past for many
farming operations such as
e.g.
soil cultivation, sowing, fertilizing, crop protection,
irrigation and harvesting. The results of this intensive, scientifi c work have been
published in numerous journals and proceedings of conferences. For those interested
in site-specifi c farming, the results present themselves in a very fragmented way.
This fragmented situation may be the inevitable initial fate of any new fi eld that
is developing in science and application. Nevertheless, this new fi eld does need a
compendium, which facilitates to obtain a fast overview. This topic tries to be such
a compendium about site-specifi c precision farming.
It is well known that the general attitude of the public towards modern farming
techniques differs greatly. Only part of the public views modern farming techniques
in an open-minded and affi rmative manner. There is a substantial part of the public,
which blames high-tech, modern farming for being a burden to the environment and
the society. Especially mineral fertilizers, herbicides, fungicides and insecticides
that are needed for high yields are regarded as contaminants for the environment.
Fortunately, applying agricultural chemicals within single fi elds in a site-specifi c
way allows to reduce the amount needed while still maintaining or even improving the
yields. The effi ciency in the use of farm chemicals thus can be enhanced. In general,
the same can hold for the effi ciency in the input of energy, seeds and water.
In short, this topic intends to show that precision farming can substantially help
to get high yields per unit area as well as a protected environment.
It is not within the scope of this topic to deal with technical details of precision
farming. Due to the abundance of alternatives available, this would be impossible
within one topic. Instead of this, the topic aims at explaining the rationales existing
between agronomical sciences, sensing principles plus its physical, chemical and
biological background as well as fi nally possibilities in agricultural engineering and
farming management. Thus the topic is based on an interdisciplinary approach
within several fi elds of the agricultural sciences and adjacent disciplines.
