Introduction
Precision Agriculture: A Guide to Operations and Technologies in Crop Production integrates key concepts behind the technologies involved in precision agriculture with practical concerns and real-world applications. Recognizing that many potential readers are nonspecialists, this book is designed to be accessible, pragmatic, and concise. Written in layman’s terms, the book systematically starts the reader off by providing an in-depth discussion on all key subjects within precision agriculture, including Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, wireless sensor networks, GPS technology, remote sensing, satellites, unmanned aerial vehicles, ground-based proximal sensing, variable rate application, digital image processing, and geographical information systems, and so forth. These technologies enable farmers to collect and analyze data to optimize resource use, enhance productivity, and improve crop quality. The information in this book is distilled from a variety of sources, including scientific literature, extension publications, trade publications, reader feedback, and industry experts who have generously shared their years of experience. This book also has the added value of numerous citations to more in-depth discussions on many topics. The book is thoughtfully organized in an easy-to-read format, presenting a seamless flow of topics within chapters. This book has removed some of the intuition and guesswork in understanding the subject of precision agriculture, its operations, and technologies. The result is a more consistent product of higher quality, providing practical “real-world” applications. The primary audience includes growers, technical industry representatives, and undergraduate and graduate students in the technical disciplines.
