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Precision Agriculture and and crop conditions, combined with the advent of
technologies such as global navigation satellite
systems (GNSSs), geographic information sys-
Food Security tems (GISs), and microcomputers, serve as the
main drivers (1, 2). Initially, precision agriculture
was used to adapt fertilizer distribution to varying
Robin Gebbers1* and Viacheslav I. Adamchuk2 soil conditions across an agricultural field. Since
then, additional practices have evolved, such as
Precision agriculture comprises a set of technologies that combines sensors, information automatic guidance of agricultural vehicles and
systems, enhanced machinery, and informed management to optimize production by accounting implements, autonomous machinery and pro-
for variability and uncertainties within agricultural systems. Adapting production inputs cesses, product traceability, on-farm research, and
site-specifically within a field and individually for each animal allows better use of resources to software for the overall management of agricul-
maintain the quality of the environment while improving the sustainability of the food supply. tural production systems.
Precision agriculture provides a means to monitor the food production chain and manage both Apart from field crop production, precision
the quantity and quality of agricultural produce. agriculture technologies have been applied suc-
cessfully in viticulture and horticulture, includ-
ing orchards, and in livestock production, as
o secure food supplies for the future ronmentally safe production, and the sustain- well as pasture and turf management. Applica-
T
1
requires adequate quantities and quality
of agricultural produce, intensive yet envi-
ability of the resources involved. In addition, the
ability to track food materials from production
through processing, storage, and retail provides
tions range from the tea industry in Tanzania
and Sri Lanka to the production of sugar cane in
Brazil; rice in China, India, and Japan; and
Department of Agricultural Engineering, Leibniz-Institute for added capability to respond to changing market cereals and sugar beets in Argentina, Australia,
Agricultural Engineering (ATB), Max-Eyth-Allee 100, D-14469 conditions, ensure proper food nutrition and safe- Europe, and the United States (4). Despite dif-
Potsdam, Germany. 2Biological Systems Engineering Depart-
ment, University of Nebraska–Lincoln, 203 Chase Hall, ty, and affect national and international policies ferences in the types of technology and the areas
Lincoln, NE 68583–0726, USA. related to food security. of adoption, the goals of precision agriculture
*To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: Precision agriculture, or information-based are threefold. First, to optimize the use of avail-
rgebbers@atb-potsdam.de management of agricultural production systems, able resources to increase the profitability and