Precision agriculture for sustainability

Part 1 Information gathering and processing
1.Proximal crop sensing: Richard B. Ferguson, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, USA;
2.Proximal soil surveying and monitoring techniques: R. Gebbers, Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Engineering and Bioeconomy (ATB), Germany;
3.Airborne and satellite remote sensors for precision agriculture: Chenghai Yang, USDA-ARS, USA;
4.The use of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) in precision agriculture: Chunhua Zhang, Algoma University, Canada; and John M. Kovacs and Dan Walters, Nipissing University, Canada;
5.Key challenges and methods in identifying management zones: Spyros Fountas, Evangelos Anastasiou and Zisis Tsiropoulos, Agricultural University of Athens, Greece; Aristotelis Tagarakis, BioSense Institute - Research Institute for Information Technologies in Biosystems, Serbia; and Athanasios Balafoutis, Centre for Research and Technology Hellas, Institute of Bioeconomy & Agro-technology, Greece;
6.Modelling and decision support systems in precision agriculture: Nicolas Tremblay, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Canada;

Part 2 Delivery systems
7.Variable-rate application technologies in precision agriculture: Ken Sudduth, USDA-ARS, USA; Aaron J. Franzen, South Dakota State University, USA; and Heping Zhu and Scott T. Drummond, USDA-ARS, USA;
8.Spray technologies in precision agriculture: Paul Miller, Silsoe Spray Applications Unit Ltd, UK;
9.Intelligent machinery for precision agriculture: Qin Zhang, Washington State University, USA; Joseph Dvorak, University of Kentucky, USA; and Timo Oksanen, Aalto University, Finland;
10.Controlled traffic farming in precision agriculture: Diogenes L. Antille, National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture, University of Southern Queensland, Australia; Tim Chamen, Controlled Traffic Farming Europe Ltd, UK; Jeff N. Tullberg, National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture, University of Southern Queensland, Australia; Bindi Isbister, Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, Agriculture and Food, Australia; Troy A. Jensen, Guangnan Chen and Craig P. Baillie, National Centre for Engineering in Agriculture, University of Southern Queensland, Australia; and John K. Schueller, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida-Gainesville, USA;

Part 3 Applications
11.Precision tillage systems: Pedro Andrade-Sanchez, University of Arizona, USA; and Shrinivasa K. Upadhyaya, University of California-Davis, USA;
12.Variable-rate seeding systems for precision agriculture: John Fulton, The Ohio State University, USA;
13.Site-specific nutrient management systems: Dan S. Long, USDA-ARS, USA;
14.Site-specific irrigation systems: Amir Haghverdi, University of California-Riverside, USA; and Brian G. Leib, University of Tennessee-Knoxville, USA;
15.Precision crop protection systems: E. C. Oerke, University of Bonn, Germany;
16.Precision weed management systems: Roland Gerhards, University of Hohenheim, Germany;
17.Precision livestock farming and pasture management systems: Mark Trotter, Central Queensland University Institute for Future Farming Systems, Australia;
18.The economics of precision agriculture: James Lowenberg-DeBoer, Harper Adams University, UK;

"Congratulations to the authors for putting together a comprehensive collection of key themes in precision agriculture. When appropriately augmented with local material, specific to the country/production system of relevance, this text is a very valuable, foundational learning tool. First principles can only go so far. In a rapidly evolving sector, a survey of the latest developments in these key areas is a must for students, teachers and researchers alike."
Dr. B.A. Stewart, Director Dryland Agriculture Institute and Distinguished Professor of Agriculture, West Texas A&M University, USA