Precision farming in horticultural crops

Abstract

An all-inclusive information-based agricultural management system, precision farming aims to detect, evaluate, and control field variability for maximum profitability, sustainability, and land resource protection. In essence, it refers to applying the appropriate quantity of treatment in the appropriate field at the appropriate time and place. The efficient use of resources through location-specific high-tech interventions, such as fertigation, protected/greenhouse cultivation, mulching for drip irrigation, micropropagation, high-density planting, and in-situ moisture conservation soil and leaf nutrient-based fertiliser management, is necessary for precision farming. By emphasising crop management with technologies like GIS, GPS, and remote sensing (RS) in conjunction with ground equipment like variable rate applicators (VRA), yield monitors, and computers with the right software, precision farming combines environmental health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity. In order to restructure the entire agricultural system towards a low-input, high-efficiency, and sustainable agriculture, precision agriculture is conceptualised using a system approach. Given the strain caused by population growth and unpredictable climate change, greater focus on the advancement of technology-driven horticulture precision farming is being examined as a potential solution.