Precision in Crop Farming [electronic resource] : Site Specific Concepts and Sensing Methods: Applications and Results / edited by Hermann J. Heege.

1 Introduction -- 2 Heterogeneity in Fields: Basics of Analyses -- 3 Sensing by Electromagnetic Radiation -- 4 Precision in Guidance of Farm Machinery -- 5 Sensing of Natural Soil Properties -- 6 Sensing of Crop Properties -- 7 Site-Specific Soil Cultivation -- 8 Site-Specific Sowing -- 9 Site-Specific Fertilizing -- 10 Site-Specific Weed Control -- 11 Site-Specific Sensing for Fungicide Spraying -- 12 Site-Specific Recording of Yields -- 13 Fusions, Overlays and Management Zones -- 14 Summary and Perspectives -- Index.

High yields and environmental control in crop farming call for precise adaptations to local growing conditions. Treating large fields in a uniform way by high capacity machinery cannot be regarded as a sustainable method for many situations. Because differences existing within single fields must be considered. The transition from former field work carried out manually or by small implements to present day high capacity machinery caused that the farmers lost the immediate and close contact with soils and crops.  However, modern sensing and controlling technology can make up for this deficit.  High tech methods that include proximal sensing and signals from satellites can provide for controls that allow adjusting farming operations to small fractions of one ha and sometimes even down to some m2, hence in a site-specific mode. This applies to operations for soil cultivation, sowing, fertilizing and plant protection. This book deals with concepts, applications and results, and has an interdisciplinary approach that pervades all chapters.