Precision Agriculture in Field Horticulture: The Potential for Agri-technology to Facilitate Innovation and Promote Value in Outdoor Fruit and Vegetable Production

This book provides an authoritative summary of the role that precision agriculture plays in the production of field horticultural crops. It also shows how science and engineering redefine the place of precision agriculture in our fields, orchards and vineyards. The book provides an overview of the current state of the art, case studies of real-life applications of agri-technology in horticulture, and evidence-based perspectives on likely future developments. It addresses the challenges, limitations and potential of precision farming technologies in the production, harvesting and post-harvest sorting of a range of annual and perennial horticultural crops. The provision of fresh produce presents unique challenges and opportunities amenable to the application of agri-technology to address issues ranging from high labour costs through to food safety and traceability. Indeed, the possibilities presented by automation are catalyzing the complete redesign of some field horticultural production systems.