News - 09/02/2015
A future for the European precision farming?
The Joint Research Center of the European Commission (Ispra, IT) has recently published a report on the contribution that precision agriculture can offer to the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Precision farming makes extensive use of GPS technology, web and Earth Observation systems (satellite, aircraft, UAVs) aiming at a more careful coltural management focused on real cropping needs and on ground biochemical and physical peculiarities.
The recent JRC study, after reviewing terms and goals of the precision agriculture, gives that system a key role in the resolution of some crucial points such as the growing food demand and the sustainable use of environmental natural resources. The report also identifies some critical issues that would limit the widespread adoption of these useful technologies, starting from the size and the enormous diversity of European farms and structures.
To address this kind of problems, the publication recommends the implementation of information campaigns among farmers and the adoption of appropriate tools to support them and agri-consultants in their decisions taking processes.
You cand find here the whole article and the related report on European precision farming 2014-2020.
