Precision Pest Management

Abstract

Pests associated with agricultural production include weeds, insects, and diseases. Most problems faced in agriculture because of pesticide use have to do mainly with groundwater and surface water quality. It is documented that a degree of spatial variation exists in weed distribution. This is mainly because of organic matter, soil texture, landscape position, and the interaction of these factors with crop management crop cultivars, tillage planting density, cultivation, and herbicide application methods. Precision agriculture provides an enabling set of technologies to help reduce potential environmental problems from pest management. The technologies include field maps of weed distribution throughout the year, detection methods for weeds within a field, application methods to apply herbicides only on selected area, and the indications of the effects of weed population on crop yields with data from yield monitors on combines. Each of these technologies allow for the adoption of precision agriculture to weed management. Insects and diseases can be treated similar to weeds using the same principle. The chapter gives details of precision pest and weed management in agriculture. Different principles and practices associated with the precise management of pests and weeds have been discussed.