Information and Communications Technology in Agriculture

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the employment of information and communications technology (ICT) for precision agriculture has rapidly gathered pace throughout the world. The advantages of such an approach can be seen through more informed decision making, improved farming efficiency, better quality of harvests and greater crop yields. Such advances in farming techniques can be attributed to the growth in the capabilities of enabling technologies and the interpretation of the data that they provide.

There are now numerous ways in which ICT can be applied for precision agriculture. Wireless sensors can be used to give information on the quality of soil, and the level of hydration, while 5G and the Internet of things provide the ability to communicate with low-power, in situ devices to retrieve data and communicate this information for analysis. The data retrieved from wireless sensors can be interpreted using artificial intelligence techniques to determine the health and quality of plants and crops, while unmanned aerial vehicles and earth observation satellites can provide detailed geographical imagery to allow for optimum use of the land for planting and harvesting crops. These are just some examples of how innovation in the use of ICT is influencing agricultural practice.

This Special Issue is focused on showcasing original research on the employment of information and communications technology for precision agriculture. Contributions could include but are not limited to:

• The use of 5G and the Internet of things for precision agriculture.
• The interpretation of data on crops using artificial intelligence techniques and other means of data analysis.
• The application of high-resolution satellite earth observation imagery for management of the land.
• The deployment of wireless sensor technology for more efficient farming practice.
• The employment of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or drone technology for monitoring crops.
• Case studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of ICT on precision agriculture in practical situations.

Prof. Ray E. Sheriff
Prof. Linbo Qing
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.