Precision agriculture is a rapidly evolving field that addresses the pressing need for more efficient and sustainable agricultural practices. As the global population continues to rise, so does the requirement for food production, putting immense pressure on agricultural systems. Traditional methods of crop protection, particularly in the use of pesticides and herbicides, often involve uniform applications across fields without considering the spatial and temporal variability in plant responses. This can lead to inefficiencies such as overuse of inputs, crop loss, and negative environmental impacts. Recent advancements in precision agricultural technologies, including remote sensing, unmanned aircraft systems, robotic ground vehicles, and advanced sensor technologies, present new opportunities for improved monitoring of crop health and management of agrochemical applications. However, challenges remain in fully realizing the potential of these technologies to tailor pesticide and herbicide applications to plant-specific needs and conditions.

This Research Topic aims to refine our understanding of crop responses to pesticide and herbicide applications using cutting-edge precision agriculture technologies. By synthesizing insights from the domains of plant protection and digital agriculture, the Topic seeks to accelerate the creation and deployment of innovative solutions tailored for monitoring and managing treated crops. It focuses on strategies such as using satellite-based imagery, drones, robotic platforms, in-field sensors, and artificial intelligence for enhancing decision-making and management systems. These approaches promise to optimize input use, minimize environmental harm, and boost crop productivity, thus promoting a more sustainable and integrated approach to agriculture.

The scope of this Research Topic encompasses the development and application of precision and digital agriculture technologies for improving the monitoring and management of crop responses to pesticides and herbicides in diverse agricultural settings. It invites articles that explore novel methodologies in plant protection, plant science, agricultural engineering, robotics, remote sensing, and data analytics. We seek contributions on themes such as:

• Satellite and UAS-based assessment of pesticide/herbicide impacts
• Spraying drones, ground robots, and autonomous platforms for precision applications
• Smart sprayers and variable-rate application systems
• Artificial intelligence for crop stress detection, identification, and modeling
• Sensor integration and data fusion for real-time decision support
• Evaluation or modeling of physiological or phenotypic responses to crop protection treatments

We encourage contributions in the form of original research, reviews, and methods to advance the new era of precision agriculture led by intelligent monitoring and management of pesticide and herbicide use.

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Advanced Technologies in Precision Agriculture for Optimizing Crop Interactions with Pesticides and Herbicides

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