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Precision Agroecology

Author

Listed:
  • Hannah Duff

    (Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA)

  • Paul B. Hegedus

    (Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA)

  • Sasha Loewen

    (Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA)

  • Thomas Bass

    (Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA)

  • Bruce D. Maxwell

    (Department of Land Resources and Environmental Sciences, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, USA)

Abstract

In response to global calls for sustainable food production, we identify two diverging paradigms to address the future of agriculture. We explore the possibility of uniting these two seemingly diverging paradigms of production-oriented and ecologically oriented agriculture in the form of precision agroecology . Merging precision agriculture technology and agroecological principles offers a unique array of solutions driven by data collection, experimentation, and decision support tools. We show how the synthesis of precision technology and agroecological principles results in a new agriculture that can be transformative by (1) reducing inputs with optimized prescriptions, (2) substituting sustainable inputs by using site-specific variable rate technology, (3) incorporating beneficial biodiversity into agroecosystems with precision conservation technology, (4) reconnecting producers and consumers through value-based food chains, and (5) building a just and equitable global food system informed by data-driven food policy. As a result, precision agroecology provides a unique opportunity to synthesize traditional knowledge and novel technology to transform food systems. In doing so, precision agroecology can offer solutions to agriculture’s biggest challenges in achieving sustainability in a major state of global change.

Suggested Citation

  • Hannah Duff & Paul B. Hegedus & Sasha Loewen & Thomas Bass & Bruce D. Maxwell, 2021. "Precision Agroecology," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 14(1), pages 1-18, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:14:y:2021:i:1:p:106-:d:709240
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    Cited by:

    1. Timpanaro,Giuseppe & Cascone,Giulio & Foti, Vera Teresa, 2025. "Enabling technologies in citrus farming: A living lab approach to agroecology and sustainable water resource management," Bio-based and Applied Economics Journal, Italian Association of Agricultural and Applied Economics (AIEAA), vol. 14(4).

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