Precision farming in Asia: Progress and prospects

The growing food demands due to ever-rising human populations forced Asian farmers to adopt resource-intensive and unsustainable practices that increased both economic and environmental costs. Asian farming systems, therefore, present both obstacles and opportunities for adoption of precision agriculture. This paper discusses the current status of Asian agriculture and various constraints to adoption of precision farming. The situations in which precision farming may be the most rewarding and offer the greatest environmental benefits are highlighted. The technical, management, and social issues, and implications for adoption of precision technologies by small farmers, including the role of the private sector and agricultural associations are discussed. It is concluded that many precision technologies are pertinent for application in even small farms, and that favorable policy support by governments would encourage further adoption.