ABSTRACT
When spectral imaging information is requested on a regular temporal basis for large-scale areas, remote sensing is often applied in many areas of agriculture. Nowadays, many of the classical remote-sensing tools are also available for small-scale farming, site-specific acquisition of information, and applications in daily practice. There is a great potential for organic and sustainable land-use practices to increase information availability in everyday farming using proximal- and remote-sensing technologies. Spectral imaging and non-imaging sensors are powerful bio- and geochemical data acquisition tools with a crucial role in the early detection of crop management risk factors, such as soil nutrition supply, pests and diseases, and in the prevention or minimization of field-scale chemical treatments. Field spectroscopy, optical sensors, spectral cameras, and hyperspectral satellites are considered to better understand the biophysical and biochemical properties and reactions of cultivated plants in organic farming and agroecology. The real benefit of proximal and remote sensing is the capability to characterize spatial or field variability that cannot be parameterized more effectively by any other way. High-resolution spectral sensing provides the opportunity for both research and industry to develop novel approaches and technologies for putting prevention-oriented and site-specific farming into practice.
