Abstract:
This research introduces an integrated approach for the ex-ante analysis of technology innovations in agriculture, like unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), to foster the envisaged sustainable transformation in farming operations. The strategic foresight process of global institutions recognizes the beneficial role of β€_x009c_digital twinsβ€_x009d_ in agriculture for ensuring natural resources’ stewardship and farmers’ livelihood. However, farmers often encounter ambiguities in comprehending the operationalization of digital technologies in agricultural fields as the related scientific and experimental evidence myopically focus on theΒ technical specifications of the respective machinery. Indicatively, the adoption of UAVs for informing decisions related to precision irrigation is often overlooked, while the pertinent literature is sparse and dispersed. This research facilitates the adoption of UAVs for freshwater stewardship in farming operations by: (i) identifying and summarizing advantages and disadvantages related to the utilization of UAVs (commonly known as drones) in agriculture; and (ii) examining β€_x009c_digital twinsβ€_x009d_ in agriculture by proposing a cyber-physical analysis approach for UAVs supporting precision irrigation activities. Specifically, this research develops an emulation model that helps interrogate a UAV’s operational aspects with regard to monitoring water stress levels in an orchard and then implements equivalent real-world intelligent aerial systems for the autonomous identification of the water status of plants to inform precision irrigation operations in an agricultural field. Β© 2021, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
