Abstract:
Opportunities exist for adoption of precision agriculture technologies in all parts of the
world. The form of precision agriculture may vary from region to region depending on technologies
available, knowledge levels and mindsets. The current review examined research articles in the
English language on precision agriculture practices for increased productivity among smallholder
farmers in Sub-Saharan Africa. A total of 7715 articles were retrieved and after screening 128
were reviewed. The results indicate that a number of precision agriculture technologies have been
tested under SSA conditions and show promising results. The most promising precision agriculture
technologies identified were the use of soil and plant sensors for nutrient and water management, as
well as use of satellite imagery, GIS and crop-soil simulation models for site-specific management.
These technologies have been shown to be crucial in attainment of appropriate management strategies
in terms of efficiency and effectiveness of resource use in SSA. These technologies are important in
supporting sustainable agricultural development. Most of these technologies are, however, at the
experimental stage, with only South Africa having applied them mainly in large-scale commercial
farms. It is concluded that increased precision in input and management practices among SSA
smallholder farmers can significantly improve productivity even without extra use of inputs.
