Precision agriculture has become one of the top ten technologies that will impact human production and life in the 21^st century. The practical application and rapid development of precision agriculture will play a positive role in fully tapping into the potential of farmland production, rational use of agricultural resources, reducing agricultural inputs, strengthening agricultural operational efficiency, and optimizing the agricultural systems, thereby improving crop yield and quality. Therefore, providing more knowledges about the precision agriculture are required around the worldwide.

The Chinese version of 《Introduction to Precision Agriculture》 is a nationally recognized high-quality course authorized by Chinese Ministry of Education. In 2022, it was selected as one of the first premium courses for international students in Shanxi Province and founded by Shanxi Provincial Department of Education. Then, based on years of research and teaching experience, the smart agriculture team of Shanxi Agricultural University, developed the course 《Introduction to Precision Agriculture》in English. This course aims to provide educational resources on smart agriculture for students both domestically and internationally, enhance the understanding and application of precision agriculture, cultivate professionals in the field, showcase China's achievements in smart agriculture, and support the development of this sector.

The comprises of nine chapters that will systematically and comprehensively introduce you to the basic concepts, principles, methods, and applications in precision agriculture. It mainly covers an overview of precision agriculture; key technologies; farmland information collection; remote sensing; Beidou satellite navigation system; geographic information system; big data and algorithms in agriculture; decision support systems; and intelligent farming machinery and equipment. It will enable students to understand the background, developments, basic theory, and technological systems of precision agriculture to implement precise farming philosophy and techniques in future farm management practices. We also provide some questions and critical discussions after each chapter to improve the understanding and inspire the thinking for students.

We firmly believe that when you finish the study, you will have a deeper understanding of precision agriculture and you may determine to contribute to global agricultural development and the prosperity of modern agriculture with stronger belief and confidence.

Hoping you will be improved and inspired, please enjoy the online learning experience.