Effectiveness of Precision AgA brief summary according to studies by Elliot Nowell and Precisionagworks.com

Precision Ag

Many producers are questioning the adoption of precision ag Will it pay off? Is it worth it? Will it work for me??

“We can’t predict the future but we can learn from the past.”

Research

Studied 600 growers with each a minimum of 500 acres

336 claimed to be current users of precision ag 264 “non-adaptors” did not use precision ag on farm Two studies

“understanding the key barriers to adopting precision ag technology and gain a view of the benefits”

Clear understanding of the success to provide non adapters with better formed opinions

8 in 10 are profitable

“for every 10 crop producers who’ve adopted precision ag technology, eight report that its made them more money”

Being able to make smarter decisions adds up to more effectively spreading your management across all aspects of your operation, saving time, maximizing inputs and gaining better return.

8 in 10 are profitable This 80% was

then questioned on how/why they believed they had seen an increase in profits.

$5-$9 more per acre

Precision ag institute research shows an average savings of $2-5/acre

The 80% polled say anywhere from 5-9 in savings

Lowers Cost or Raises Yield?

Growers say that lowering costs is the key component.

However these views differ depending on the crop for the benefits of GPS

More numbers…

About 75% of all adopters said that a GPS has increased their profitability.

80% said use of an electronic controller to vary application or seeding rates has increased profitability.

60% of adopters said that a yield monitor has increased profitability.

About 56% of corn/soybean/wheat and 88% of cotton adopters said that a yield monitor has increased profitability in terms of both saving money and aiding increased yields.

Why not adopt?

Start up cost Farm too small Farmers too old

Why not adopt?

Start-up costs were the main concern The idea that they are too small was second

Prices of technology vary depending on your goals and current operation

Prices for operating many aspects of precision ag have come down even as the capabilities of the equipment have improved

Its not as hard as it looks

Some growers believe that the adoption of precision ag is too difficult However… in many cases…

"Once you get it programmed, it’s simple," says one wheat grower surveyed from Missouri. "We just read through the guide and figured it out.”

As precision ag is growing the technology is becoming more advanced With this though the major companies have realized this concern and are

addressing it More technical support Better customer services Simpler technologies Plug and play systems to enhance compatibility and reduce complexity Even the addition of specialty precision ag services to aid farmers in the data

interpretation

Questions/Comments/Opinions???