Current GPS and other Precision Agriculture Adoption in Agriculture By Beth Crumpler

Where GPS and PA Stands See what need there is for GPS and other PA education Find out who needs to be reached Reveal how beneficial GPS use can be Reveal why farmers decide to use precision agriculture What farmers are using precision agriculture for the most

Surveys Value-added Crop, GPS Technology and Consultant Survey: Summary of a 1998 Survey to Illinois Farmers University of Illinois- Jonathan M. Norvell and Dale H. Lattz Adoption of GPS technology 1998 3000 farmers with 23% response=691 responses

Respondants 34% from 1-499 acres 25% from 500-999 acres

Results Over all farms 19.5% used yield monitors 33.2% used soil testing 21.1% used variable rate fertilizer application 4.6% used variable rate nitrogen application 21.2% used variable rate limestone application 2.5% used variable rate pesticide application 2.1% used variable seeding rates

Results continued 1-499 500-999 1000-1499 >1500 Yield m 4.5 14.0 27.7 38.8 Soil t 13.4 30.3 47.3 46.5 VRFA 6.4 18.6 32.3 30.9 VRNA .7 5.4 4.1 9.5 VRLA 6.5 18.0 31.6 VRPA 1.5 1.6 VSR .8 7.4

Additional Findings 8.2% of all of the farmers surveyed planned to begin using yield monitors in the next 2 years 10.8% in the next 3 years 28.3% of all were undecided 33.3% said they didn’t plan on ever using GPS (60.6% of these were 1-499 acres)

Surveys (continued) Farm Management Newsletter, 2000 by Joe Parcell and Ray Massey Use and Perceptions of Precision Agriculture Technologies by Professional Chemical Services Ag Crop Management Conference sponsored by the University of Missouri

Respondants Professional chemical appplicators, managers, consultants, and seed and chemical dealers 75 surveys, 22% of attendees

Use Technology Yield monitors 13% 33% 55% -- 20% 39% Clientele currently using Clientele expected to use technology in 5 years Yield monitors 13% 33% Yield maps (% of clientele with yield monitors) 55% -- Fertlity level maps, herbicide rate maps, or soil type maps 20% 39%

Offering PA Services Service current 2yrs 3+ yrs Never undecid GPS aid soil 35% 6% 24% 21% 44% Yield monitor 32% 31% 17% 36% VR P+K 28% 3% VRL 27% 13% >18% 48% VRN 15% 16% 19% 26% 40% VRP 0% 14% 20% 41%

Surveys (continued) Adoption and Use of Precision Farming Technologies: A Survey of Central Ohio Precision Farmers Michael Arnholt, Marvin T. Batte, and Steven Prochaska Survey conducted March 2001

Respondants 82 out of 156 growers responded 65 out of the 82 were still farming and completed the questionaire Average size of the farms 747 acres

Results 12% of the farmers had adopted GPS receivers 27.5% used combine yield monitors 84.6% used georeferenced grid or zone soil sampling 73.3% used VRT of fertilizers or lime

View of Use Results

Motivation Results

Benefits Results

Changing Management Results

Final Survey Summary of Preciaion Farming Practices and Perceptions of Mississippi Cotton Producers Steven W. Martin and Fred Cooke, Jr. 2001 Southern Precision Farming Survey 244 surveys with 62 adopters 182 nonadopters

Benefits Results

Adoption Results

Use Results

Yield Changes

Farm Dealer Importance

Crop Consultant Importance

Extension Educator Importance

Conclusions There is much need for GPS education based on 28.3% of farmers in Illinois undecided on GPS use and large amount of service providers undecided. Smaller farmers need to be reached and service providers. Farmers seem to be mostly satisfied with their current GPS systems.

Conclusions (continued) Farmers decide to use GPS because of Increased profitability On farm experimentation Improved information regarding within field variability to support decisions Environmental compliance Risk reduction potential

Conclusions (continued) What farmers are using precision agriculture for is precise knowledge of soil pH and soil nutrition across soil grids or zones What practice changed the most as a result of using precision agriculture is fertility practices

Suggestions There seems to be a lot of farmers yet to be reached on the use of GPS. Extension educators can play a role in helping farmers be reassured of the use of GPS tools. Help farmers decide if precision agriculture use would be profitable for their farm