Abstract
The aim of this chapter is to evaluate the economic whole farm impact of the implementation of precision-farming technologies. Therefore, two farms were analyzed, which had implemented different precision agriculture technologies several years ago. The farms can be regarded as early adopters of precision agriculture technologies in two very different agricultural production areas. One of the two analyzed farms (1560 ha) is located in East Germany (Saxony-Anhalt), in a region with low annual rainfall and high fertile soils. In this farm nitrogen and potassium fertilizer applications, fungicides applications, and seeding are managed site-specifically following a mapping-approach, based on yield maps and aerial photographs. The other farm (150 ha) is located in Bavaria, in a region with high annual rainfall and comparatively fertile soils. In this farm the Yara-N-Sensor® is used for site-specific nitrogen management. The economic analysis is based on economic efficiency calculations for the implemented technologies, e.g., break-even-analysis and profit estimations. Furthermore, the two farmers were interviewed about the impact on their farm management and organization. The implementation of the technologies provided economic gains for both of the farms. While the implementation of the sensor-based technology had only moderate effects on the overall farm management, the implementation of the mapping based system resulted in a far-reaching reorganization of the farm.We conclude that a sensor-approach is easier to implement than a mapping approach. The implementation of a mapping-based site-specific management approach requires more skills, e.g., for analyzing site-specific data or creating application maps. Positive returns on the investments in the fertilizer technology can only be achieved when the technologies are used on sufficient acreage. This is easier to realize on big farms in eastern Germany or in terms of a collaborative use of the technologies than on comparatively small farms in southern Germany. However, in both regions we didn't find evidence that the innovation is adopted by neighboring farmers, which indicates that there are still considerable adoption constraints that limit the diffusion of precision farming technologies in Germany.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | Agricultural Systems |
Subtitle of host publication | Economics, Technology, and Diversity |
Publisher | Nova Science Publishers, Inc. |
Pages | 67-76 |
Number of pages | 10 |
ISBN (Print) | 9781606920251 |
State | Published - 2008 |
Keywords
- Economics of precision farming
- Mapping-approach
- Sensor-approach