Economic analysis of precision weed management

Abstract

The practical implementation of precision crop production nowadays is becoming more and more widespread. Numerous experiments and farmers’ practical experiences verify the positive impacts of precision nutrient supply on farming. Precision weed control started to spread later, partly due to technical difficulties, partly to the lack of necessary software support that was developed later. The introduction of a new technology requires complex farm-management decisions, including the consideration of economic correlations (costs-yield-income) as well as high-level skills and significant investments from the farmer. These investments can be returned from the income surplus realized through increasing yields and decreasing farming costs. Extra income can also come from the decreasing material costs which, however, do not necessarily compensate the extra costs of implementing the new technology and depends very much on the utilization of savings from different herbicide doses used for the treatment of plots, considering the soil qualities. This study, utilising the data of a technological experiment carried out in Hungary, presents the results of a stochastic simulation model developed with the adaptation of finite element method. The examination was executed at sub-plot level, dividing the plots into small parcels. Our aim was to examine the impact of precision nutrient application and differentiated spraying of herbicides on production costs and yield, as well as the impact of changes on gross margin (income) and the returns on technological development.