INFORMATION AND THE ADOPTION OF PRECISION FARMING TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

Precision farming technologies have been commercially available since the early 1990s, but the pace of adoption among U.S. farmers has been modest. This study examines the relationship between the adoption of diagnostic and application techniques of precision farming and sources of information available to farmers about precision farming. The model used in the analysis accounts for sources of self-selection in the adoption process that could bias the results. Results indicate interpersonal information sources have increased adoption relative to information from the mass media, and the private sector has been the driving force behind the diffusion of precision farming. Information from crop consultants and input suppliers has had the greatest impact on the adoption of precision farming technologies. These sources likely provide the greatest technical expertise about precision farming, and thus are better equipped to ease the significant human capital requirement of precision farming technologies. Precision farming (PF) technologies for site-specific crop management offer a way to manage the sub-field variability of soils, pests, landscapes, and microclimates by spatially adjusting input use to maximize profits and potentially reduce environmental risks. These technologies involve geo-referencing, which allows producers to micro-manage soil and plant processes within small areas of a single field. PF technologies have been commercially available since the early 1990s. However, not only has the pace of adoption in the United States been relatively modest, but a large number of farmers are apparently not familiar with these technologies. A 1998 nationwide survey of over 8,400 U.S. farms indicated nearly 70% of farmers were not aware of PF technologies, while less than 5% had adopted some aspect of PF. The vast majority of those unaware of PF technologies were among the smallest farm operations (Daberkow and McBride, 2000).