Abstract
Precision agriculture technologies are increasingly important in cotton production because input prices continue to rise. Farmers increase input efficiency using precision agriculture technologies by adjusting inputs to match soil fertility and plant nutrition requirements. This research examines the factors affecting changes in fertilizer use following variable-rate fertilizer application in cotton production. Data from a 2009 survey of cotton producers in 12 states of the United States were used in the analysis. Farmers who used precision soil sampling, planted larger cotton area, relied on other farmers for information about PA, grew picker cotton, and had higher household income were more likely to decrease fertilizer application with VRT. Results from this analysis are useful to farmers and policy makers interested in reducing fertilizer use in the face of rising fertilizer prices and growing concerns about the environmental impacts of farming.
Highlights
As a high-value, high-input crop, cotton provides opportunities for farmers to increase profit, use inputs more efficiently, and reduce environmental impacts by using precision agriculture (PA) technologies to apply inputs at variable rates
Farmers had a 9% higher probability of decreasing fertilizer use for each additional 405 ha of cotton area farmed. These findings suggest that the potential for the higher spatial variability on larger cotton farms may allow farmers to reduce fertilizer use with variable-rate technology (VRT) management
This research contributes to the PA literature by examining the factors influencing directional changes in fertilizer use following VRT input management
Summary
As a high-value, high-input crop, cotton provides opportunities for farmers to increase profit, use inputs more efficiently, and reduce environmental impacts by using precision agriculture (PA) technologies to apply inputs at variable rates. The average value of cotton production in the United States for 2017 was $1575 ha-1, compared with $1532 ha-1, $1121 ha-1, and $708 ha-1 for corn, soybean, and wheat, respectively (USDA-ERS, 2018a). Average operating cost of producing cotton was much higher at $1047 ha-1, compared with $833 ha-1, $393 ha-1, and $264 ha-1 for corn, soybean, and wheat, respectively (USDA-ERS, 2018a). Average fertilizer costs for cotton were $139 ha-1, second only to $288 ha-1 for corn among these crops (USDA-ERS, 2018a). Prices of fertilizer used in cotton production have increased by 225% between 1999 and 2016 (USDA-ERS, 2018b). To manage rising input costs, cotton farmers have stepped up efforts to increase input productivity by reevaluating current production practices as well as adopting advanced technologies such as PA
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