| dc.description.abstract | The purpose of this study was to determine factors influencing cotton producer
adoption of Precision Agriculture in the cotton belt according to members of the
American Cotton Producers of the National Cotton Council.
The National Research CouncilÂ’s Board on Agriculture defines Precision
Agriculture (PA) as “a management strategy that uses information technologies to bring
data from multiple sources to bear on decisions associated with crop production.” For
the purpose of this study, Precision Agriculture technologies included yield monitors,
global positioning units, variable rate applicators, and similar components.
Many studies have found that adoption of Precision Agriculture can be profitable
for agricultural producers. However, the fact that Precision Agriculture is relatively new
and unproven hinders rapid adoption by agricultural producers. According to the
National Research Council Board of Agriculture widespread adoption relies on
economic gains outweighing the costs of the technology. This study attempted to find
the factors associated with adoption of these technologies in the cotton belt.
The sample population consisted of cotton producer representatives from the
leading cotton-producing states. A Delphi approach was utilized to establish a consensus
of cotton producer perceptions of the advantages of adopting Precision Agriculture
technologies. Advantages included more accurate farming (i.e., row spacing, reduced
overlap, and cultivation). Barriers to adoption were also documented, questioning
employee capability to operate equipment, learning curve, technology complexity, and
uncertain return on investment. | en |
