Michigan Precision Farming Survey Roger Brook, Ph.D. Agricultural Engineering Dept. Michigan State University Presentation for Agricultural Engineering Department Seminar November 30, 2001

Introduction Site-Specific Management 4 New dimensions of the information age 4 Describing variability Equipment and Systems 4 Variable rate application 4 Yield monitors 4 Sensors 4 Imagery (aerial and satellite) 4 Analysis and recommendation software

Methodology 4 Survey: questions used technology groups Users of precision farming technology Non-users of precision farming technology Demographics 4 Survey approval by UCRIHS 4 MASS selected addresses 250 with more than 250 acres corn 250 with more than 250 acres soybeans 250 with more than 100 acres wheat 100 each crop with fewer acres 4 First mailing in February / follow-up in March

Survey Returns surveys mailed 31 address errors ( 3.0% ) 277 returns ( 28.7% ) 4 Users = 113 ( 41%) 4 Non-users = 164 ( 59% )

Utilization of Precision Farming Technologies Table 19. Farmers Using Precision Farming Technology (N = 113) N = 113

Yield Monitoring Experiences Significant Benefits 4 Understand field ( 72% ) 4 Confirm drainage ( 56% ) 4 Make farming fun ( 55% ) 4 On-farm experiment ( 51% ) “ … allowed me to get yield differences in equipment failure or misapplication like double spreading spring nitrogen” Significant Problems 4 Calibration difficult ( 56% ) 4 More expensive ( 47% ) 4 Obsolescence ( 42% ) 4 What to do with data ( 42% ) “ … everyone has a different way of mapping the field; it is hard to sort out and costs money which is short any way” N = 55

Management Decisions N = 41

In-Field Experimentation Using Yield Monitoring

Geo-Referenced Soil Sampling Significant Benefits 4 Understand field ( 86% ) 4 Makes farming fun ( 69% ) 4 Reduce costs ( 54% ) 4 Increase yield ( 54% ) Significant Problems 4 More expensive ( 15% ) 4 Technical support ( 10% ) 4 Equipment obsolescence ( 10% ) 4 What to do with data ( 10% ) “I hire it done so I don’t have problems” N = 72

Geo-Referenced Field Scouting

Significant Benefits 4 Understand field ( 67% ) 4 On-farm experiments ( 67% ) 4 Confirm drainage ( 53% ) 4 Makes farming fun ( 53% ) Significant Problems 4 Equipment obsolescence ( 21% ) 4 GPS ( 16% ) 4 Agronomic support ( 16% ) 4 Equipment support ( 16% ) N = 19

Utilization of Variable Rate 4 Lime ( n = 68 ) 4 Fertilizer ( n = 62 ) 4 Seeding ( n = 17 ) 4 Agro-chemicals ( n = 16 ) “We spend time and money, have soil grid sampled and then out dealer goes out of business” “Just calibrating sprayers and planters can bring economic benefit” “In theory it is great, in practice there is much to be desired …” “Two ($) corn and four ($) black bean make it hard to get excited about new technology”

Remote Sensing 4 Aerial imagery ( n = 6 ) 4 Satellite imagery ( n = 6 ) “My biggest problem is with technical support” “Somewhat (useful), I believe it’s an expensive toy that still needs work”

Non-Users of Precision Farming 4 Not appropriate to my business ( 48% ) 4 Can’t see benefit to my business ( 34% ) 4 Plan to review technology soon ( 11% ) 4 Others ( 7% ) “I will retire from farming soon” “Farming practice is too small” “Most of my farmland is rented, future is uncertain N = 164

Reasons for Not Adopting Precision Farming

Sources of Precision Farming Information

Necessary Information for Adoption of Precision Farming