PRECISION AGRICULTURE ROI STUDY REPORT EXCERPTS JULY 2012

Transcription

1 PRECISION AGRICULTURE ROI STUDY REPORT EXCERPTS JULY 2012

2 Most respondents are located in the heart of the Corn Belt Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota 2

3 The majority of respondents are between 50 and 59 years old, almost even split between older and younger 3 The average respondent age is 53 N=181

4 Of respondents who use precision technology, eight of ten do all evaluation, purchase and use of the tools 4 N=164 Key finding: respondents are in charge of their precision farming technology. We would expect very informed answers to the rest of the survey.

5 More than half of respondents manage precision farming technology quite well, 86% find it useful 5 N=183 Those who do not use precision technology were not asked questions relating to precision technology. Key finding: Half of respondents are comfortable with precision tools. One-third are not.

6 Larger crop growers are most likely to find precision farming a useful tool. 30% of small growers do not use. 6 Key finding: Mid-sized growers are the ones who need the most assistance because they use the tools and find them frustrating. N=183

7 More than half of respondents work with an equipment dealer to use precision technology 7 76% of large growers work with an equipment dealer. Key finding: Both equipment and input dealers are key resources to support precision technology. 24% of <500 acres have not worked with anyone N=164: multiple answers accepted Good Questions. Better Answers.

8 Three of four respondents work with an agronomic input dealer, larger growers more likely to work with them 8 Key finding: Growers most frustrated are least likely to work with an agronomic dealer. N=164

9 There is room for increased satisfaction with agronomic dealers on precision farming tools and training 9 On a scale of 1 to 10, how satisfied are you with the following services offered by your agronomic input dealers? N=164 Key finding: Satisfaction does not vary significantly based on crop acres.

10 In 2011, 72% mapped yields: most frequent benefits ability to make management decisions, greater profits 10 Management decisions include drainage, variety selection, fungicides, nitrogen. N=110 Good Questions. Better Answers. Breakthough Results.

11 Automatic swath control on planter, variable rate planting did most to reduce seed use in

12 49% used auto swath control on planter: Reduced seed use, fewer skips or overlaps and reduced costs 12 I think it cost $15,000 to put it on, and the amount of acres it planted, we got a payback the first year, and we took seed back. With our high seeding rate, I took back a pallet of seed corn and two pallets of soybean seed. N=63 Good Questions. Better Answers. Breakthough Results.

13 Auto sprayer swath control and variable rate herbicides did the most to reduce chemical use 13 We went from spraying 40 acres in a 36 acre field to exactly 36 acres with the auto swath control.

14 Almost half of respondents report seeing payback to their precision technology investments 14 N=90

15 Specific precision farming tools lowered production costs from 1% to 12% on soybean acres By what percent was each of the following aspects effected by the precision farming tools you used in 2011? Lowered Reduced Reduced Reduced Increased Reduced Reduced production seed use chemical use fertilizer use soybean yields input costs fuel use costs Grid soil sampling 9.3% 8.1% 12.4% 5.3% 8.1% 5.3% 5.2% Yield monitoring (no map) 6.3% 3.3% 7.8% 4.6% 4.7% 0.7% 4.4% Yield mapping 6.9% 8.0% 8.3% 4.9% 6.9% 5.0% 3.5% Variable rate fertilizer 12.0% 11.3% 11.6% 4.3% 8.8% 8.8% 5.5% Variable rate planting 6.1% 3.8% 3.0% 3.9% 5.6% 6.6% 4.0% Variable rate herbicide application 15.0% 12.1% 25.0% 20.0% 9.8% 20.0% 7.5% Auto swath control for planter 6.8% 5.0% 2.5% 4.3% 5.7% 7.5% 4.4% Auto swath control for sprayer booms 7.5% 7.1% 5.5% 1.8% 5.3% 2.2% 3.9% Field mapping for planter 5.1% 7.3% 4.0% 3.9% 5.4% 4.0% 3.5% Field mapping for sprayer 7.3% 6.4% 7.8% 7.0% 4.4% 4.0% 1.9% Field mapping for fertilizer or lime applications 3.8% 3.3% 9.3% 4.5% 6.1% 10.0% 4.9% Autosteer on planter tractor 5.7% 3.8% 1.3% 2.2% 3.3% 4.3% 3.2% Autosteer on sprayer 3.3% 5.9% 3.0% 2.2% 4.9% 3.1% 3.3% Autosteer on combine 1.7% 5.3% 4.3% 3.2% Autosteer on tillage equipment 0.5% 4.3% 7.2% 5.2% 5.8% 4.2% Automatically adjusting transmission 2.0% 1.8% 4.4% 0.9% Auto systems designed to reduce/ minimize fuel use 4.2% 6.1% 1.9% Light bar (steering assistant) 20.0% 7.3% 9.7% 1.7% 4.9% 2.3% 4.0% Good Questions. Better Answers. Breakthough 15

16 Overall, soybean growers report saving 5% of their total soybean production budget by using precision technology 16 N=94

17 Growers estimate an increase of 5% in total soybean revenue resulting from the use of precision farming tools 17 N=94

18 Growers expect to gain about half of their total precision farming tools investment every year in lower input costs 18 Key finding: Although the ratio is about the same, regardless of acre size, large farmers are lowering their costs proportionate to their investment. N=94

19 Current widely used technologies will continue to expand in use over the next three years 19 N=164

20 Use of variable rate herbicide application will almost triple in three years, variable rate planting more than double 20 N=164

21 Auto sprayer swath control and variable rate herbicides did the most to reduce chemical use 21 We went from spraying 40 acres in a 36 acre field to exactly 36 acres with the auto swath control.

22 PRECISION AGRICULTURE ROI STUDY REPORT EXCERPTS JULY 2012