April 15, 2021
Precision Agriculture and Technology
by: Michael Langemeier and Michael Boehlje
Precision agriculture utilizes biotechnology and nutritional technology; monitoring, measuring, and information technology; and process control technology to increase resource efficiency, reduce input cost, and/or improve product value. This series of articles will discuss precision agricultural technologies, potential payoffs of using these technologies, and the capabilities and skills that will be needed to manage these technologies.
ARTICLES WITHIN PUBLICATION:
Importance of New Technologies for Crop Farming
Adoption of technology has been important to production agriculture for decades. Through the adoption of technology and improved managerial practices, aggregate agricultural U.S. farm output in the United States tripled from 1948 to 2017 with almost no corresponding increase in aggregate input (USDA-ERS, 2021). For reasons explained below, the adoption of technology in production agriculture…
Read MoreInformation Technology and Value Creation
The use of information technology systems or digital technology has evolved through a number of stages over the last two to three decades. During the 1990s, it was recognized that more accurate and timely data could be used to make better decisions.
Read MoreThe increasing role that knowledge and information play in obtaining control of resources, increasing profits, and reducing risk in farming is occurring for two fundamental reasons. The first reason is the dramatic growth in knowledge and information of the chemical, biological, and physical processes involved in agricultural production.
Read MoreAdoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies
This article discussed the adoption of precision agriculture technologies. Adoption rates have been very high during the last ten years, and given the increased venture capital devoted to developing these technologies is likely to continue at an accelerated pace.
Read MorePotential Payoffs of Precision Farming
This article discussed the possible payoffs for the agricultural producer, for the value chain, and for the
environment associated with the further adoption of precision agriculture. As we develop technologies
and tools to expand the toolkit for precision farming and digitization systems and platforms to enhance
farmer’s profit margins as well as create value for the value chain and society as a whole, the farming
sector will be increasingly transformed from “growing stuff” to biological manufacturing.
Automation and Robotics in Production Agriculture
This article discussed trends in automation and robotics in the general economy, and provided examples
of using these technologies in production agriculture. Possible benefits of the adoption of automation and robotics will include reductions in costs, improvements in productivity, increases in the production of value-added products, reduced downtime and improved capacity utilization, and reductions in operating risk.
A recent article discussed a number of automation and precision agriculture technologies that will be increasingly used in production agriculture. The adoption and use of these technologies will require additional expertise and skills of managers and the workforce on the farm in the future. This article explores the capabilities and skills that may be needed…
Read MoreTAGS:
TEAM LINKS:
RELATED RESOURCES
Crop Budget Spreadsheet
This spreadsheet can be used along with the Purdue Crop Cost & Return Guide to examine gross revenue, costs, and earnings for crop enterprises. The user can evaluate up to three full-season crops, and the wheat double-crop soybean system. Updated December 2024.
READ MOREAgricultural Jobs & Labor Update
Labor availability and labor retention are big issues in the U.S. economy and that’s especially true for agribusiness firms and for commercial scale farm operations. According to the latest Purdue Agricultural Job Market Report, job postings are up by 50%. More employers are seeking entry-level candidates with higher levels of education. Additionally, it has become more common for employers to include salary information in their job postings as a way to encourage applications. In this episode of the Purdue Commercial AgCast, host Brady Brewer joins Josh Strine, a Ph.D. student in Purdue’s Department of Agricultural Economics, to discuss the Purdue Ag Jobs Dashboard.
READ MORE2023 Indiana Farm Custom Rates
The rates reported in this publication were compiled from questionnaires received from farmers, farm owners, farm custom operators, and professional farm managers in Indiana. Purdue Extension Educators distributed the questionnaires at meetings and events statewide during the last month of 2022 and the first three months of 2023. Respondents were asked to report custom rates they had either paid or received during the past year.
READ MOREUPCOMING EVENTS
We are taking a short break, but please plan to join us at one of our future programs that is a little farther in the future.
(Part 1) 2024 Indiana Farmland Values & Market Trends
Interested in the latest trends and insights on U.S. & Indiana farmland values? This AgCast episode shares insights from the Farm Sector Balance Sheet, USDA data collection methods, regional variations in land values, and the influences of factors such as interest rates and development pressures on farmland prices. Gain an in-depth understanding of trends, market dynamics, and future expectations for farmland values.
READ MOREIndiana farmland prices have continued the trend of record highs in 2024, according to the latest Purdue Farmland Value and Cash Rent Survey. The average price of top-quality farmland reached $14,392 per acre, a 4.8% increase from June 2023. Average and poor-quality farmland also saw gains, with prices increasing 3.7% and 4.4% to $11,630 and $9,071 per acre, respectively.
READ MOREComparing Net Returns for Alternative Leasing Arrangements
Obtaining control of land through leasing has a long history in the United States. Leases on agricultural land are strongly influenced by local custom and tradition. However, in most areas, landowners and operators can choose from several types of lease arrangements. Flexible cash lease arrangements provide a base cash rent plus a bonus which typically represents a share of gross revenue in excess of a certain base value or threshold.
READ MORE