Iowa Farmers’ Perspectives on Precision Agriculture

Abstract

USDA’s Economic Research Service defines precision agriculture (PA) as “a suite of technologies that may reduce input costs by providing the farm operator with detailed spatial information that can be used to optimize field management practices.” Marketing of PA technologies generally focuses on potential benefits such as increased productivity and profitability, optimization of input use, and overall improved sustainability of farming practices. But what do farmers, the typical PA end users, think about these technologies? A recent Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll survey examines use of key PA technologies and farmers’ perspectives regarding the potential benefits and concerns related to use of these technologies.1 This article summarizes the findings.