Document Type

Thesis - Open Access

Award Date

2020

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department / School

Economics

First Advisor

Evert Van der Sluis

Abstract

Precision agriculture can play an important role in preserving the environment and improving the economic conditions of agricultural producers. This thesis analyzes the determinants of adoption and adoption intensity of precision agriculture technologies in South Dakota. This analysis uses survey data collected from 199 farms distributed over 28 different counties in South Dakota, accounting for approximately 500,000 acres of tillable agricultural land, to (1) discover the factors impacting precision technology adoption; (2) compare and contrast several characteristics among adopters and non-adopters; and (3) develop probit, count, and negative binomial models to determine the significance of explanatory variables impacting precision technology adoption and adoption intensity. T-test results of the mean age of participants, Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) enrollment, service center access, reliance on farm dealers for information, and computer usage for accounting purposes were statistically different between adopters and non-adopters of precision agriculture technologies. Probit model results indicate that age, spousal non-farm income, and service/repair access negatively influenced the decision to adopt, while the number of cropland acres, reliance on information from farm dealers, and use of computers for accounting activities positively impacted the decision to adopt. Results from the count model suggest that age, livestock owner status, spousal non-farm income, and service/repair access negatively influence the intensity of precision agriculture technologies adoption, while CSP enrollment, crop-land acreage, reliance on information from farm dealers, and using computers for accounting activities positively influenced the intensity of precision agriculture technologies adoption. Results of the negative binomial model indicate that only lack of access to service/repair facilities negatively affected the adoption intensity, and the adoption of different bundles of the six most popular precision technologies (auto-steer, variable rate systems, automatic section control/shut-offs, prescription field maps, yield monitors, and GPS guidance systems), while CSP enrollment, reliance on farm dealers as an information source, and using computers for accounting activities positively influenced precision technologies adoption intensity. The results of this study may help policy makers understand how agricultural producers perceive precision agriculture technologies in general, and the degree to which these technologies may be used to enhance productivity, profitability, and environmental quality. The result also provides useful insights on key determinants of the adoption of precision agriculture technologies. The results may further help farm dealers and repair service providers as they consider marketing precision agriculture technologies to agricultural producers. Precision agriculture technologies manufacturers and sellers can use these results to identify the demand of their product and services in the future.

Library of Congress Subject Headings

Precision farming -- South Dakota.
Agricultural innovations.
Farm management -- Decision making.
Farmers -- South Dakota -- Attitudes.

Format

application/pdf

Number of Pages

90

Publisher

South Dakota State University

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Rights Statement

In Copyright