The Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), in partnership with the American Soybean Association, CropLife America, and the National Corn Growers Association, released a study quantifying how widely available precision farming technology is improving land management environment while providing economic returns to farmers.

Precision agriculture leverages technologies to improve sustainability through more efficient use of essential inputs, such as land, water, fuel, fertilizers and pesticides. Farmers who use precision farm equipment use less to produce more.

The study on the environmental benefits of precision agriculture shows how policies and technological advancements can help farmers increase these outcomes.

“We are living in a new era of agriculture, and today’s precision technology in equipment can have a huge positive impact on farmers and the environment,” said Curt Blades, senior vice president of agriculture to the Association of Equipment Manufacturers. “One of our goals at AEM is to encourage the adoption of these technologies by more farmers, so that they can all reap the benefits as we continue to focus on sustainability. ”

Environmental benefits

The study explores five key environmental benefits achieved through the adoption of precision farming technology, including:

• Efficiency gain through increased efficiency.
• Reduction of fertilizer by more precise placement.
• Reduction of pesticides through more precise application.
• Fuel savings through less overlap and better monitoring.
• Water savings thanks to more precise detection of needs.

“Over the past 18 years, growth in corn and soybean yields, for example, has coincided with the widespread adoption of precision farming technologies,” said John Linder, president of the National Corn Growers Association ( NCGA). “As precision farming technologies are increasingly adopted, there is the potential for significant increases in yields and savings. ”

Part of the climate response

“The greenhouse gas reductions illustrated by this study show that modern agriculture is part of the climate solution,” said Kellie Bray, chief of staff at CropLife America (CLA). “The only fuel savings from precision farming tools are the annual equivalent of nearly 200,000 cars off the road, while preventing the addition of an area equal to 4.5 national parks from Yellowstone to production due to increases in yield. ”

Highlights of the study

As precision farming equipment and technologies are more widely adopted, this will lead to significant increases in yields and savings in additional inputs:

• Productivity has increased by around 4% and has the potential to increase a further 6% with wider adoption.
• Precision farming has improved the efficiency of fertilizer placement by about 7% and has the potential to improve another 14%.
• Herbicide use has been reduced by about 9% and could decrease another 15% upon full adoption.
• The use of fossil fuels has decreased by around 6% and could decline further by 16%.
• Water use has decreased by around 4% due to the current adoption of precision farming with the potential to decrease a further 21% upon full adoption.

Overcome the barriers

“Soybean farmers know from experience that precision farming contributes both short-term yield and, most importantly, long-term environmental and economic benefits, and this study helps quantify that progress,” says Kevin Scott. , South Dakota soybean producer and American Soybean. President of the Association (ASA). “But if we are to fully embrace the technology and realize the huge industry-wide gains in efficiency and input savings, we still have a lot of work ahead of us. ”

AEM, ASA, CLA and NCGA are working together to advance technologies and practices that will realize the potential highlighted by the study:

• Promote policies that encourage innovations in agricultural production.
• Improve the infrastructure that makes precision farming possible, including wireless broadband over croplands and rangelands.
• Increase farm income so that producers have capital to invest in their operations.
• Increase communication with consumers on the environmental benefits of precision agriculture.

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Study shows precision farming improves environmental stewardship while increasing yields