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Part 4: Precision farming mythsBy D. Bruce Bosley CSU Extension agent, cropping systems This article identifies and addresses some common myths about precision farming. It is the fourth and final part of a series of articles. Transcripts of the complete series are available on request. Myth 3: Precision farming will not pay for itself. One point of view is that the costs of adopting precision farming are excessive. Furthermore, many farmers don't regard the purchase of precision farming equipment as an investment. It's true that some of the equipment used to initiate precision farming practices is expensive. For instance: global positioning system, personal computer, application equipment, custom services, etc. However, a prominent Minnesota agronomist points out that precision farming is not just the addition of new technologies. It is rather an information revolution, made possible by new technologies. The result is a higher, more precise farm management system. Precision farming can be applied at with any level of technology and at any field scale. Precision farming can help today's farmers apply the Right input, in the Right amount, to the Right place, at the Right time, and in the Right manner. The five-R's, are the most important facet of precision farming. How we deliver those five-R's depends upon each farmer's scale of operation and resources. Precision farming is a relatively new addition to agriculture. Therefore, there have not been any long-term economic studies completed. However, practitioners of precision farming from around the country have reported economic benefits. Popular magazines in particular have reported numerous success stories where precision farming made a difference on the farm and in the lives of the farmers. Producers that have used precision farming for several years have paid for the initial equipment investment through increased farm profitability and productivity. How long it takes to pay for itself will depend entirely upon how much capital was initially invested and the type and scale of the farming operation. A Colorado State University study indicates that precision farming practices can result in as much as $71 more return per acre when compared to traditional farming practices. Researchers, in this study, used a method of varying N fertilizer applications based on black-and-white aerial photographs combined with the farmer's past management experience. Farmers spent little time and money to create a prescription nutrient map of their fields. They got the photographs and identified the areas on the fields that were high and low yielding. Aerial photos are free-of-charge from the Farm Service Agency or the NRCS District Conservationist. Precision farming can and does pay for itself. Like any technological tool, one needs to assess which particular tool or technique would bring about the most benefit. Again, this depends on the type and scale of the operation. A "one-size-fits-all" approach does not fit in with precision farming. Please contact me about this or other cropping systems or natural resource topics at 970-522-3200, extension 285 in Sterling or 970-542-3540 in Fort Morgan. 11/3/08 Date: 10/29/08 Advertisement
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