Precision agriculture : benefits and challenges for technology adoption and use

Title page

Contents

Highlights 3

Introduction 11

1. Background 12

1.1. Agricultural equipment 13

1.2. Precision agriculture technologies 14

1.3. Commercial entities and government agencies support the agricultural sector 20

2. Adoption of Currently Available Precision Agriculture Technologies Varies by Commodity and Technology and Emerging Technologies Focus on Automation 22

2.1. Precision agriculture technology adoption varies by commodity and technology 22

2.2. Many emerging precision agriculture technologies focus on automation and measurement of agricultural conditions 26

3. Several Federal Agencies Support Precision Agriculture Technology Adoption, R&D, Education, and Training 29

3.1. USDA supports precision agriculture technology adoption with financial assistance and loan programs 29

3.2. USDA and NSF support precision agriculture R&D 31

3.3. USDA and NSF provide precision agriculture education and training through Extension, service centers, and educational programs 36

3.4. Other federal precision agriculture efforts 38

4. Precision Agriculture Technologies Can Provide Benefits to Farmers and Society, but Challenges Limit Broader Adoption and Use 42

4.1. Precision agriculture technologies can benefit farmers, society, and the environment 42

4.2. Various challenges limit broader adoption and use of precision agriculture technology 47

5. Policy Options to Enhance Benefits and Address Challenges Associated with Precision Agriculture Technology Adoption and Use 53

5.1. Encourage greater adoption and use of precision agriculture technologies 53

5.2. Encouraging further innovation in precision agriculture technologies 58

5.3. Managing greater amounts of data generated by precision agriculture technologies 62

6. Agency and Expert Comments 66

Appendix I: Objectives, Scope, and Methodology 68

Appendix II: Federal Support Related to Precision Agriculture 72

Appendix III: Expert Participation 78

Appendix IV: GAO Contacts and Staff Acknowledgments 79

Table 1. Adoption rates of precision agriculture technologies by U.S. farmers for corn in 2016 and soybeans in 2018 25

Table 2. Funding provided by USDA and NSF for precision agriculture research and development, fiscal years 2017-2021 31

Table 3. USDA and NSF artificial intelligence institutes that support precision agriculture 34

Table 4. Federal support related to precision agriculture 72

Figure 1. Precision agriculture technologies used in field and specialty crops 15

Figure 2. Agricultural cycle with precision agriculture technology applications 16

Figure 3. Autonomous feed delivery robot and activity monitor 17

Figure 4. Automated milking system 18

Figure 5. Use of precision agriculture practices by U.S. farms, June 2022−June 2023 23