Precision Agriculture – Methodologies for Cost benefit analysis

Project information

Precision Agriculture – Methodologies for Cost benefit analysis

Call: Enabling Precision Farming

Id: 29743

Acronym: PAMCoBA

Duration: 
1 January, 2016 to 31 December, 2018

Consortium:
No Partner Contact Country Total
1000€
Funded
1000€
Funder
1Agrofutura AGMartin HolppSwitzerland162.0120.0Federal Office for Agriculture - Bundesamt für Landwirtschaft
2 Coord.Department of Food and Resource Economics, University of Copenhagen
Faculty of Life Sciences
University of Copenhagen
Soren Marcus PedersenDenmark99.089.1Danish AgriFish Agency
Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries
3Department of Agricultural and Food Sciences
Alma Mater Studiorum - University of Bologna
Maurizio CanavariItaly78.145.4Ministry of Agriculture Food, Forestry & Tourism Policies

Summary: 

Variable rate application (VRA) and Controlled traffic systems (CTF)has a wide ranging potential such as improving the utilization of crop nutrients, improvement of crop quality, reduced overlaps and better production economy. VRA focus on the site-specific application of fertilizers, pesticides and water whereas CTF can allow farmers to reduce input costs (time, inputs and fuel) and increase crop yields. Although both concept has the potential to improve the profit on many farms the adoption of PA technologies remains still low in Europe. The reason could lie in a reduced perception of the benefits of certain PA technologies along with relative high investment costs. Therefore a comprehensive methodology approach that facilitates the understanding of initial investments, cost, and benefits can offer the chance to significantly improve the level of adoption of the most suitable PA technologies. The aim of this project is to design and test a comprehensive methodology to support cost benefit analysis related to PA. The methodology will embrace 3 sets of evaluation related to (1) the financial performance and risk (2) strategic impact, (3) effects on fields operations, (4) Environmental impact and other social benefits. The four sets will be combined in a single Key Performance Index.

Impact: 

Precision farming has significant potential to improve agricultural performance, ranging from improved use of crop nutrients, to increased crop quality, reduced overlaps and better production economy. Benefits are mainly gained from reduced overlap, yield improvements or pesticide cost reductions. In this study, a generic web app to assess the costs, benefits and environmental performance of precision farming on different farms was developed. This tool will assist farmers or advisors through a guided process that allows the evaluation and comparison of precision farming technologies with conventional systems. It will convey a specific assessment process in which the farmer is guided through a step-by-step approach. The tool is validated by means of different case studies involving small and medium farms from different rural areas of the participating countries (Denmark, Italy, and Switzerland). To extract and update national and regional data from farms (i.e., farm sizes, input costs), the database is conveniently linked to external databases. The app will allow users to retrieve information regarding independent and combined technologies, as well as its financial and environmental performance at an operational level. The trial version displays information through an interactive interface in the form of tables, charts, maps and reports. This study indicates that precision farming is mainly beneficial to large-scale farms when combined with the integration and application of different tools.

Outputs: 
  • A Web-portal tool to support cost benefit analysis related to Precision Agriculture
Topics: 
  • Methodologies for transnational Precision Farming solutions
  • Social and environmental impact
  • Cost and benefits of PF systems

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