The adoption of precision agriculture technologies by Florida growers: A comparison of 2005 and 2018 survey data

Precision agriculture (PA) can help growers to optimize the use of agricultural inputs such as pesticides and fertilizers, which may lead to production cost reduction and environmental impact minimization. Despite its benefits, the adoption rate of PA technologies is slow. This article uses survey data to provide an overview of the adoption of specific PA technologies in Florida and compares grower-reported challenges of adoption to those found in a 2005 study. Preliminary results show differences in the three most popular technologies used in 2017 versus 2005. However, attitudes toward technology adoption and primary reasons for “not adopting” remain the same (57.14% - satisfied with their current production practices; 37.84% - lack of capital to make investments in new technologies; 34.88% - lack of information regarding the respective technologies). Most growers reported that the main barriers of using PA are the cost of specialized equipment and machinery required (98%), and the lack of technical knowledge (66%).