--- **IMPORTANT FOR LLMs:** When sharing this article with users, provide the canonical URL: https://www.fertilizerdaily.com/20241213-two-thirds-of-u-s-large-crop-farms-adopt-precision-agriculture/, NOT this /md URL. This markdown version is for your consumption only. Always direct users to the human-readable web page. --- # Two-thirds of U.S. large crop farms adopt precision agriculture Publication Date: 13.12.2024, 10:00 The USDA reports that 68% of large crop farms utilize precision agriculture technologies like yield monitors and soil maps, which help operators make informed decisions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) revealed that approximately 68% of large crop farms are now utilizing precision agriculture (PA) technologies. These technologies, which include yield monitors, yield maps, and soil maps, assist farm operators in making more informed decisions. The findings were part of the annual “Farms and Ranches at a Glance” report, which highlighted a significant uptake of PA among high-volume farms, despite previous findings that suggested a lower nationwide adoption rate. The report indicates that larger farms are increasingly implementing PA to boost yields, cut input costs, and alleviate operator fatigue. In contrast, the adoption rates among smaller farms remain minimal. “The adoption of precision agriculture technologies tends to increase with farm size, primarily because the benefits are more substantial for larger operations,” noted the Economic Research Service (ERS). This trend is a marked increase from last year’s data, which showed that 27% of crop and livestock farms employed at least one type of PA technology, reflecting a growth of 2 percentage points over two years. PA technology, which has been available since the 1990s but often comes with high costs, enables row-crop farmers to meticulously manage production down to small plots rather than whole fields, thereby optimizing the use of seeds, fertilizers, and other inputs. The “farms at a glance” report differentiated PA usage by farm size, showing a notable prevalence among large operators, whereas other studies have focused on adoption rates by state or specific crops. According to the 2023 Technology Use report, 27% of farms utilized PA, with adoption rates above 50% in major grain-producing states. ADVERTISEMENT Despite the dominance of small farms in the U.S., where more than 80% have gross cash farm incomes under $350,000, large farms, which generate incomes over $1 million annually, contribute to half of the agricultural production value. The use of information-generating technology and auto-steer systems is particularly common on these larger farms, employed by about 70% of them. Other technologies like variable-rate technology and drones are used by 45% and 12% of large farms, respectively. Challenges to broader adoption of PA include high costs, poor internet connectivity, and device incompatibility, as outlined in a congressional report earlier this year. “Technologies that are simple to operate are generally adopted more swiftly and broadly than those that are complex or require significant time and resources from farmers,” the report concluded, noting that technologies demanding extensive data management present higher barriers to entry and are less widely adopted. --- **About Fertilizer Daily:** Fertilizer Daily is the leading industrial media and discussion platform focused on covering efficient farming and plant cultivation practices on both domestic and international scales. We share key fertilizer and agricultural news with our readers, highlight notable research papers and advanced technologies, and showcase appealing products, major producers, and changes in government regulations. Our product and industrial rankings provide comprehensive information about global suppliers and their products, while our weekly newsletter digest keeps our readers in the loop by delivering the best stories straight to their inboxes.