Factors affecting farmer adoption of remotely sensed imagery for precision management in cotton production

This research evaluated the factors that influenced cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) producers to adopt remote sensing for variable-rate application of inputs. A logit model estimated with data from a 2005 mail survey of cotton producers in 11 southern USA states was used to evaluate the adoption of remote sensing. The most frequently made management decisions using remote sensing were the application of plant growth regulators, the identification of drainage problems and the management of harvest aids. A producer who was younger, more highly educated and had a larger farm with irrigated cotton was more likely to adopt remote sensing. In addition, farmers who used portable computers in fields and produced their own map-based prescriptions had a greater probability of using remote sensing. The results suggest that value-added map-making services from imagery providers greatly increased the likelihood of a farmer being a user of remote sensing.