News  Agriculture  FarmTech

Precision Agriculture Returns Vary Widely Across Farm Operations

Technology returns depend on management, not just adoption.

April 07, 2026 06:00 AM • 
Tony St. James
farmer holding a tablet_Photo by artiemedvedev via AdobeStock_362770913.jpg

Photo by artiemedvedev via AdobeStock

NASHVILLE, TENN. (RFD NEWS) — Precision agriculture technology is not consistently improving farm profitability, with most tools delivering limited measurable efficiency gains.

Research from Purdue University agricultural economist Chad Fiechter shows that across seventeen technology combinations, only automated guidance and the combination of yield monitors with grid soil sampling produced meaningful efficiency improvements. Most other technologies added costs without generating enough additional revenue to offset them.

Farm-Level Takeaway: Technology returns depend on management, not just adoption.
Tony St. James, RFD NEWS Markets Specialist

The results highlight a key challenge for producers. Automated guidance provides immediate benefits with minimal learning, while data-driven tools require time and management skill to turn information into better decisions. Without that, financial returns are difficult to capture.

Farm-level impacts vary significantly. Less efficient operations saw the greatest improvement, suggesting technology can help close management gaps. However, highly efficient farms showed little additional benefit from adoption.

The findings reinforce that technology alone does not guarantee better performance, with management and cost control remaining critical drivers of profitability.

Extracting Value from Precision Agriculture Technology is Difficult

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Tony St. James
Tony St. James
Tony St. James joined the RFD-TV talent team in August 2024, bringing a wealth of experience and a fresh perspective to RFD-TV and Rural Radio Channel 147 Sirius XM. In addition to his role as Market Specialist (collaborating with Scott “The Cow Guy” Shellady to provide radio and TV audiences with the latest updates on ag commodity markets), he hosts “Rural America Live” and serves as talent for trade shows.

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