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Economics study of variable rate technology adoption and outreach to improve farm profit

Published by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, St. Joseph, Michigan www.asabe.org

Citation:  2026 ASABE Annual International Meeting  2601245.(doi:10.13031/aim.202601245)
Authors:   Ahmed Abdalla, Ali Mirzakhani Nafchi
Keywords:   Precision agriculture, management zones, variable rate application, outreach, farm economic

Abstract. Precision agriculture aims to improve input efficiency, optimize resource use, and strengthen environmental stewardship; however, weather variability can disrupt within-field yield patterns and reduce the reliability of classical nitrogen (N) zone management. When growing conditions shift from favorable to stressful, management zones may change rank, increasing uncertainty in N decision-making and raising the risk of over- or under-application. This study investigated a zone-oriented framework that explicitly accounted for seasonal variability by identifying nitrogen-deficit zones and areas where crop N demand was most likely to exceed supply, so that N could be prioritized where the probability of response was highest. Using field-scale spatial data and crop-sensor indicators, the approach classified zones by relative N limitation and supported adaptive N-rate selection under changing weather conditions. Results showed that recommended fertilizer N rates varied across zones, while nitrogen use efficiency ranged from 1.4 to 1.8 bu lb⁻¹ N, with a field average of 1.6 bu lb⁻¹ N, indicating that crop response to N differed across the field. Economic analysis further showed that, at a corn grain price of $4.10 bu⁻¹ and an N price of $1.00 lb⁻¹, the 150-acre field produced 24,668 bu of corn, generated a total return of approximately $101,139, and achieved a net profit of $32,731.30, or about $218.20 ac⁻¹. These findings indicate that nitrogen-deficit zones had greater potential for profitable response to N, whereas other zones showed weaker response and a higher likelihood of diminishing returns.

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