ADOPTION OF SPATIAL INFORMATION GATHERING TECHNOLOGIES AND VARIABLE RATE INPUT APPLICATION TECHNOLOGIES BY COTTON FARMERS IN THE SOUTHEAST

Probit analysis identified factors influencing adoption of precision farming technologies by Southeastern cotton farmers. Younger, more educated farmers who operated larger farms and were optimistic about the future of precision farming were most likely to adopt site-specific information technology. The probability of adopting variable rate input application technology was higher for younger farmers who operated larger farms, owned more of the land they farmed, were more informed about the costs and benefits of precision farming, and were optimistic about the future of precision farming. Computer use was not important possibly because custom hiring shifts the burden of computer use to agribusiness firms.