Precision Agriculture: Benefits and Challenges for Technology Adoption and Use

Precision agriculture involves collecting, analyzing, and taking actions based on data. It can help the agricultural sector meet increasing demand for food products, while also helping farmers improve efficiencies such as through reduced input costs. The Advancing IoT for Precision Agriculture Act of 2021, contained in what is commonly referred to as the CHIPS and Science Act of 2022, included provisions for GAO to conduct a technology assessment and review federal programs. This report examines emerging precision agriculture technologies and precision agriculture technology adoption;  federal programs providing support for precision agriculture; benefits and challenges of adopting and using precision agriculture technologies; and policy options that could address challenges or help enhance benefits of adopting and using precision agriculture technologies. Broadband internet plays an important role in operating a farm, but not all precision agriculture technologies rely on broadband. It is an enabler of precision agriculture technologies, facilitating the transfer of data collected in the field to software for data analysis. Data can be transferred through wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, or through a physical connection, such as a universal serial bus (USB) drive. Some software technologies require uploading the data into their platforms in the cloud to conduct the data analysis. Recommendations, such as application guidance maps using variable rate technology, are downloaded and transferred to equipment. According to USDA, peer-reviewed research on the required connection speeds for precision agriculture technologies is not yet available.