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Overview of Navigational Aids & Precision Agriculture Investment. Jordan Shockley and Tim Stombaugh. Lightbars. Losing Popularity Savings of 2-10% Upgradeability. Auto-Steer. GPS Classifications. Auto-Steer Accuracy. Hardware GPS Machine quality Calibration Implement drift. A-B Line.
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Overview of Navigational Aids & Precision Agriculture Investment Jordan Shockley and Tim Stombaugh
Lightbars • Losing Popularity • Savings of 2-10% • Upgradeability
Auto-Steer Accuracy • Hardware • GPS • Machine quality • Calibration • Implement drift A-B Line
Solutions • Passive: Over-steer tractor • Active: Steer implement
Passive Steering • Less expensive • Tractor running over row • Limited response speed • Difficult to predict implement performance
Benefits of Auto-Steer • Reduces skips and overlaps • Reduces fatigue • Accurate placement of inputs • Lengthening of operator’s workday • Increase in machinery field capacity • Reduced machinery costs • Permits more land area to be planted during optimal time • Reduce risk • Land investment implications
Partial Budgets • Answers “Should I make a change?” • Estimate of changes in income, expenses and profits associated with a proposed modification in the whole farm plan • Examples of possible changes?
Partial Budget Aspects • Allows managers to make adjustments • “Fine-tuning” • Consider interactions consciously • Focus on marginal - things that actually change from implementing the new plan • If it doesn’t change, don’t include it
Four Things Can Happen as a Part of a Change: • Additional Revenue • Reduced Revenue • Additional Costs • Reduced Costs • Additional revenue and reduced costs raise profits • Reduced revenue and additional costs lowers profits
Advantages of Partial Budgets • Simplifies task involving complex decisions • Forces consideration of marginal economics • Encourages considering change -simple tool
Disadvantages of Partial Budgets • Can still be cumbersome with complex changes • Economic evaluation not always a physically feasible evaluation • Many small changes are possible but not enough time to evaluate them all with partial budgeting
Partial Budget Framework If + , then implement the change If - , then don’t implement the change
Break-Even Acreage The amount of acres required for which you would be indifferent to making the change. (i.e. the net change in profit = 0)
Considerations • Opportunity cost (e.g. learning curve) • Risks (up/down) • Feasibility (physically possible, resource requirements) • Desirability (noneconomic goals)
Auto-Steer Example • 800 acres • $35,000 investment outlay, $5,000 ownership cost • Increase yields from 150 bu/ac to 151 bu/ac • Corn price = $4.40/bu • Fertilizer = $111 Savings = 3% • Seed = $76 Savings = 2% • Herbicide = $30 Savings = 7% • Fuel = $17 Savings = 10% • Labor = $20 Savings = 10%
Partial Budget – Auto-Steer Example Should you purchase auto-steer to increase profits? YES – Profits are expected to increase $7,040 for the farm