FACTORS INFLUENCING THE DEVELOPMENT OF PRECISION FARMING TECHNOLOGIES

Abstract

Precision farming technologies are spreading around the world at an accelerating pace. The technology has quickly spread to every agricultural country and every process, enabling faster farming operations: more accurate fertilization, more precise placement of seeds, proper regulation of crop protection products and monitoring of yield parameters. The emerging possibilities of precision farming technologies have spread around the world at a rapid but uneven pace. The introduction and attractiveness of the technology has depended on the specificities of agriculture in each country. This article examines the main factors behind the development of precision agriculture. Why, in some countries, most technologies spread faster and are adopted by more farms. What are the main factors limiting the development of precision farming technologies? What can one country learn from another? What conditions do we have in Lithuania? This is important as we look to the future when precision farming technologies will become more and more important on farms. It is the rapid adoption and adaptation of these technologies that can determine how each country will fare in tackling future challenges such as climate change.