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Central Illinois | I can give you my outlook on the tangible benefits of precision technology. Please realize that the true financial decision will be based upon size of operation, cost of inputs, and value of crops produced. This will also vary based upon region of the country.
Yield monitoring - This is basically your report card. The initial benefit is identifying drainage issues and attempting to quantify if they are bad enough to require fixing (cost/benefit). It will also help identify fertility issues. The most valuable continuing benefit is basically on farm research to assist in seed selection and cropping practices. It is very difficult to quantify the true dollar value of this information.
Autosteer - Productivity and confort are two of the basic advantages of autosteer. It is extremely convenient to pull into a field and pull up a guidance line and begin planting without having to worry about field border with neighbors. I am a much more observant operator of equipment making sure it is doing a proper job and it does help eliminate "strained necks, etc.) The comfort of autosteer also can greatly reduce fatigue which has allowed me to work much later some nights to ensure timely planting/harvesting. To me the greatest tangible benefit of autosteer if the proper application of nutrients. I am in central Illinois where we often grow continuous corn with tillage. We often apply NH3 (nitrogen) on worked ground and then this field is leveled in the spring prior to planting. Using this tillage method, it would be basically impossible to accurately plant on the strips of fertilizer without autosteer as the strips are not visible. Our on farm research has consistently shown a 2-3 bushel advantage of this practice that at current prices could relate to $14-21 an acre.
Swath control for planter/sprayer - This technology will probably be the fastest to pay for itself. In my area, seed is one of the most expensive inputs often costing more than $100/acre. There are muliple online calculators that will give you a percentage savings, but even in square fields we have typically saved a minumum of 2% to almost 10% in smaller fields that are cut up with waterways and curves. The same rules apply to spraying, but the products being sprayed are often of less value than the seed which is often offset by the larger booms.
Varaible Rate - I have had a hard time trying to justify variable rate as my soils are fairly uniform and I believe the agronomic science is not always conclusive enough even though the equipment is available.
One other thing to note is "do your research". Sometimes the best of the best technology is not what your farm needs or is the most practical. There are often less expensive alternatives (used, owning your own base, etc.) that may make the payback much quicker. Obviously, we are in much different regions and I know very little about cotton technology, but this is my perspective from a corn belt farmer.
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How has GPS technology made you money.
