Cost-effectiveness of conventional and precision agriculture sprayers in Southern Italian vineyards: A break-even point analysis

IF 5.4 2区农林科学 Q1 AGRICULTURE, MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Precision Agriculture Pub Date : 2025-03-03 DOI:10.1007/s11119-025-10233-5

Riccardo Testa, Antonino Galati, Giorgio Schifani, Giuseppina Migliore

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Abstract

Through targeted spray applications, precision agriculture can provide not only environmental benefits but also lower production costs, improving farm competitiveness. Nevertheless, few studies have focused on the cost-effectiveness of precision agriculture sprayers in vineyards, which are among the most widespread specialty crops. Therefore, this is the first study that aims to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of variable rate technology (VRT) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) sprayers compared to a conventional sprayer in a hypothetical and representative vineyard area of southern Italy. The economic analysis, based on technological parameters in the literature, enabled the identification of the minimum farm size (break-even point) for introducing precision agriculture sprayers (PAS), considering the annual cost of the pesticide treatments (equipment and pesticide costs). Our findings revealed that the UAV sprayer—if permitted by law—could be the most convenient option for farms larger than 2.27 ha, whereas the VRT sprayer should be chosen by farms over 17.02 ha. However, public subsidies, such as those provided by the Italian Recovery Plan, make adopting VRT sprayers also economically viable for areas as small as 3.03 ha. Finally, the sensitivity analysis confirmed that the purchase price and pesticide cost are the most sensitive parameters affecting the break-even points. Our findings shed light on the economic sustainability of these innovative sprayers, a key driver for their adoption by farmers and for setting future strategies for facing the current agricultural crisis.

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传统和精准农业喷雾器在意大利南部葡萄园的成本效益：盈亏平衡点分析

通过有针对性的喷雾应用，精准农业不仅可以提供环境效益，还可以降低生产成本，提高农场竞争力。然而，很少有研究关注精准农业喷雾器在葡萄园的成本效益，葡萄园是最广泛的特种作物之一。因此，这是第一项旨在评估可变速率技术（VRT）和无人机（UAV）喷雾器与传统喷雾器的成本效益的研究，该研究是在意大利南部一个假设的代表性葡萄园区进行的。经济分析基于文献中的技术参数，考虑到农药处理的年度成本（设备和农药成本），能够确定引入精准农业喷雾器（PAS）的最小农场规模（收支平衡点）。我们的研究结果表明，如果法律允许，无人机喷雾器可能是面积大于2.27公顷的农场最方便的选择，而面积大于17.02公顷的农场应选择VRT喷雾器。然而，公共补贴，如意大利恢复计划提供的补贴，使得在小至3.03公顷的地区采用VRT喷雾器在经济上也是可行的。最后，通过敏感性分析证实，采购价格和农药成本是影响盈亏平衡点最敏感的参数。我们的研究结果揭示了这些创新喷雾器的经济可持续性，这是农民采用它们的关键驱动因素，也是制定未来应对当前农业危机的战略的关键。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Precision Agriculture 农林科学-农业综合

CiteScore

12.30

自引率

8.10%

发文量

103

审稿时长

>24 weeks

期刊介绍： Precision Agriculture promotes the most innovative results coming from the research in the field of precision agriculture. It provides an effective forum for disseminating original and fundamental research and experience in the rapidly advancing area of precision farming. There are many topics in the field of precision agriculture; therefore, the topics that are addressed include, but are not limited to: Natural Resources Variability: Soil and landscape variability, digital elevation models, soil mapping, geostatistics, geographic information systems, microclimate, weather forecasting, remote sensing, management units, scale, etc. Managing Variability: Sampling techniques, site-specific nutrient and crop protection chemical recommendation, crop quality, tillage, seed density, seed variety, yield mapping, remote sensing, record keeping systems, data interpretation and use, crops (corn, wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, peanut, cotton, vegetables, etc.), management scale, etc. Engineering Technology: Computers, positioning systems, DGPS, machinery, tillage, planting, nutrient and crop protection implements, manure, irrigation, fertigation, yield monitor and mapping, soil physical and chemical characteristic sensors, weed/pest mapping, etc. Profitability: MEY, net returns, BMPs, optimum recommendations, crop quality, technology cost, sustainability, social impacts, marketing, cooperatives, farm scale, crop type, etc. Environment: Nutrient, crop protection chemicals, sediments, leaching, runoff, practices, field, watershed, on/off farm, artificial drainage, ground water, surface water, etc. Technology Transfer: Skill needs, education, training, outreach, methods, surveys, agri-business, producers, distance education, Internet, simulations models, decision support systems, expert systems, on-farm experimentation, partnerships, quality of rural life, etc.