Olds College is working with TELUS Agriculture on assessing the return on investment of variable rate technology (VRT) which is a precision-ag approach allowing producers to manage defined areas of their fields differently. Researchers are working on an economic model to determine what level of variability is required to make investing in VRT worthwhile. For example, if producers can reduce 10 per cent of fertilizer used on a third of their acres without negative impact on yield, would it be worth investing in VRT? Early results indicate if producers can capitalize on the reduction in environmental footprint by accessing carbon credit programs, VRT should be included as part of the normal operations on the farm.
Partners/Funders: TELUS Agriculture