Factors determining the adoption or non-adoption of precision agriculture by producers across the cotton belt

The purpose of this study was to determine factors influencing cotton producer adoption of Precision Agriculture in the cotton belt according to members of the American Cotton Producers of the National Cotton Council. The National Research CouncilÂs Board on Agriculture defines Precision Agriculture (PA) as Âa management strategy that uses information technologies to bring data from multiple sources to bear on decisions associated with crop production. For the purpose of this study, Precision Agriculture technologies included yield monitors, global positioning units, variable rate applicators, and similar components. Many studies have found that adoption of Precision Agriculture can be profitable for agricultural producers. However, the fact that Precision Agriculture is relatively new and unproven hinders rapid adoption by agricultural producers. According to the National Research Council Board of Agriculture widespread adoption relies on economic gains outweighing the costs of the technology. This study attempted to find the factors associated with adoption of these technologies in the cotton belt. The sample population consisted of cotton producer representatives from the leading cotton-producing states. A Delphi approach was utilized to establish a consensus of cotton producer perceptions of the advantages of adopting Precision Agriculture technologies. Advantages included more accurate farming (i.e., row spacing, reduced overlap, and cultivation). Barriers to adoption were also documented, questioning employee capability to operate equipment, learning curve, technology complexity, and uncertain return on investment

Building the Climate for Optimal Organizational Transfer of Learning: An Examination of USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service Employee Training Motivation and Perceived Training Transfer

Significant strides have been made in the human resources field over the last two decades; however, securing transfer of learning from formal training to the work setting still poses a problem. Following Ford and Baldwin’s (1988) Model of Training Transfer, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) employees were surveyed to examine if they are motivated and able to transfer skills learned in formal training into the work environment. Multiple regression analyses were utilized to determine which Learning Transfer System Inventory (LTSI) explanatory variables explained variance in self-perceived content recall and content transfer from an agency training series. This work identified personal, training, and work climate constructs indicative to this particular agency that at times are effective precursors to learning transfer. USDA-NRCS employees who completed the Conservation Boot Camp training series, a 3-week in-boarding training, comprised the sample for the study. A total of 268 responses (50.0%) were returned for analysis. It was concluded that significant relationships do exist between NRCS employees’ self-perceived content recall and content transferred scores and selected demographics and explanatory variables measuring learning constructs