Analyzing the impact of precision farming on the yield of grain crops based on production functions

Abstract

Subject. The article discusses Russia’s food security, problems of introducing modern models of agricultural machinery, development of precision farming. Objectives. The aim is to determine the degree of the impact of digitalization of grain production on its economic efficiency, develop an algorithm to assess the impact of precision farming on the yield of grain crops. Methods. The study employs the modified Cobb–Douglas production function, supplemented by the "specific weight of crops cultivated by using elements of precision farming" variable. Results. The evaluation of the production function parameters established that an increase in the share of crops treated by using elements of precision farming by 1% in agricultural organizations of the Nizhny Novgorod Oblast contributes to an increase in the yield of grain crops by more than two hundred kilograms per hectare on average, and the average yield by 13.7% is formed due to the effect of the use of precision farming technologies. Conclusions. The developed methodological algorithm for assessing the digital transformation of grain production is important for strategic development of the agricultural industry as a whole.