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Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613951326420992 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Truter, Karen Joane |
| author2 | Swanepoel, Pieter Andreas |
| author_browse | Swanepoel, Pieter Andreas Truter, Karen Joane |
| author_facet | Swanepoel, Pieter Andreas Truter, Karen Joane |
| author_sort | Truter, Karen Joane |
| collection | Thesis |
| dc_rights_str_mv | Stellenbosch University |
| description | Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135756 |
| institution | Stellenbosch University (South Africa) |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:44:18.274Z |
| license_str | Other — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| publisherStr | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository |
| spelling | oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/135756 Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems Truter, Karen Joane Swanepoel, Pieter Andreas Meyer, Ferdi Stellenbosch University. Faculty of AgriSciences. Dept. of Agronomy. Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Truter, K. J. 2026. Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems. Unpublished doctoral dissertation. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/8ae942c3-0426-4db0-bf53-a06ce3a82763 Sustainable intensification of field crop production requires management approaches that improve input efficiency while maintaining profitability and environmental integrity. Precision agriculture offers tools to achieve this by tailoring agronomic inputs such as seed and fertilizer to spatial field variability. However, in South Africa, the implementation of such site-specific management practices remains limited due to gaps in agronomic data, uncertainty about economic returns, and various barriers to adoption. This research, conducted within the framework of the global Data-Intensive Farm Management (DIFM) project, aimed to evaluate the decision-making factors, adoption dynamics, and agronomic and economic impacts of variable rate applications of seed and fertilizer in South African grain and oilseed production systems. The research followed a three-section approach based on the objectives. First, a systematic review summarized global and local research on decision-making factors influencing variable rate input management. The review revealed a wide range of methodologies for generating variable rate application recommendations, ranging from empirical, experience-based approaches to data-driven optimization models, and highlighted the need for context-specific frameworks that integrate management decisions, soil properties, and economic outcomes. Secondly, a national survey of local field crop producers quantified the status of precision agriculture adoption in South Africa. The results indicated that adoption is more advanced than previously reported, particularly for yield monitoring and variable rate technology, but constrained by factors such as high capital costs and technology knowledge. Thirdly, large-scale, on-farm precision trials were implemented in soybean, maize, and wheat production systems to quantify the yield responses to optimized flat- and variable-rate seeding and fertilizer management strategies. Twelve site-years of soybean, nineteen site-years of maize and six site-year of wheat results are included. Even though each crop had different outcomes, results mostly indicated that variable rate approaches improved yield outcomes compared to the producers’ status quo rates. Collectively, the findings confirm that more accurate input management decisions can enhance productivity and resource-use efficiency in South African field crops when informed by local data and adaptive decision frameworks. The integration of large-scale on-farm experimentation, advanced analytics, and producer engagement provides a scalable pathway for refining variable rate recommendations under diverse agroecological conditions. This research contributes to both the scientific and practical advancement of precision agriculture in South Africa by linking agronomic optimization with adoption behavior, thereby supporting the transition toward data-driven, sustainable crop production systems. Doctoral 2026-04-09T10:41:57Z 2026-04-09T10:41:57Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135756 en Stellenbosch University 180 pages application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| spellingShingle | Truter, Karen Joane Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems |
| title | Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems |
| title_full | Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems |
| title_fullStr | Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems |
| title_full_unstemmed | Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems |
| title_short | Utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in South African field crop production systems |
| title_sort | utilization of precision agriculture to improve agronomic management and increase profitability in south african field crop production systems |
| url | https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/135756 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT truterkarenjoane utilizationofprecisionagriculturetoimproveagronomicmanagementandincreaseprofitabilityinsouthafricanfieldcropproductionsystems |