title: An assessment of producer precision dairy farming technology use, prepurchase considerations, and usefulness.
abstract: An online survey to identify producer precision dairy farming technology perception was distributed in March 2013 through web links sent to dairy producers through written publications and e-mail. Responses were collected in May 2013 and 109 surveys were used in statistical analysis. Producers were asked to select parameters monitored by technologies on their farm from a predetermined list and 68.8% of respondents indicated technology use on their dairies (31.2% of producers not using technologies). Daily milk yield (52.3%), cow activity (41.3%), and mastitis (25.7%) were selected most frequently. Producers were also asked to score the same list of parameters on usefulness using a 5-point scale (1=not useful and 5=useful). Producers indicated (mean ± SE) mastitis (4.77±0.47), standing estrus (4.75±0.55), and daily milk yield (4.72±0.62) to be most useful. Producers were asked to score considerations taken before deciding to purchase a precision dairy farming technology from a predetermined list (1=not important and 5=important). Producers indicated benefit-to-cost ratio (4.57±0.66), total investment cost (4.28±0.83), and simplicity and ease of use (4.26±0.75) to be most important when deciding whether to implement a technology. Producers were categorized based on technology use (using technology vs. not using technology) and differed significantly across technology usefulness scores, daily milk yield (using technologies: 4.83±0.07 vs. not using technologies: 4.50±0.10), and standing estrus (using technologies: 4.68±0.06 vs. not using technologies: 4.91±0.09). The same categories were used to evaluate technology use effect on prepurchase technology selection criteria and availability of local support (using technologies: 4.25±0.11 vs. not using technologies: 3.82±0.16) differed significantly. Producer perception of technology remains relatively unknown to manufacturers. Using this data, technology manufacturers may better design and market technologies to producer need.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546.
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Borchers
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal and Food Sciences, University of Kentucky, Lexington 40546. Electronic address: jbewley@uky.edu.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Bewley
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle; D003612:Dairying / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D010465:Perception; D013672:Technology / Q000191:economics / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*
keywords: parameter; precision dairy farming technology; producer perception; survey