Diffusion of digital technologies in agriculture

• Applicant: Dr. Marius Michels
• Subject Area: Agricultural Economics, Agricultural Policy, Agricultural Sociology
• Term: since 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 524923577

Digitalization in agriculture is expected to bring many benefits to the agricultural sector. These include increased productivity, food quality, animal welfare, and farm income while reducing negative externalities of agricultural production through the use of digital technologies. Nevertheless, some of the usage rates in agriculture are much lower than expected, which, despite the benefits, also indicates barriers to the use of digital technologies. The questions of which factors influence the introduction of digital technologies in agriculture, as well as the costs and user-friendly handling of the technologies, are therefore among the highest priority areas for action and research from the perspective of practice and science. Therefore, the project aims to answer the following research questions: What is the current status of diffusion and dissemination of PAT applications or digital solutions for agriculture in Germany? How do farmers assess the maturity of PAT applications and digital solutions for agriculture using a developed maturity assessment framework? Which latent factors influence the intention to use a crop protection app within the framework of an integrated UTAUT-TTF model? What factors influence the concrete willingness to pay in euros for a crop protection app? What is the willingness to pay for a drone service for fertilizer mapping? What factors influence the willingness to pay for a drone service for fertilizer mapping? Thus, answering the research questions is not only relevant for the financial well-being of farmers, but also has a societal and political significance, as it can contribute to facilitating the diffusion of digital technologies and the associated external benefits. Accordingly, the results are important for political decision-makers and advisors of agricultural enterprises, but also for developers and providers of digital solutions in agriculture. Due to the methodologically innovative approaches, the results are also of interest to scientists.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants