How much can farmers pay for weeding robots? A Monte Carlo simulation study.

ABSTRACT: This paper investigates the Maximum Acquisition Values (MAVs) of weeding robots and their determinants in both organic and conventional sugar beet farming in Germany. The MAV is defined in this paper as the price of the weeding robot that renders the same net profit as the current weeding methods. For our analysis, a Monte Carlo simulation approach is used, combined with empirical data and data collected from weeding robot companies. The results show that the MAVs of mechanical weeding robots for organic farming are substantially higher than that of spot spraying robots for conventional farming. Technology attributes are more influential than labour cost in determining the MAVs of weeding robots: in organic farming, technology attributes such as area capacity and weeding efficiency impact

SUBMITTER: Shang L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10075499 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature