Smart Agriculture in Southeast State of Brazil: An Overview of Technology and Adoption

During the second decade of the twenty-first century, a new array of agricultural technologies, including smart farming (SF), has started to gain traction among agribusiness organizations and stakeholders. The objective of this research is to pinpoint the smart farming technologies utilized in grain production systems in Brazil and to assess farmers’ perceptions regarding technical support for SF. A survey was carried out with farmers, resulting in 119 valid responses. The study employed non-probabilistic sampling, focusing on grain farmers whose farms generated over 50% of their total revenue from grains. The findings reveal that soil sampling stands out as the primary precision agriculture technology implemented in the production systems under review, with smartphone applications for agricultural management being the most commonly used information technology. The machinery utilized in grain production systems is currently undergoing a digital transformation, largely driven by the increased availability of sensor-equipped and automated equipment. Nevertheless, there remains a question regarding the readiness of farmers and support personnel to effectively monitor and capitalize on the potential of SF technologies within farms.