Best Tools for Farm Sustainability: 10 Compared

The best tools for farm sustainability are the ones that cut waste on your own fields: soil tests, no-till and cover-crop equipment, drip irrigation with soil moisture sensors, GPS guidance, variable-rate kit and good safety gear. Each tool below comes with a dated number from USDA, FAO, SARE or a university, so you can see what the evidence says before you spend money.

Sustainable here means three things: less input waste, healthier soil and water, and a farm that stays in business. A tool that saves fertilizer but never pays back is not sustainable for the farmer. That is why this guide also includes a payback calculator.

Best tools for farm sustainability at a glance

The table lists ten tool groups, what each one targets and the main number behind it. Every row has its own section below with the source.

How we chose and checked these tools

We kept tools that have a public number behind them from a government agency, a university or a United Nations body. We left out claims such as “up to 50% more yield”, because no source we opened supports one figure for all farms. The old version of this page had a table of yield gains per tool with no source. We removed it.

The data are mostly from the United States, plus FAO global guidance on irrigation and a worldwide no-till study. Results differ by soil, climate and crop. Treat each number as a starting point and test on a small block first.

1. Soil test kit and sampling probe

Every other tool on this list works better when you know what the soil already holds. A University of Arizona guide says growers should test their soils regularly, if not every season, before planting each crop, and that a test report shows which amendments to apply. A sampling probe, clean buckets and a lab report are the basic kit. Get a lab quote and compare it with your yearly fertilizer bill.

Good sampling matters. The same guide stresses using an appropriate protocol so the sample represents the land. Take samples by zone, not one per farm. If you use field maps from yield data or satellite images, sample each zone separately.

Fertilizer and lime rules differ by state and country. Follow your lab and local extension advice, and follow the product label and local rules.

2. No-till drill and planter

No-till seeding leaves the soil unturned, which can cut erosion and the number of passes over the field. It is already common. USDA Census of Agriculture data analysed in Choices magazine show no-till on 27.5% of US cropland in 2022, up from 25.3% in 2012. The same study found cover crops on only 4.7% of cropland in 2022.

Chart

Cover crops cover far less land than no-till

Share of US cropland, 48 contiguous states, %

The yield picture is mixed. A global meta-analysis in Nature (2015) used 5,463 paired yield observations from 610 studies in 63 countries. It found that no-till reduces yields overall, but that the loss is smaller when residue is kept on the soil and crops are rotated. In dry climates, no-till combined with those two practices raised rainfed yields.

So the tool is only half the plan. A no-till drill without residue cover and a rotation may cost you yield. Ask a local extension agent which crops and soils in your area have trial results.

3. Cover crop seeder

Cover crops protect bare soil between cash crops. SARE, the US sustainable agriculture programme, reports that farmers in a national survey saw corn yields 3% higher and soybean yields 4.9% higher after five consecutive years of cover crops. In the 2012 drought year, farmers reported 9.6% for corn and 11.6% for soybeans. SARE also gives an average reduction in nitrogen losses of 48%.

Chart

Yield change with cover crops

Change in yield, farmer-reported, %

These are survey results from farmers, not a guarantee. They also leave out costs. An Iowa State University study (2018) based on focus groups and surveys of farmers in Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota and other states found large differences in net returns. Seed, planting and termination costs, cost-share payments, grazing and yield effects all moved the result. For most farmers, cost-share payments did not cover all costs. Farmers who grazed or harvested the cover crop for forage had positive returns.

Tools that help: a seed drill or a broadcast seeder that suits your timing, a roller-crimper or sprayer for termination, and a field map so you can test the practice on a few acres first. SARE says a cover crop can start to pay in the first year or may take several years.

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4. Drip irrigation and soil moisture sensors

Water is where tool choice shows up in plain numbers. FAO gives indicative field application efficiencies by method (training manual, 1989): about 60% for surface irrigation, 75% for sprinklers and 90% for drip. FAO adds that these are indicative values and that poor farmer discipline can lower them.

Chart

Water that reaches the crop, by irrigation method

Indicative field application efficiency, %

Drip is not right for every crop. A University of Kentucky fact sheet says drip is essential for many specialty crops and also used on larger farms and orchards for watering and fertigation. It also advises using soil moisture sensors, either tensiometers or electronic probes, to help decide how much water the crop needs.

The efficiency of a whole scheme also depends on canals and pipes. FAO shows that long earthen canals in sandy soil can lose much more water than short lined ones. If you pump from a well, check pump, filter and pressure first.

5. GPS guidance and auto-steer

In US row crops, guidance is used on a larger share of acres than yield maps, soil maps or variable-rate tools (USDA ERS, 2023). USDA’s Economic Research Service reports auto-steer on 5.3% of planted corn acres in 2001 and 58% in 2016. For 2019 it estimates 72.9% of sorghum and 64.5% of cotton acres. ERS says guidance systems can cut in-cab time and may reduce fuel use, emissions and compaction by cutting overlapping passes.

Chart

Auto-steer and guidance adoption, US planted acres

Share of planted acres, %, survey year shown

Farm size matters. ERS found that at least half of the relatively large row crop farms use yield maps, soil maps, variable-rate technology or guidance. Less than 25% of the farms in the smallest fifth by acreage do, except for cotton. Scale benefits may explain part of this gap.

If you run a small farm, start with a used guidance receiver or a lightbar before a full auto-steer kit. Compare quotes and ask a neighbour what a season of use looked like.

▶ Seven green farming technologies for saving water, fuel and fertilizer. · 2:24

6. Variable-rate and section-control kit

Variable-rate technology changes the rate of seed, fertilizer or chemical across a field. Section control switches parts of a planter or sprayer off over areas already covered. ERS notes that if these tools lead to lower fertilizer rates or better timing and placement, nutrient leaching and run-off could be reduced. It also notes that adoption of variable-rate tools is still limited.

ERS data show yield maps, soil maps and variable-rate technology on only 5-25% of planted acres for winter wheat, cotton, sorghum and rice. Corn and soybeans have used them for many years. ERS also says the societal benefits, such as water quality downstream, still need more research.

Many farms use a custom applicator or rent equipment instead of buying. ERS reports on the fees for custom variable-rate application. Ask local custom operators for their fee and compare it with your own saving in the calculator below.

Will a sustainability tool pay for itself?

No national figure can tell you. The saving depends on your soil, your input prices and how variable your fields are. The calculator below uses your own numbers. The default values are examples set near break-even. They are not benchmarks, forecasts or a promise of savings. Replace them with your own acres, prices and quotes.

Try the numbers for your own farm below.

7. Calibrated sprayers and spreaders

A sprayer or spreader that is not calibrated wastes money and can harm neighbours and water. Calibration means checking that the machine applies the rate you set. Nozzle wear, speed and pressure all change the real rate. Check them every season and after any repair.

Pesticide use is regulated. In the United States, the EPA’s Worker Protection Standard covers more than 2 million agricultural workers and pesticide handlers at over 600,000 agricultural establishments, with training and safety rules. Rules differ in Canada, the UK, the EU and Australia. Always follow the product label and local rules, and get advice from a licensed adviser for doses and timing.

8. Yield monitors and field maps

A yield monitor records how much the crop yields as the combine moves. ERS says the data are used to build yield maps, which show which parts of the field yield less and help set variable-rate plans. It also says yield monitors are now standard on new equipment.

Use the map to ask a question: why does this corner yield low? Drainage, compaction, pH or a pest patch can all be the cause. Soil samples and a walk through the field answer it. Then you can decide whether a different seed, lime or drainage fix would help.

9. Satellite crop monitoring

Satellite images give a regular view of every field, including those you cannot visit often. They show change in plant greenness and growth over time. They do not show the cause. A pale patch can mean water stress, a nutrient problem, pests or just a different soil, so use the image to decide where to walk.

Farmonaut Satellite + AI Farm Monitoring System offers satellite field monitoring, with a Farmonaut app. Look at any tool of this type on a trial field before you roll it out, and compare it with your own scouting notes.

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10. Safety equipment and basic maintenance tools

Sustainable also means the people can keep working. Ohio State University says tractor rollovers account for 50 percent of tractor-related deaths in the United States, and that a rollover protective structure (ROPS) is 99.9 percent effective in preventing death or serious injury when used with a seat belt. ROPS do not prevent the rollover.

Noise is the second everyday risk. OSHA says exposure over 85 decibels can damage hearing and that noise-induced hearing loss is permanent. If you must raise your voice to speak to someone 3 feet away, noise may be over 85 dBA. Use hearing protection around tractors, chainsaws and harvesters.

Add gloves, boots, eye protection and a sprayer suit when the label calls for it. A basic maintenance kit with grease guns, spare belts, bearings and filters keeps machines running efficiently and helps avoid breakdowns during harvest.

Everyday tools that still matter

Not every sustainable tool is digital. Plows, harrows and cultivators prepare seedbeds on farms that till. Combines, balers and threshers bring the crop in. Pruning shears and chainsaws look after orchards and woodlots. Choose them for your crop and size, and maintain them well. Keeping a well-maintained machine in service for longer can postpone the cost of replacing it.

How to choose your first tools

1. Start with a soil test and yield map so you know where the waste is.
2. Pick the one input that costs you most: fertilizer, water, fuel or labour.
3. Trial the tool on one field or a small part of one.
4. Run the calculator with real quotes and a cautious saving.
5. Check for cost-share or grants in your country, such as USDA programmes in the US, and talk to your extension adviser.
6. Review results after one season and keep records.

FAQ

What are the best tools for farm sustainability?

Start with tools that reduce waste and are backed by data: soil testing, drip irrigation with soil moisture sensors, GPS guidance, variable-rate or section-control equipment, and cover-crop or no-till equipment where they fit your crop. Safety gear belongs on every list.

Which sustainable farm tool has the fastest payback?

It depends on the farm. Get a lab quote for a soil test and compare it with your yearly fertilizer bill. For cover crops, SARE says they can begin to pay in the first year or take a few years. Use the calculator with your own quotes.

Does no-till always improve yields?

No. A Nature meta-analysis found that no-till reduces yields overall. The loss is smaller when residue is kept and crops are rotated, and in dry climates the combination raised rainfed yields.

How much water does drip irrigation save?

FAO gives indicative field application efficiency of about 90% for drip, 75% for sprinklers and 60% for surface irrigation. The real saving depends on your current system and management, so measure before and after.

Can small farms use precision tools?

Yes, but use is lower on small farms. USDA ERS found that less than 25% of row crop farms in the smallest fifth by acreage use yield maps, soil maps, variable-rate technology or guidance, except for cotton. Custom services and used equipment lower the entry cost.

Related pages on our site: farm tools, harvesting equipment, yield mapping, automatic irrigation, fleet management page, carbon footprint page, traceability page, sustainable forest management, crop loan and insurance page, weather data for developers.