What does actual precision ag ROI look like for mid-size operations? Let's talk real numbers.

I'm skeptical of precision agriculture ROI claims because most of the case studies I see are either from large US operations with very different cost structures, or from vendors selling the tools.

Sharing my own data and asking for others' experiences:

My operation: ~1,200 acres mixed grain, Saskatchewan.

Fungicide timing (2 seasons of data):

- Pre-tool: Applied on calendar + visual scouting. Applied 3 times in year 1, 2 times in year 2.

- With weather/disease pressure forecasting: Applied 2 times in year 1 (skipped one application in a low-pressure window), 2 times in year 2.

- Savings: 1 application across ~700 acres of wheat in year 1. At current product + application costs, roughly $X in savings (keeping this vague because rates vary a lot).

Yield difference: No meaningful change in yield (the whole point — I didn't sacrifice yield to skip the application).

Variable rate application (just starting): Too early for data but the theory is sound for my field variability.

Questions I'm actually trying to answer:

- Does the variable rate application ROI actually close for operations under 2,000 acres?

- What are the failure modes? When does precision ag advice lead you wrong?

Real data from other operations more useful than anything else here.