This paper examines the prospects and challenges of developing and implementing precision agricultural technologies (PATs) in cocoa production in Ghana. A census of cocoa research scientists and a survey of cocoa extension agents (CEAs) in Ghana were taken. Five major challenges they perceived to pose serious challenges to the development and implementation of future PATs were: (a) farmer-demographic characteristics, (b) environmental, (c) educational, (d) economic, and (e) technical challenges. The main farmer-demographic characteristics expected to pose serious challenges to precision agriculture development and adoption in Ghana were age of farmers, farmers’ low level of education, farmers’ lack of computer knowledge, and subsistence farmers with low income. The most important environmental challenges expected to pose substantial challenge to PAT development and adoption were: lack of accessible road to farms, vegetation (mostly forest/trees) posing a challenge to the movement of some precision agriculture (PA) machinery, and undulating nature of topography of cocoa fields. Both scientists and CEAs perceived that the overall challenges to PATs development and implementation in Ghana would be substantial. There were no significant differences between scientists’ and CEAs’ perceived challenges anticipated in the development and implementation of PATs at 0.05 alpha level. This means that the overall prospect of developing and implementing PA in cocoa production in Ghana was perceived to be rather low. The study recommended, among others, the need for stakeholders to set up research unit purposely to develop PA technologies and methods taking into consideration the social-demographic and economic situation of farmers as well as environmental factors—such as soil type, vegetation and topography of arable cocoa lands in Ghana. On-station trials of PATs should begin with these research units and later on-farm trials replicated on farmers’ farm. Moreover, initial targets and training of farmers should focus on literate farmers who are more likely to comprehend and apply features of PATs.

本文探讨了加纳可可生产中发展和实施精密农业技术（PAT）的前景和挑战。对加纳的可可研究科学家进行了一次人口普查，并对可可扩展剂（CEA）进行了调查。他们认为对未来的PATs的开发和实施构成严重挑战的五个主要挑战是：（a）农民人口特征，（b）环境，（c）教育，（d）经济和（e）技术挑战。预计对加纳的精准农业发展和采用构成严重挑战的主要农民人口统计学特征是农民的年龄，农民的教育水平低，农民缺乏计算机知识以及低收入的自给自足的农民。预计将对PAT的开发和采用构成重大挑战的最重要的环境挑战是：缺乏通往农场的道路，植被（主要是森林/树木），对某些精密农业（PA）机械的运动构成了挑战，以及农作物的起伏不定。可可场的地形。科学家和CEA都认为，加纳PATS开发和实施的总体挑战将是巨大的。在0.05 alpha水平的PAT的开发和实施中，科学家和CEA所感知到的挑战之间没有显着差异。这意味着在加纳可可生产中开发和实施PA的总体前景被认为很低。该研究建议，除其他外，利益相关者需要专门成立研究部门，以发展农民保护技术和方法，同时考虑到农民的社会人口和经济状况以及加纳可可耕地的土壤类型，植被和地形等环境因素。PATs的现场试验应从这些研究单位开始，随后在农民的农场上重复进行农场试验。此外，农民的最初目标和培训应集中在有文化的农民，他们更可能理解和应用PAT的功能。PATs的现场试验应从这些研究单位开始，随后在农民的农场上重复进行农场试验。此外，农民的最初目标和培训应集中在有文化的农民，他们更可能理解和应用PATs的功能。PATs的现场试验应从这些研究单位开始，随后在农民的农场上重复进行农场试验。此外，农民的最初目标和培训应集中在有文化的农民，他们更可能理解和应用PAT的功能。