This comprehensive review delved into the economic and environmental benefits of Digital Agricultural Technologies (DATs) in crop production, synthesising data from 136 peer-reviewed papers and 28 documents with empirical data from relevant EU projects. This analysis highlighted the substantial contribution of DATs across five key categories: Recording and Mapping Technologies (RMT), Guidance and Controlled Traffic Farming (CTF) Technologies, Variable Rate Technologies (VRT), Robotic Systems or Smart Machines (RSSM), and Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS).
The review has established that the economic and environmental benefits of DATs are closely linked, with gains in efficiency directly contributing to reduced environmental impacts. These benefits illustrate the pivotal role of DATs in facilitating a transition toward agricultural systems that are both more sustainable and economically viable. However, the maximisation of these benefits necessitates overcoming barriers to adoption, such as the need for improved integration across DAT platforms, the development of user-friendly interfaces for a diverse range of users, and the creation of supportive policy environments.