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Author Archives: Earthling Interactive

  1. Secret to Success in Precision Ag? Harnessing Agronomy Expertise

     

    Precision Ag Expertise: Essential Piece of the Puzzle

    Today’s growing popularity of objective agronomic experts are gaining among growers as the go-to resources for unbiased agronomic advice. And when it comes to good precision management, farmers are using these experts to help integrate all systems — in other words, how to use the intelligence revealed in the data to make good decisions about how to maximize productivity in each
different field zone.

    As Markus Braaten, Manager of Agronomic Precision Services with Agri-Trend’s Knowledge Team, explains, soil and land conditions vary — so that means growers have to know how to adapt to this field variability. This allows them to can squeeze the best possible yield, for the lowest cost, out of each management zone.

    For farmers new to precision ag, a good place to start this spring is to focus on acquiring a good overall understanding of fields that have the most variability, ie productivity.

    “If one part of the field is yielding 20 bu and another part 200 bu, this becomes the logical point of entry into a shift toward precision management,” says Braaten. “These fields offer a golden opportunity.”

    Farmers need to keep in mind, he cautions, that just because a field has great variability doesn’t mean you have to manage that variability.

    “What’s important is the degree in significance of variability,” he says. “Ultimately it’s about variability in profit. If I am making $100 profit in some parts of the field and losing $100 in others — this is where we focus on savings.”

    Where Agronomy Meets Technology

    Daniel Hedgecock echos this sentiment. In fact, he runs a new Vantage dealership in North Carolina, whose slogan is: We merge the gap between agronomy and technology.

    Technology has been developing at a rapid pace — but it isn’t always geared toward agronomy leading the way,” says Hedgecock. “In this way, we’ve kind of put the cart before the horse. The agronomy is meant to lead the technology.”

    He spends his days helping growers fine tune the way they are collecting and managing data, so that it’s informing agronomic decisions every step of the way.

    “Guidance is great but it’s meant to do so much more,” he says. “From an agronomy perspective you want the technology to help you make more informed decisions. In the end it all comes down to the cost for the grower — they need to be thinking about how to re-allocate my resources so I can improve my return on investment. Technology is not just meant to help you drive a straight line — it’s meant to help reallocate resources. VR seeding makes a lot more sense when you are putting more money in your pocket.”

    Hedgecock says a key priority is helping farmers integrate their technology and precision ag hardware equipment in a way that informs agronomic decisions in a meaningful way.

     

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  2. New Weather Tool Boosts Bottom Line

    Farmers have always been obsessed with the weather. What’s different now is that with new technologies and greater understanding they can mitigate some of its impact on their bottom line.

    Farmers, by nature, are notoriously obsessive about the weather — and rightly so. It touches all aspects of their life and livelihood.
    In most instances, the relationship between farmers and the weather is very one-sided. Mother Nature is the boss — she levels the judgement and farmers find themselves either reaping the benefits or salvaging the remains.

    But what if there was a different way to look at weather and we were able to respond in a proactive way?

    While growers can’t influence the weather, they can influence, through their management decisions, how broad weather patterns affect their bottom line. Think of it as Precision Weather — just one step away from Precision Agriculture.

    What’s important for farmers is understanding how both current weather conditions as well as historic weather data impact their potential productivity, and then adjusting where they can.

    Enter: Premium Weather by Trimble Ag Software

    Trimble’s Ag Premium Weather is the ultimate agricultural weather application that offers field level precision. Ag Premium Weather is your ticket to up-to-date tracking of precipitation, temperature and growing degree days without the worry of physical rain gauges or expensive in-field hardware. With Ag Premium Weather you get current and historical precipitation data, which will enable you to improve operational planning, anticipate yield potential and adjust yield goals.

     

    Key Features:

    • Integrated with the fastest and most reliable weather information available.
    • View rainfall variability within a field for any date range.
    • Access high definition weather data with field-level precision.
    • Optimize water usage by not turning on irrigators in areas that have received adequate rainfall.
    • View up-to-date growing degree days to predict swathing and harvest timing.
    • Determine field workability based on recent rainfall volume and intensity.
    • Forecast crop staging, insect emergence and disease risk.

    Master rainfall trends: Plan your day better by remotely tracking how much rainfall each field received and when – all without checking a single rain gauge.

    Understand growing-degree day trends: Receive day-to-day information on how many heat units are accumulating at the field this season and compare with historical averages.

     

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  3. Thrive in Volatile Times – Guaranteed Success in Precision Ag

    As farmers contemplate the upcoming planting season, many are wondering how to measure the value of on-farm technology investments — especially when it comes to adopting precision ag practices.

    The key? Good assessment. Check out these 4 tips that will act as a great measuring stick for guiding investment decisions this crop year.

    Markus Braaten, manager of agronomic precision services with the Agri-Trend Knowledge Team, says farmers moving toward precision management are best to remember that precision ag is as much about agronomy as technology.

    “With enough cash, it’s easy to become an early adopter in farming. This industry has been advancing at lightning speed in recent years, with new and innovative technology hitting the market on a daily basis,” says Braaten. “For growers, just keeping up can be a challenge — let alone finding the time to conduct the research and running the ROI calculations required to make good buying decisions.”

    To help growers navigate this field, Braaten has outlined a method for measuring the potential benefits of investing in a long-term precision management strategy for your farm.

    Often, he says, it comes down to one question: What agronomic benefits would this new technology bring? In the end, technology is just a tool that may or may not improve crop yield, crop quality and, as a result, your bottom line.

    1. Agronomics as a Measuring Stick

    It’s easy to become enamoured with new technology, but don’t allow it to override the importance of solid agronomics as you evaluate investments in your precision management strategy.

    Let’s begin with a clear understanding of what precision ag means. It is a farm management concept based on observing, measuring and responding to variability in crops both among fields, and within fields.

    Crop variability typically has both a spatial and temporal component, which makes statistical/computational treatments quite involved.

    The ‘holy grail’ of precision agriculture research will be the ability to define a Decision Support System (DSS) for whole-farm management, with the goal of optimizing returns on inputs while preserving resources.

    The reality today is that seemingly simple concepts such the ability to define management zones — areas where different management practices will apply — for a single crop type on a single field over time can be a difficult task. Many growers are turning to crop advisors who specialize in this area, and employ farm data software that helps produce smart, cost-saving data-driven decisions.

    2. Understanding the difference between Precision Ag and VRT

    First, let’s challenge one of the most common myths in precision ag — i.e., that it is the same as VRT. Precision management strategies may include Variable Rate Technology, but it’s only one aspect of the overall plan.

    Often in the agriculture industry, PA and VR are used interchangeably. Also, many growers assume that adopting a precision strategy means immediately switching to VR nitrogen, for example.

    Indeed, this may be the way to go. But first the grower must determine yield variability across the field, by answering the following questions:

    • Does this field have significant yield variability?
    • What’s driving that variability?
    • What’s the most appropriate course of action to address this variability?

    Until these questions are answered, it’s impossible to determine whether VR application will pay off. For example, maybe this analysis will reveal that a section of the field shouldn’t be farmed at all — that the most economical use would be pasture land. In such a case, VR would be a waste of money.

    3. Viewing Precision Ag as a Strategic Compromise

    VR is rarely, if ever, going to be a universal fit for every acre on your farm. The value of commodities is constantly changing, as are the costs of seed and inputs. Regular ROI calculations are essential.

    This is why understanding yield variability is so important. If it ranges from 20 to 120 bu/ac across one field, precision ag strategies will pay off more than in a field where the yield variability is next to nil.

    You could consider PA as a strategic compromise. With limited time and resources, growers must make choices about when, where and how to use them. Some soil issues, such as managing potassium, will happen over the long term. Others, such as managing nitrogen, sulphur and other mobile nutrients, will be hands-on every year.

    But in all cases, the effort extended on each zone will depend on its yield potential. Zones that could produce 160 bu/ac deserve more attention than those with a capacity to grow a 20 bu/ac crop regardless of interventions.

    4. Understanding the Limits of Soil Testing and Grid Sampling

    Often, the factors impacting the productivity of a field or zone are beyond our control, i.e. they are a function of depth of profile, water holding capacity, topography, drainage, etc.

    Growers moving into precision ag tend to want to start with soil test, but it may not be necessary. Soil tests are excellent tools that are best used when landscape-type barriers are not present.

    In the U.S., many precision ag strategies are based on grid sampling. For US$5 an acre, they get access to field data and prescription maps.

    But the blanket approach may not be the best approach. First, there are places in the field that, due to landscape limitations, may not require a soil test. Second, there is a danger in that if you build a fertility program that uses yield potential based on soil tests alone, it will not be accurate or cost-effective. If low productivity is a function of something other than soil fertility — something that cannot be fixed — then the grower will not want to utilize resources in that area.

    5. Begin by Measuring Biomass

    Once growers decide to move forward with precision ag, they’ll want to begin by focussing on what is causing variability across their fields.

    The best indicator for this is biomass, or the biological material derived from living organisms, a key indicator of productivity.

    PowerZone maps are particularly suited to capturing an accurate measure of biomass across a field. They provide information on productivity variability over a number of years. If landscape issues are causing low productivity in certain areas, this will be revealed on the PowerZone maps.

     

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  4. Thrive in Volatile Times – The Secret to Success in AgTech

    Farmers today are under increasing pressure to produce higher yields, while soft commodity prices are forcing them to lower costs.

    In order to achieve this, farmers need a software platform that helps them leverage their farm data into timely decisions that save money and maximize profits on the farm. This is especially important as growers move toward more and more precision ag practices on their farms. For precision management to work, farmers need to be able to view recommendations from their trusted advisors 24/7, and make quick adjustments when necessary. They will also find themselves referring to historical application records and tracking fleet locations with status updates. This kind of real-time management is needed to give farmers the power to make smarter data-driven decisions.

    Compounding this trend are the growing number of hurdles farmers are facing when it comes to technology integration. When they mix precision ag hardware and software with third-party vendors, the results can lead to lost time due to data re-entry, USB data transfer or multiple support entities.

    Given that many farmers today are evaluating various data platforms in search of the most efficient, comprehensive and easy-to-use solution for their farm, we came up with a 4-Step Ag Software Checklist we hope will help growers focus in on the key attributes needed to lay the groundwork for success.

    Here’s what to look for in a farm data software platform:

    1. Seamless Integration Between Hardware, Software and Services

    One of the greatest challenges facing farmers today is getting their hardware and software to work together and, ideally, generate ROI. With multiple manufacturers and competing support teams involved, technology integration can become a significant drain on time and resources.

    By accessing hardware and software from the same company, support and integration becomes seamless and the farmer can concentrate on running a successful business.

    One option on the market, Trimble’s total farm management system — which integrates data from most types of equipment, farm practices, crop types, and over various computing devices (guidance displays, desktop computers, smartphones) — facilitates collaboration between farmers and the partners they interact with every day.

    To address this issue, Trimble has integrated multiple technologies — hardware, software and mobile devices — to enable its customers to succeed.

    2. Farm Data Management Tool That Enables Precision Ag

    Most of the new equipment farmers are buying today comes equipped with variable rate technology (VRT) and other features needed to implement precision ag. The challenge is that without the software to measure, manage and adjust these recommendations in real time, VRT equipment often remains idle as growers over-apply in some areas of the field and under-apply in others.

    “Successful farmers know that precision ag is the key to the future, but many are waiting around for the technology to catch up,” says Benjamin Allen, Trimble Ag Software business lead. “We’ve created a farm data management tool that helps farmers work with their agronomist or crop advisor to implement, manage and measure the kind of precision management strategies that will soon become a normal part of doing business on the farm.”

    3. Mobile Capabilities Second to None in Today’s Ag Sector

    Farmers today need one software platform that enables accounting, mapping, agronomic tools, fleet management, weather tracking, employee management tools, imagery, inventory, budgeting and more — all from a smartphone or tablet.

    “Our customers need to check on important field applications and equipment performance every day,” says Bob Wold, software engineering manager for Trimble Agriculture. “We have enabled our end-to-end solution for both Android and Apple iOS devices in order to support our customers and their mobile work environments. We believe this focus on mobile device support is unique and powerful, and we aim to continue to provide the best mobile experience in the market.”

    4. Software That Supports Food Traceability Trend

    In response to increasing demand among today’s consumers to better understand how their food is produced, key players across the agriculture sector are ramping up efforts to track ingredients all the way up the food chain. To appeal to consumers, food retailers are pushing their suppliers to provide traceability-branded items. In turn, food processors are requiring more data from growers that documents how the crop was grown.

    As this papertrail becomes a regular cost of doing business, farmers are turning to comprehensive, reliable, mobile-friendly farm data management platforms that generate the required documentation without the headaches.

    Ag software must provide access to food traceability and quality inspection solutions throughout the fresh food supply chain. These tools enable food producers, distributors and retailers to meet food safety requirements, secure their supply chain and optimize product freshness and quality.

     

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  5. Trimble Ag Software Now Compatible With QuickBooks!

    Are you ready for tax season? The latest version of Trimble® Ag Software (desktop only) allows you to export your accounting information directly to QuickBooks®. This allows your accountant or tax preparer to import all of your current balances into their desktop version of QuickBooks.  This time saving feature simplifies data handling, eliminates potential mistakes and keeps everyone more connected.

     

    What Do I Need?

    How Does It Work?

     

    Still have questions? Our Trimble Ag Software experts are just a call or a click away.

     

    Trimble Ag Software Team

    1.800.282.4103

    TABS_Support@Trimble.com

  6. How to Have Grain Marketing Success

    Smart grain marketing can make or badly break your crop year. A farmer may have all the right agronomic strategies and technology tools to churn out impressive yields, but a lack of attention marketing that crop after harvest and into the winter months is what will ultimately guarantee success.

    To capture today’s best practices in grain marketing, we turned to seasoned Agri-Trend Market Coach Lawrence Klusa. He says marketing crops in uncertain times can be one of the greatest challenges facing farmers today.

    Adding to this was the continued turmoil in currency, interest rate and stock markets resulting from the collapse of oil prices, European Union deunification, continued terrorist threats, the political storm surrounding the U.S. election and the changing political priorities in Canada.

    “While this uncertainty persists, there are a number of effective strategies farmers can follow to achieve success,” says Klusa. “The most important of these strategies are planning, having the right tools to make good decisions and accessing the best advice. Together, these three tactics culminate towards making good management and marketing decisions.”

    At the end of the day, Klusa says the importance of actually executing on these key practices cannot be overstated — when you consider that even a 10 percent change in crop sale values on an average size farm, or a 10 cent per bushel change on large farms, can impact the bottom line by $100,000 dollars or more.

    Keeping this in mind, here are Klusa’s five strategies to grain pricing success:

    1: Know Your Farm Operations

    While some farmers have this covered off, farmers need to have a good understanding of what they can grow and how to grow it to maximize returns. Many Agri-trend clients have this covered off with the help of an Agri-trend agrology coach. Knowing what you can grow and how to grow it to maximize returns is a key to success.

    2: Know Your Farm Financials

    Another important aspect to a successful marketing strategy is knowing your farm financial numbers and understanding what the numbers mean. Farmers need to be able to identify which crops to grow to maximize returns and to have a sense of what price is required to sell that crop at a profit. Most crops, most of the time, will provide you with a price at some point during the crop year, which allows you to make a profit with that crop. Knowing which crops are profitable and what is a profitable price is another key to successful marketing plan.

    3: Have the Right Tools to Make Decisions

    To make good decisions, farmers, like all good business managers, need to have the best information available so they can make most informed decisions possible. Trimble Ag Software keeps farmers up to date with the most relevant current and historical crop, financial and grain marketing information. Access to good information is another key factor for a successful marketing strategy.

    4: Understand the Grain Markets

    To have a successful grain marketing strategy, a farmer needs to have a good sense of market fundamentals — or have access to someone with an in-depth understanding of the markets. A good market analyst will be able to identify which commodities have the best upside potential, which are likely to remain flat and which crop prices are likely to decline going forward.

    Understanding commodity markets and potential market direction is another key to a successful marketing strategy.

    5: Understand Market Timing

    Market timing is a very important aspect of any market strategy, especially in times of falling commodity prices. Important aspects of marketing timing include:

    • understanding farm cash flow needs
    • knowing which crops to sell first and which crops to hold
    • choosing the right pricing vehicle at different time periods throughout the crop year
    • knowing when to be aggressive and when to be defensive in terms of setting prices, choosing new cropping ideas and making large capital purchases.

  7. Save Money With New Ways to Manage Farm Debt

    There are several options out there for farmers who need to access funds to finance a new project or assist with cashflow needs. The challenge is determining which option offers the best solution to fit your financing needs, your budget and your unique farming operation.

    First, let’s look at the situation from the point of view of the lender. Before sitting down to a meeting, be sure to consider their needs. The lender will want to clearly understand the project they are being asked to finance, so go in with all the necessary material. They will also want to know if the farm will be able to generate enough extra cash flow to repay the mortgage and interest. In addition, the lender is going to need to understand how the loan will be paid back in case the project fails.

    As a general rule, open two-way communication with lenders is the best way to set the groundwork for a successful financial arrangement. Consider providing descriptive cash flow models and detailed business plans — both are great tools to help convince a lender that they would be entering into a relationship with a farmer that has a firm understanding of his operation’s finances.

    Second, let’s consider two general guidelines that help align the credit facility with the project to be financed:

    1. Make a Good Match

    Align the amortization period of the loan with the longevity of the underlying asset, i.e. long-term assets should be financed with long term financial products, intermediate assets with intermediate financial products and short-term assets/cash flow needs with short term/revolving financial products.

    Long-term financing

    If you want to buy farmland or buildings, which have a useful life of more than 20 years, consider using long-term financial products such as mortgages (fixed or variable term). On average, these financial products have very low interest rates, as they are normally secured by appreciating assets. Furthermore, some of these low interest rates can be locked in for up to 20 years. Right now, several financial institutions offer interest rates in the two percent range.

    Intermediate financing

    Next in line are the intermediate loans, which includes equipment loans. These loans have normal amortization periods between three and seven years, but are typically about five years for farm implements such as tractors and combines. Shorter terms are available for items such as computers that typically have a shorter lifespan. These loans carry higher interest rates as they cover higher risk assets. For example, a combine bought with such a loan depreciates in value and can be easily disposed of by the owner without informing the financial institution.

    Short term financing

    Short-term loans/revolving credit lines have an amortization period of up to one year and are normally utilized for day-to-day operating cash flow. These loans are used to buy crop input such as seed, fertilizer and chemicals as well as feed and medication for livestock. The interest rates of these loans vary considerably and are dependent on the asset used to secure them. The general idea of the loan is that it is repaid once a year and is only used for a certain time frame during the year, such as to bridge the time between seeding the crop and selling the crop. There are many kinds of short term loans — from credit lines on the account, to cash advances through the Canola Growers Association, to supplier credit and credit cards.

    2. Manage Interest Costs

    Pay off high-interest loans first and low-interest loans last. Below are two examples of paying off $150,000 borrowed to pay for crop inputs during the year. The only difference between the two options is the interest charged for each product.

    The first example shows how using revolving credit wisely can save in the farmer over $1,500 for borrowing money for six-month period. In the first case, a producer borrows $100,000 from the Cash Advance program of the Canola Growers Association with an interest rate of 0%. The remaining $50,000 is borrowed from a financial institution in the form of a revolving loan with an annual interest rate of 4%. The interest for the first example is $163.69.

    In the second case, a producer borrows $100,000 from supplier such as a fertilizer dealer with an interest rate of 12.63% and using a credit card for the rest of $ 50,000 with an annual interest rate of 19.75%. Now the farmer has to pay $1,752.73. The difference is $1,589.04, which is considerably more than the first example.

    In the end, these two strategies can work hand in hand to lower your borrowing costs as well as your financial stress. First, work carefully to build a strong case showing why the bank should lend the money to the farm. Second, align duration of financing with the asset’s life. Third, try to repay high interest loans/ mortgages first and low interest loans/mortgages last.

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  8. Introducing The New Precision Ag Paradigm

    A 2014 survey of prairie farmers that looked at the Adoption Rate of Precision Farming Practices suggested that, “those who have actually adopted precision farming could be still termed early adopters, if not innovators.”

    I would argue that the survey’s creators were not asking the right questions. I believe that a large percentage of you have been practicing precision farming for a while now – if you have a different fertilizer blend for your different crops or you vary that blend by field based on your knowledge of field productivity or if you vary that blend within the field base on your knowledge of zone productivity, you are doing precision management. If you put manure on the hill tops or lime only the low pH areas in the field or put unproductive zones into permanent grass, you are doing precision management. All these strategies put the right management in the right spot, which is my definition of “Precision Ag”.

    In fact, I believe previous definitions and incantations of Precision Ag have done farmers a disservice, convincing them that they need all the latest gizmotology to start doing Precision Ag. We need to change the current Precision Ag paradigm of variable rate this or that to one of using holistic zone management strategies that are in-line with farmer’s goal of making a decent living.

    Notice there was not one mention of technology in that definition nor I did say “to maximize yield”, we need to grow profitable bushels/acre by focusing on good agronomy. How do we do that? Well first we must recognize that the gizmotology – the maps, monitors, sensors and equipment are all just tools… tools to be welded by the farmer and their coach in a manner that assists in the management of variable yield potential and the growing of profitable bushels. Secondly to grow profitable bushels, we need to start speaking in terms of CPUP or Cost Per Unit of Production. This becomes a universal language as it doesn’t matter if we are talking bushels, tonnes or pecks. It may seem strange for an agronomist to initially focus on a financial consideration rather that some piece of agronomic advice but only if we know the budget we are working within can we allocate or reallocate scarce resources to grow those profitable bushels.

    Example 1 is a 57 acre flat-rated irrigated HRS wheat field near Bozeman, MT with a target yield of 140 bu/ac. By looking at just 2 of his expenses – seed and fertilizer, we get an average CPUP of $1.93/unit in this case, bushels.

    Example 2 – we recognize that all fields have some degree of variability, so what we want to do is manage this variable yield potential across the field. So with the help of the client, we identified his expected yield range across that field resulting in target yields from 110 to 160 bushels. Now our CPUP by zone ranges from $1.69 to $2.46/bu for this high producing field with very little variability.

    Example 3 – what if we had a little more variability, say target yields that ranged from 60 bu in the low producing zones to 160 bu in the high producing zones?

    Using the same acreage breakdown as our example field, our average target yield is 122 bu/ac but our average CPUP is now $2.53/bu and if wheat price is still below $5.00/bu, we are close to losing money in Zone 1 before any herbicides, fungicides or additional herbicides are put down.

    Knowing this we can now make some educated agronomic decisions to reallocate resources and perhaps reducing inputs here and put it elsewhere in that field or another field. That is putting the “right management in the right spot”.

    At the end of the year if we had actuals – yield and product applied + pricing, we could develop “profit maps” where the reality of your decisions really becomes obvious, sometimes painfully.

    Creating a budget

    My colleague Susan Hodges, Geo-Coach out of Oakesdale, WA takes this notion a step further and includes paying yourself (ROI) in the expense mix. Imagine incorporating an expected Return on Investment (ROI) in your budget; paying yourself first and not just taking what is left over!

    By knowing target yields by zone and having an expected return on investment, we can create a budget.

    If we use a Target ROI of 8% and a market price of $5.03, we can calculate the maximum allowable expense per bushel using the formula below:

    To grow profitable bushels, start at the beginning of the growing season and keep all expenses (eg. seed, chemical, labour & machinery costs) less than calculated MAX CPUP to maintain the set ROI.

    Play with the expected ROI and market price based on your knowledge and experience. Keep this spreadsheet update throughout the season to best utilize this information. To be profitable, don’t just track expenses; be proactive and use CPUP to calculations in your whole farm strategy. Expenses can be evaluated AFTER the fact. However, as a Coach and proactive farmer, we want to utilize information BEFORE we make decisions. And in this situation, the information we have can help us budget a maximum cost of production or total expense per acre, getting us closer to our goal of 8% ROI. Locking in a value for ROI will help us secure our whole farm strategy.

    To get to profitable bushels/ac, tracking expenses is not an option.

    To that end, I look forward to the day when the paradigm shifts and the term “precision ag” disintegrates into just “farming” with an eye to managing variable yield potential to grow profitable bushels/acre by focusing on good agronomy in a way that just makes $en$e.

     

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  9. Use Technology on Your Farm to Cut Costs, Save Time and Drive Revenues

    Farmers today are under increasing pressure to produce higher yields, while soft commodity prices are forcing them to lower costs. In order to achieve this, farmers need a software platform that helps them leverage their farm data into timely decisions that save money and maximize profits on the farm. This is especially important as growers move toward more and more precision ag practices on their farms.

    For precision management to work, farmers need to be able to view recommendations from their trusted advisors 24/7, and make quick adjustments when necessary. They will also find themselves referring to historical application records and tracking fleet locations with status updates. This kind of real-time management is needed to give farmers the power to make smarter data-driven decisions.

    Compounding this trend are the growing number of hurdles farmers are facing when it comes to technology integration. When they mix precision ag hardware and software with third-party vendors, the results can lead to lost time due to data re-entry, USB data transfer or multiple support entities.

    To combat these barriers, growers are looking to new offerings such as Trimble Ag Software that provide seamless integration with its hardware solutions as well as with other manufacturers using Trimble’s API agreements. By using one technology platform backed by a global Trimble Vantage™ distribution network, farm data can flow wirelessly across the entire farm and with trusted advisors to ensure timely crop input recommendations. In addition, data re-entry is eliminated, saving time and reducing potential errors.

    Given that many farmers today are evaluating various data platforms in search of the most efficient, comprehensive and easy-to-use solution for their farm, we came up with a 4-Step Ag Software Checklist we hope will help growers focus in on the key attributes needed to lay the groundwork for success.

    Here’s what to look for in a farm data software platform:

    1. Seamless Integration Between Hardware, Software and Services

    One of the greatest challenges facing farmers today is getting their hardware and software to work together and, ideally, generate ROI. With multiple manufacturers and competing support teams involved, technology integration can become a significant drain on time and resources. By accessing hardware and software from the same company, support and integration becomes seamless and the farmer can concentrate on running a successful business. Trimble’s total farm management system — which integrates data from most types of equipment, farm practices, crop types, and over various computing devices (guidance displays, desktop computers, smartphones) — facilitates collaboration between farmers and the partners they interact with every day.

    “Trimble is transforming the way the agriculture value chain works,” says Darryl Matthews, senior vice president of Trimble. “Unfortunately, many of the existing agricultural technology solutions are either point solutions or are tied to a particular line of equipment or crop input. As a result, agricultural businesses are forced to implement multiple software solutions to manage their operations, leading to integration and maintenance burdens that inhibit growth.”

    To address this issue, Trimble has integrated multiple technologies — hardware, software and mobile devices — to enable its customers to succeed. “With software and services that work with a broad range of equipment manufacturers and crop inputs, Trimble is well positioned to partner with customers to enable them to more quickly experience the benefits that today’s technologies deliver,” adds Matthews.

    2. Farm Data Management Tool That Enables Precision Ag

    Most of the new equipment farmers are buying today comes equipped with variable rate technology (VRT) and other features needed to implement precision ag. The challenge is that without the software to measure, manage and adjust these recommendations in real time, VRT equipment often remains idle as growers over-apply in some areas of the field and under-apply in others.

    Trimble Ag Software supports today’s progressive farmers in their goal to manage inputs responsibly, grow their crops sustainably, while meeting the global demands of feeding nine billion people. “Successful farmers know that precision ag is the key to the future, but many are waiting around for the technology to catch up,” says Benjamin Allen, Trimble Ag Software business lead. “We’ve created a farm data management tool that helps farmers work with their agronomist or crop advisor to implement, manage and measure the kind of precision management strategies that will soon become a normal part of doing business on the farm.”

    Trimble is going one step further to help farmers reach this vital milestone. Through its extended network of over 200 trusted crop advisors, Trimble’s AGRI-TREND® Coaches work directly with farmers to drive productivity and profitability across the farm operation. Backed by a team of over 30 credentialed experts, Agri-Coaches provide unbiased research, training and insight to farmers needing professional support.

    3. Mobile Capabilities Second to None in Today’s Ag Sector

    Trimble’s farm customers can now use one software platform that enables accounting, mapping, agronomic tools, fleet management, weather tracking, employee management tools, imagery, inventory, budgeting and more — all from a smartphone or tablet.

    “Our customers need to check on important field applications and equipment performance every day,” says Bob Wold, software engineering manager for Trimble Agriculture. “We have enabled our end-to-end solution for both Android and Apple iOS devices in order to support our customers and their mobile work environments. We believe this focus on mobile device support is unique and powerful, and we aim to continue to provide the best mobile experience in the market.”

    4. Software That Supports Food Traceability Trend

    In response to increasing demand among today’s consumers to better understand how their food is produced, key players across the agriculture sector are ramping up efforts to track ingredients all the way up the food chain. To appeal to consumers, food retailers are pushing their suppliers to provide traceabilitybranded items. In turn, food processors are requiring more data from growers that documents how the crop was grown. As this papertrail becomes a regular cost of doing business, farmers are turning to comprehensive, reliable, mobile-friendly farm data management platforms that generate the required documentation without the headaches. Trimble Ag Software provides access to food traceability and quality inspection solutions throughout the fresh food supply chain. These tools enable food producers, distributors and retailers to meet food safety requirements, secure their supply chain and optimize product freshness and quality. Beyond traceability needs, Trimble Ag Software is also providing food processors with contract management tools that enable oversight of multiple environments related to food production, grain procurement, sustainability and raw commodity procurement.

     

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  10. Precision Ag Adoption on the Rise

    Recently released research results out of the agricultural economics department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has found that adoption rates among farmers of precision ag technologies is stronger than ever.

    “With the availability of GPS and other technologies, growers can track yields, steer and control equipment, monitor field conditions and manage inputs at precise levels across a field – opening the door to substantial increases in productivity and profitability,” say the report’s authors, graduate research assistant Mike Castle, lead researcher, and extension assistant professor Bradley Lubben.

    The study was based on a survey distributed to growers at Nebraska Extension events in 2015 (some events were focused on precision ag and technology, others on agronomy or specific crops).

    PRECISION PAYS OFF
    According to the study, a strong majority – 70 percent – of respondents indicated that profits had increased due to the use of precision ag equipment, with 42 percent saying those profits were due to increased efficiency and lower input costs, and 58 percent attributing higher profits to increased production.

    Further, nearly 95 percent said their investment in precision ag was worth it.

    “There appear to be great opportunities to use precision agriculture technology and big agriculture data management to increase production and productivity, to improve management or operator performance, and even to consider on-farm experimentation for assessing inputs and production practices,” say the report’s authors.

     

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