How to Make the Most of Your Farm Data

February 21, 2022

Farm data isn’t anything new. Since the dawn of agriculture, farmers have been learning how to grow bigger, better, and more profitably with records of their year-to-year observations.

The real revolution isn’t in data itself, but in farm data technology: how farmers log data, receive data, and use data in ever-increasingly efficient and convenient ways, and for greater yields on-site. However, when faced with the opportunity to acquire more advanced farm data technology— and to gather yet more agricultural data on the job— busy farmers might wonder: is farm data extra change, or an extra chore?

There’s good reason why farm data technology is catching on like wildfire among farmers, agronomists, and agricultural consultants alike. Here’s how the lives of today’s modern farmers are being made easier and more lucrative, and with singular help from the latest farm data technology.

What can a farmer do with their data?

Farm data allows growers to optimize even the smallest area of their land: from every till, to every input, to every drop of irrigation. One recent study showed that on-farm data collection improved economics, productivity, farmer satisfaction, and eagerness for conservation practices on every single farm in the study!

The benefits of farm data for agribusiness are far-reaching:

•       It optimizes inputs and resources. With the right data, you never use too much (or too little) of inputs: nutrients, water, or feed. This saves you money.
•       It boosts yields and yield quality. Data helps you know every unique acre of your landscape: its nutrient profile, soil acidity, etc. Dial in the right inputs per acre and see more and higher quality yields.
•       It enhances crop and product resiliency. Large scale farmers can use farm data to take better care of soil health than ever before. This translates to stronger, more drought-resistant crops research shows.
•       It boosts return on investment (ROI). Farm data technology means smarter nutrient and input use tailored to each acre and crop. Imagine the savings in inputs, water use, seed costs, and crop loss prevention—this means more bang for every buck of overhead.
•       It augments farm sustainability and environmentalism. Naturally, smart nutrient and water usage means less effects on the environment: reducing runoff, water leaching, nutrient leaching, and more in line with modern regenerative farming.

How does data impact farmer decisions and benefit farmers?

With the right technology in hand, farm data can change everything about the way you farm: for the better, and for more convenience. It can impact seed, fertilizer, and other input purchases well in advance of your season, reformatting the entire way you crop plan to be more efficient and cost-effective. You optimize every acre, increase your profit margins, and save money on overhead with even the simplest implementations of agricultural data.

Tie all these benefits together and you get greater profitability and even better land conservation for farmers. Optimizing land and resources means more money per acre. Dialing in the perfect inputs per acre means cutting down on costs, usage, and irrigation flow— which all go towards higher quality crops, higher yields, and better sales. All this is possible with advanced farm data technology, allowing you to boost how much you profit per every unit of currency you invest.

How can you connect data from different devices?

Farm data is so effective and profit boosting. As such, many advancements have been made to make it even more so. The latest technology now enables you to link up record-keeping and data implementation to almost any device for convenience straightaway in practically any farming situation. Connected devices include in-cab tractor displays, equipment implements, tablets, smartphones, computers, data clouds, agricultural equipment computer systems, and more.

Services relayed through these devices include:

•       Planting and seeding. Configure the perfect plant spacing, density, and required inputs and costs, well in advance of the season— and with the right data tailored to any unique acreage.
•       Land preparation. Know precise tillage, fertilization, and nutrient amendment needs for every acre before heading to the field, so nothing is wasted or overspent.
•       Guidance and steering. Optimize your tractor or other equipment’s tilling, harvesting, or application path, making sure of perfect coverage and overlaps.
•       Flow and application control. Determine and use the perfect input amounts on every acre, and every step of the way: no more, and no less.
•       Water management. Wield the perfect data to get water usage just right. No water waste, no unhealthy crops, no runoff— only healthy crops, ample profits, reduced irrigation costs, and better environmentalism.
•       Harvest solutions. Tap into innovation and automated harvesting controls by harnessing your farm’s data. Make every harvest easier, more efficient, and more profitable with every coming year.

Connect with your local Trimble reseller to learn more about how to make the most of your farm data.