The Ag Tech Two-Step
Whether growers fall into any of these three categories or not, it is more than likely they are at a point where they are interested in becoming involved—or more involved—in implementing ag technology to improve their farming operations.
No matter where a grower is on the ag tech adoption spectrum, the question is the same when it comes to implementing new precision ag technology: “Where do I start?”
To answer that question, I have two recommendations based on my experience with growers I have worked with.
- It is better to start small. Begin with one or two fields at a time and work toward managing an entire farm as you become more comfortable with different pieces of ag technology.
- Use historical data to kick-start precision ag. If a grower is just getting started, try analyzing several years’ worth of yield data and/or historical satellite imagery to get a broad picture of a field’s potential performance. Satellite imagery taken at peak biomass times throughout the year is highly correlated to final grain yield, allowing you to begin to manage fields on a zone level, regardless of the quality and quantity of historical yield data available.