Through Ag Technology Shifts, WinField R7® Tool Remains a Wise Investment

GEOSYS, a Land O’Lakes company that provides in-season imagery and other data that fuels the R7^® Tool, recently announced that it will make its in-season imagery maps available to software companies through the agX^® Platform, which is delivered by ag data provider SST Software^®.

The upshot is, in-season imagery from GEOSYS will not be exclusive to the R7^® Tool starting in the 2016 growing season. As an ag retailer, how will this affect your relationship with WinField and the manner in which you offer R7^® Tool capabilities to your customers? The short answer is, it won’t. Here are the primary reasons.

This is only a small subset of the overall imagery provided to R7^® Tool users. GEOSYS is providing SST with in-season imagery only — not archived imagery, satellite derived management zones (SAMZ) maps, or yield variability or yield potential maps.

The R7^® Tool remains unique.
WinField has incorporated its own proprietary data into the R7^® Tool, which will not be available through any other channel. This “sweet spot” includes:

• Answer Plot^® data from both local and national Answer Plot^® Program locations to show how crops respond to management factors in conditions similar to those of your customers. This helps you develop a short list of appropriate hybrids and varieties, then create personalized strategies to help farmers optimize their yield potential.
• NutriSolutions 360^® system data, which uses the R7^® Tool to measure changes in biomass to manage and validate input costs by the acre. Tissue sampling data available through the tool lets farmers know precisely what nutrients to apply and how much — saving them time and money.
• Top 10 corn hybrids and soybean varieties for an individual grower’s fields.
• CHT Tool, which allows growers to compare corn hybrids from a range of suppliers over multiple years using different scenarios.
• A unique user interface and a user experience that is designed to facilitate the sales process.

So that’s the story. Highly replicated Answer Plot^® data remains the big driver of the R7^® Tool and the reason it is still unique and unrivaled in the industry. GEOSYS continues to be a great strategic partner for WinField for many reasons, including the company’s 25 years of agronomic experience and its leadership as an ag image provider (for example, its ability to provide cloud-free photos).

Rest assured that the R7^® Tool remains a value-add for your customers and for your retailer.