Q: What are the benefits of collecting data and using digital tools on my farm?
A: Data. This is a word we hear a lot in agriculture, and rightly so. We are now farming in the digital age and we need to see this as the huge opportunity that it is for farming operations. Historically, farm record-keeping has consisted of notebooks or spreadsheets, and those have served their purpose for many years.
However, in this digital age, we can capture so much more of a farming operation if we utilize the data tools that are now available. The scale of farming has increased over the years and the choices growers have for seed varieties, fertilizer products, crop protection and equipment options have grown similarly.
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One of the key reasons to embrace the digital ag revolution is the efficiency having access to improved data brings to a farm operation. It’s not only the data our equipment is collecting that we can utilize. There are tools available to growers to enter data on mobile devices to track crop growth and concerns in the field in real time.
When I first started my career, I would get faxed pictures of weeds to identify. Today, with the development of mobile scouting tools, I have georeferenced photos I can look at
in real time with our scouts in the field. NDVI imagery can be viewed while scouting a field to pinpoint areas of concern and analyze what is happening more accurately than ever before.
Another advantage of improved on-the-farm data is the increase in application of variable-rate fertilizer. There are many efficiencies to be gained by maximizing the effectiveness of fertilizer application to fields. The key to effective variable-rate application is harvest yield maps. Analyzing these maps will determine if the desired results are being achieved. Not only can this data be viewed in the field, it can be collected for analysis in the off-season when preparing next year’s crop plan.
Using technology to our advantage allows for a streamlined workflow on the farm with multiple farm operators — and for agronomists to have access to the data thanks to cloud-syncing on many platforms. As with any system, good data in leads to good data out. Taking the time to record in an equipment or mobile data collection platform provides a farming operation with the ability to maximize production with informed decisions and to capitalize on the tools available to them.
– Scott Anderson, PAg, CCA, is the manager of agronomic solutions in northwest Saskatchewan for Nutrien Ag Solutions.
