Producers can use a variable rate program to reduce inputs in poorperforming areas.

Precision ag helps farmers find their best acres

Farming all the acres the same can result in potentially failing the better ones and over-investing in the worst

Glacier FarmMedia – Implementing precision agriculture strategies doesn’t have to be overwhelming. “Don’t not do something because it’s not perfect because we’re never going to get perfect,” said Terry Aberhart, owner of Sure Growth Technologies. When Aberhart started training and educating people through his independent agronomy consulting company, he strived to teach a comprehensive understanding […] Read more

Variable-rate application is more prominent in Ontario than Western Canada due to more use of custom operators in Ontario.

Economics around variable-rate fertilizer challenging

The reasons variable-rate application has had lower adoption is a lesson for new ag technologies

There are good financial reasons that variable-rate application of nutrients hasn’t taken off like automated guidance. Guidance systems for farm equipment ensure complete coverage without overlap, University of Guelph Professor Alfons Weersink told the 2020 FarmSmart Conference recently at the university. That means savings of $8 per acre for planting. That’s enough to make it […] Read more

Sarah Marquis, left and Emily Duncan, masters and PhD students at the University of Guelph.

Clarifying data ownership for higher ROI

Researchers says greater ownership of data could help bring down barriers

University of Guelph researchers say farmers and agribusiness people need greater clarity on data ownership issues when it comes to the adoption of precision technologies. Sarah Marquis and Emily Duncan, a masters and PhD student at the school, presented this thesis at the recent Precision Agriculture Conference and Technology Showcase in London. Why it matters: […] Read more

Farmers have different approaches toward technology depending upon their general approach to farming, including whether they are risk-maximizers or risk-minimizers, as well as how long they intend to keep farming.

When should farmers embrace new technology?

Farmers have different approaches toward tech, but it has to pay

Glacier FarmMedia – When should farmers embrace the bold technologies that promise to transform their farms? “Figure out when they pay,” said Kansas State University agricultural economist Terry Griffin. Why it matters: Farmers are being bombarded by new technology, forcing them into decisions about what technology to use and what to reject. The simple economic […] Read more

Satellite imagery analysis automated

Alerts will tell farmers when there have been changes in fields over time

Farmers Edge believes it has solved the satellite imagery information overload problem with automated alerts. The company’s farm management dashboard will now send email alerts when algorithms show that there’s a change in field crop health. Why it matters: Farmers are more likely to adopt farm information systems when they get automated analysis for the […] Read more


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Monsanto, Microsoft to invest in ag technology in Brazil

Sao Paulo | Reuters — U.S. biotech company Monsanto and U.S. software and tech firm Microsoft announced on Monday a partnership to invest in agricultural technology startups in Brazil. Monsanto will join a Brazilian investment fund with up to 300 million reais (C$118 million), managed by Microsoft, evaluating ideas for new digital tools to be […] Read more