Uptime for robotics depends on humans getting input delivery right.

Precision field logistics

Succeeding with autonomous machinery in row crops requires focus on getting inputs and equipment to the field at the moment it’s needed

Logistics carry the day, not tactics – or so goes the military adage.  However true on the battlefield, the saying also has resonance in crop production. It holds true for […] Read more

This trial conducted by Farming Smarter’s Field Tested Program on a farm near Coaldale, Alta. compared the performance of a precision planter to an air seeder when planting canola. Stakes were used to identify which treatment was applied in each pass. That way, when the research team came back later, they could match the results to the treatment. Manager Lewis Baarda is pictured reviewing equipment calibration and seed rate protocols on his cellphone prior to the next pass.

Are on-farm trials a fit for your operation?

Testing something on the farm isn’t the same as conducting a scientifically valid field-scale trial

Glacier FarmMedia – We’re hearing more and more about producers conducting their own on-farm trials to sharpen their management decisions. And it makes sense. Before committing to a practice, product, […] Read more




Once the data is uploaded to the SWAT Cam servers, crop and weed maps are generated. So far, there are 13 different crop models and four weed models available, and in 2023, plant stand counts will be available for some crops.

Capturing field realities on the go tells tale

Croptimistic’s SWAT Cam’s automated cameras and machine learning models are designed to monitor crops

Glacier FarmMedia – Advances in machine learning have enabled agricultural companies to deploy new systems that enhance their services. One of the latest companies to hop onto the artificial intelligence […] Read more

Wheat researcher Dennis Pennington says growers should establish “green area index” canopy growth targets to generate a canopy that maximizes light interception and radiation use efficiency.

Many factors involved in mastering precision wheat

Planting, application and equipment considerations affect process

Seed uniformity, spacing, depth, row width and other factors contribute to wheat canopy structure and yield.  Dennis Pennington, wheat researcher and extension specialist with Michigan State University, says management practices […] Read more


“Don’t try and use more than one data platform with USB sticks,” said a panelist at a recent precision ag conference. “You’ll drive yourself completely nuts, nothing will work, and you’ll end up quitting.”

Precision technology wins and losses

Farmers discuss if, and what, precision agriculture tools are worth the investment

Chuck Baresich has been utilizing precision agriculture tools on his family’s Bothwell area no-till cash crop operation since 1998.  “We have been at the forefront of lots of technology whether […] Read more