Precision Agriculture

Would you implement PA?

1. YES
2. NO

Precision farming requires advanced technology and equipment.

Technology makes farming more efficient and productive.

Advanced equipment is a financial burden for farmers.

Traditional farming methods are just as effective.

Technology can never replace the intuition of farmers.

Precision agriculture is the future of the agricultural sector.

Agreed, increases yield and efficiency.

Disagree, too expensive to implement.

Agree, reduces environmental impact of agriculture.

Disagree, cannot compete with traditional agriculture.

When you use the right precision ag solutions for your farm, you can simplify workflow to gain better yields, increased efficiencies, reduced environmental impact, and better quality of life. It’s important when looking at any investment to take into consideration what you’re getting back from it monetarily, but it’s equally as important to see what you might get back from it in other facets of life. And it’s not just about a fancy cruise control — it’s about finding an innovation partner that’s there to simplify your life

Another example of VOI is seen in solutions like auto guidance. With this technology, you are freed up to do other things like check your monitor to see that your sprayer or other implement is working correctly or the hundreds of other things that need to be done throughout the day. In many instances, it’s easier to continue doing things the way they’ve always been done, often passed down from previous generations. While that is understandable, precision ag solutions have come a long way since the inception of the concept in the early 1980s and that includes correction services, which have become much more sophisticated and can deliver a significantly greater value into everyday farming practices. Recently, one farmer we spoke with said installing autosteer with corrections gave him the opportunity to taste his sandwich for the first time in 20 years, showcasing how much precision farming solutions can offload mundane tasks that take up valuable time.

Precision farming also allows you not only to maximize your time, but also to maximize weather windows. For instance, if rain or frost is coming and the need quickly arises to harvest in a short amount of time, precision farming gives you the ability to work around the clock — minimizing downtime and making a substantial difference in delivering maximum yield. Trimble recently heard from a farm owner who completely changed their fleet methodology with the help of precision ag. A Saskatchewan farm ran four big combines with front tracks and 40-foot headers. When even more rain was coming (on already saturated soil), they strategically shifted to harvesting 24 hours a day for four days straight. Stopping only for fuel and essential repairs, Trimble AutoPilot guidance systems enabled them to run continuous eight-hour shifts and easily rotated people as no single worker needed to know the specifics of the fields the entire time.

When farmers talk about return on investment (ROI), it’s generally about dollars and cents — will profits equal or outweigh the investment? When looking into adopting precision ag, it can be challenging to measure every improvement down to the last cent. But ROI is more than dollars and cents. It’s important to look beyond monetary gains to understand how your investments add value (experiential, functional, etc.) to your life and your business.

For example, the annual subscription cost of a premium correction service like Trimble’s CenterPoint RTX is often one of the lowest costs yet provides the highest impact for your farm. These impacts can be measured both in ROI — less materials used in the field due to precision application — and value on investment (VOI) — less time in the field.

Precision agriculture comes at the expense of agricultural jobs.

Agreed, machines replace manual labor.

Disagree, actually requires more specialized knowledge.

Agreed, large companies have advantage over smaller ones.

Disagree, may include adjustment of work.

Precision farming has the potential to increase crop yields and profits.

Precision farming can optimize the use of resources.

Precision farming does not guarantee higher yields.

Precision farming may lead to increased dependence on technology.

Traditional farming methods are more reliable for consistent profits.

Precision farming is a necessary step towards sustainable agriculture.

Precision farming can reduce environmental impact.

Precision farming is a waste of resources.

Precision farming is too expensive for small-scale farmers.

Precision farming is a necessary investment in the future.