/prəˈsiZHən/ noun
the quality, condition, or fact of being exact and accurate.
Last week, when I donated blood, the technician told me my heart rate was 61. I immediately looked at my fitness tracker on my left wrist to see what it said: 61! I was super excited and impressed. I spent over $100 on this thing to track my steps, exercise, heart rate (and whatever else it tracks!) and I just wanted reassurance that my purchase was well worth the money that I spent.
We all want to know that what we spend our money on is well worth it. No different than using farming Precision Ag technology and data that you have invested in. Whether that is machinery, monitors, crop protection or soil sampling data. It’s that fear of buyer’s remorse: I was worried that I had made an expensive purchase, and if it was worth the money. You may be feeling the same way, especially with commodity, seed, land/rent, other input costs where they are today.
Just like my fitness tracker, you have made an investment in ag technology. I threw away the receipt and I've worn it for months, but never really questioned its worth until I had something to check it against. You simply can’t return your precision ag technology (equipment/sampling/crop protection) that you have invested in. Or, if you do, it won’t be a straight up return, it has depreciated, been used in the fields, etc. You drove it off the lot. Now, how do you get started to get the most out of your investment?
If you are not utilizing your precision ag investment, START. Do you hear me? Just like my fitness tracker, your ag technology provides farm management value. You need to be using YOUR data to make the most accurate and confident decisions to utilize your analytics tools and technology investment. Ask yourself what are you getting out of it? You need to squeeze more out of every dollar that you have available. You should be able to prove whether or not what you are doing is benefiting you and your operation, economically and maximizing crop yields.
2. Analyze your current ag technology.
List all of your current technology, monitors, apps, and value each benefit. Sometimes thinking out-of-the-box and looking from a different perspective can change, minimize or maximize your production. Ask yourself the hard questions: What equipment do you have? What monitors are you using or not using? Why? What can help you get more margin in this market? Do you have a Variable Rate planter, do you use it? Do you variable rate your fertilizer? How do you make your seed decisions?
3. Prove your technology is economically benefiting your operation.
With the list you’ve created above in No. 2, answer the following questions next to each line: Am I using farm management software to help make decisions? Is there more I could get out of farming? Do I know that it pays? Am I using the data to make confident decisions?
I don’t regret my decision to invest in my fitness tracker because I use the data in the reports that it generates: the trends, the numbers, my progression. Use your precision ag technology and your data to feel better about your agronomic investment.
Find more relevant posts about precision ag here.