Tech Talk: Accurate Agriculture | Video

Jerame Novak | 2/6/2013

Producers have been using precision agriculture methods for years, but the technology behind it is rapidly changing. GPS and auto steer systems are becoming a common sight in tractors and other equipment.

In the last five years it`s changed quite a bit and accuracy has been the biggest game, right, to change. And it went from being six inch to four inch accuracy or so and now people want, demand, about an inch or half an inch accuracy," said Michael Murison with Outback Guidance.

Accuracy to help save money in the field.

"Price of fertilizer anymore, a person has to be pretty conscious where you`re putting it. You don`t want to be wasting it. Same thing with sprays, with fungicides, with streaming on fertilizer," said Steve Szudera from Beach.

As the technology changes, producers can do more in the field.

"And now I guess the big thing is doing variable rate and prescription maps and so on and wireless transfer of jobs from the tractor to your home, your office or your agronomist. And that`s kinda been the big thing in the last year or two," Murison said.

With technology like cameras, producers can get a better picture of what`s going on in the field.

"What I`ve been hearing a lot of guys doing is putting the camera right in their air cart and you can actually see exactly how much seed is left," Murison said.

Producers can also get data right from the field.

"And so as that information is being generated in the cab, now we can all bring that back into the Farm Works and just keep records and map what`s been done in the field," said Paul Overby with Verdi-Plus.

Producers can also take their data and apply it to accounting software, which lets them get an idea of how much money each field is making.

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