Precision Ag Technology Can Get You an Extra 30-50 bu/A - Really? 

Hello! Of all the events that I go to, the Wyffels Hybrids Corn Strategies meeting is my favorite. It’s held in a 300-foot air conditioned tent in the middle of a corn field in Iowa.

As in life, it’s always the people that make all the difference. I always get to talk to farmers about the weather, which is awesome because I’m a weather geek. There is a great line-up of speakers so I walk away having met new people in the industry. But at no other conference does the owner and president of the company - Bill Wyffels in this case - stand up and talk to the crowd about how his Dad started the company and then make himself available to every person during the entire event.

I’ve been going to the event for three years now and every year I walk away feeling like I just attended my church social back home in Coshocton County, Ohio – I got to visit with friends, ate great food and learned some important new info.

The Wyffels event started Tuesday evening with a panel discussion about precision farming with representatives from John Deere, Monsanto and Ag Leader Technologies.
John Raines, vice president, Monsanto Integrated Farming Systems, said the convergence of seed technology, equipment technology and computer technology is where we’ll see advancement over the coming decades.

“Five years ago we knew a lot about seed and knew a lot of information through our breeding programs but we didn’t have the means to get it to the field,” he said. “Because if we give it to you on a thumb drive after you’ve planted your crop, it doesn’t do you any good.”

We have the ability to take farm equipment and combine it with computer technology to create excellent seed, harvesting and spraying technology right now. Add to that computer technology which allows wireless transmission of insight into the tractor cab or combine real-time, especially at planting time.

“Then add in the advancements of seed germ plasm and traits and being able to adjust on-the-fly in the field,” Raines said. “Those three coming together -- seed technology, equipment technology and computer technology -- should be able to deliver 30-50 bushels of increased yield. The reason we don’t have that 30-50 bushels today is we don’t have it all combined in the field, but that’s the opportunity that exists.”

I said above that I learned some new info… that use of precision ag technology can mean an extra 30-50 bushels per acre to farmers around the world – that’s important. I believe precision ag is now and will continue to be DEFINING for farmers, meaning it will separate or define the profitable from the unprofitable.

Watch TheCropSite headlines for more this week from the Wyffels Corn Strategies Conference and the precision ag panel discussion.

I will also add that I saw some of the best looking corn I've seen all year at and around the host farm in Oxford Junction, Iowa, USA.

Have a great week!