The push to make our world smarter is a never-ending carousel of products and technological adaptations rolled out one iteration and software update at a time. These tools — sensors that collect real-time information, software that crunches data and hardware capable of responding to cues in real time — have found their way to the farm gate. Often those pieces are managed separately, or information is manually ingested, to create maps or make decisions. The smart farm will automatically integrate those processes using internet-connected touch points.
Cost Per Bushel
“You must think about the technology you can buy for your operation that’s going to provide the biggest return on investment,” suggests Shay Foulk, Illinois farmer and consultant with Ag View Solutions.
He says every expense, including technology, requires a cost/benefit analysis calculated in cost per bushel. From improving nitrogen use efficiency to improving the seedbed, a smart farm solution should ultimately focus on output.
“The No. 1 way to reduce your cost of production is to increase your yield,” Foulk says.
Big data and artificial intelligence are knocking at the door. Like the smartphone, these tools will be seamless and eventually, simple to use.
