Wireless data transfer requires each device to share a wireless transmitter to pass information to the tractor cab or home office.  |  File photo

Telemetry; wireless data transfer key to precision ag

It seems that I have a greater appreciation for history as I age. What I’ve found is that many instances in history can be applied to these current times of advancing technology. Data communication is one of those technologies that have evolved as precision agriculture has advanced. As a favourite quote says, “there is always […] Read more

Computer users come in all levels of comfort, from happy fingers to dead fingers.  |  Michael Raine photo

Farmers still need precision farming support

As the use of technology is expanding and more of the things we do require a computer and basic computer literacy, the younger generation would seem to have a major advantage. They have serious finger skills. On the other side is my mother-in-law; she has happy fingers. Usually something happy is good, but in regards […] Read more

Can precision ag remain unique as farmer uptake grows?

The precision agriculture business is growing, but the most encouraging part is that growers are not just interested in the fancy devices such as auto-guidance, auto shutoffs and unmanned tools. They are also interested in the boring stuff such as sampling, data and spatial analysis. Co-ops, retailers, and providers are adding precision ag customers and […] Read more


Whether it’s canola or cotton, there are ways to obtain crop production data, including yield sensors and GPS mapping.  |  File photo

Precision ag is all about how, when, where and what

Precision farming, specifically spatial analytics, is about making decisions from the data that we can glean from a field. No matter what the crop is, hundreds of types of data can be collected for analysis. Yield is the biggest one. After all, it is the net result, the outcome for the year, the source of […] Read more

NDVI images that are created with specially modified cameras or other sensors are adding to the data that farmers collect with new tools.  |  Ag Eagle photo

Understanding invisible infrared imagery valuable

Many people are jumping on the unmanned aerial vehicle bandwagon, but that is mainly because of how cool, new and interesting it is to fly the things around. However, what farmers need to worry about the most is imagery. Of course, drones are not the only way to get imagery of a field. Everything discussed […] Read more


There are many reasons farmers might give for not using precision agriculture tools, but those who have not adopted the practices might want to rethink their positions.  |  File photo

Making a case for adopting precision agriculture

Sometimes from my perspective as a precision ag educator, I assume that every grower that knows about precision farming, does precision farming. Ten years ago, only a few farmers had heard the term, and fewer understood it. Now at 25 years into precision ag history, it could be considered mainstream and most farmers know what […] Read more


We need more Sherlock Holmeses in precision agriculture, or at least people who know how to let the facts speak for themselves. Precision happens when interpretation happens. | File photo

The great detective and precision agriculture

It’s not enough to just analyze the data that is collected by modern agricultural technology. Eventually, producers need to make a decision, whether it is doing the same thing they have done for the last 20 years or doing something different. Computers and software do many things well, such as processing numbers for analysis, but […] Read more


Field data easy to tidy up with yield editor software

Winter is no time to rest for the precision farmer. It’s time for the year-end analysis of yield data, which needs to be done every year. The first step for any yield analysis is getting the data from the yield monitor. I am surprised by the number of farmers who have told me they still […] Read more

Precision agriculture expert eager to provide information

After teaching agriculture for 32 years, I wanted to do something different. Writing a regular column on precision farming was something challenging and different and, at first thought, a bit overwhelming. Not that teaching college students was unchallenging, boring, and underwhelming. Teaching precision agriculture was an exciting field. Exploring new technology is something I love […] Read more