Data Analysis Becoming Mainstream This Harvest
As combines roll across Indiana fields, lots of data is being collected and growers are finding ways to use that data to help with production decisions for next season. Yield Monitors can be found in almost all combines today; but, as farmers harvest their crops, they are collecting more data than they will be analyzing this winter. Jessie Vollmar, with FarmLogs, says what was once new technology is becoming commonplace in may farming operations, “I don’t think many people are asking ‘should we use this technology’ but rather they are asking ‘whose product am I going to use.'” He told HAT that producers get the technology and the benefits it brings and data analysis is becoming commonplace on farming operations.
But, with more and more data services in the market today, it important that growers take their time and choose wisely with which firm they want to work. Vollmar believes that firms that put the grower first and their products second should be given top priority, “For example, at FarmLogs we are a software company, so we put the grower first. We are not going to make a recommendation just because we produce a certain product.” He added that growers should feel comfortable with the people with whom they partner and the folks with whom they share their data.
As for data privacy, he said FarmLogs, along with most other services, are working hard to keep producer data secure, “Farmers need to consider carefully who they share their data with, but also don’t be afraid to share data because there are many benefits to be gained from sharing this data.”
FarmLogs has announced a new tool that enables farmers to import yield data into FarmLogs and to then study and analyze field performance at high precision. Heat maps automatically display the exact location of high and low output as a color-coded overlay on top of each field. In addition to viewing and analyzing field performance, farmers can also navigate to precise locations while working in their fields by using GPS data. “The Yield Maps tool is a part of our continued effort to bring improved technology to the farm, to give farmers easy access to data whenever they need it, and to help farmers eliminate unnecessary data entry,” said Vollmar.