Precision Agriculture

How Growmark’s New AI Agronomy Agent Turns Data Overload into Field-Level Wins

Wed, 15 Apr 2026 17:21:16 GMT

“When we look at who we need to be for our farmer customers in 2035, technology has to be at the core,” says Brendan Bachman, FS agronomy director. “I don’t think we see it as an option. We have to embrace technology for who we need to become in the next 10 years.”

As such, Growmark is embedding AI into the myFS Agronomy platform. The “AI Agronomy Agent” is a specialized tool built on the Anthropic Claude model, customized with Growmark’s proprietary data and Intelinair’s interface.

The Data Inflection Point

Agriculture has moved from a lack of data to “paralysis by analysis.” Growmark is acting now to turn decades of raw data into “decision aids” to manage risk and associate value.

The AI Agronomy Agent is designed to act as a digital assistant for the crop specialist, and will be exclusively available to FS crop specialists for 2026.

“It doesn’t take out the art of agronomy. Because it allows the FS crop specialists to create their own ecosystem of tools and technology to apply the agronomic recommendations that they’ve seen justified,” Bachman says. “And we’re training our team to be cautionary about just taking what the AI tools as the gospel and applying that to a farmer’s field without any critical thought process from a professional agronomic lens.”

The technology supports, rather than replaces, human expertise.

Speed to Insight

The “why” is driven by efficiency. Processes that previously took hours or days of manual data cleaning now take minutes, allowing agronomists to spend more time on strategy and less on spreadsheets. The AI tool uses planting, weather, environmental models, as-applied information, in-season crop insights, yield information, soil test information, as well as many different source materials on management practices.

Benefits from the tool include:

Automated Decision Insights.
The AI replaces the need for “hard-coded” software. For example, it can recreate the “FS Profit Maximizer” break-even analysis on the fly in minutes using real-time data.
Gap Analysis & Hybrid Positioning
The tool uses millions of acres of spatial data to perform “gap analysis"—showing farmers not just what performed best on their farm, but which hybrids in the region would have outperformed their current top choices by 10+ bushels.

(Growmark)

This AI announced is on the heels of the app’s Yield Estimation Tool, which can help predict yield within 5% at the field level yield in July-August and was also the result of a partnership with Intelinair. Bachman says the team has seen great benefits provided to farmers with that tool because it gives farmers another month or two-and-a-half months in their marketing strategy based on its yield prediction on their total production.

(Growmark)

Viewing 2035 As the Goal

The MyFS Agronomy app was launched two years ago with now 98% of FS companies using the platform and more than 5,000 users.

To remain relevant to the next generation of farmers, Growmark believes they must “disrupt themselves” today to build the technology-core required for 2035.

“As I look forward, what excites me the most is for people to really start to embrace the change because we are at a point of inflection, and how we have historically done agronomy is not going to change. Good agronomy is always going to be good agronomy. But what data we use to inform the right decision on that farming acre, just got accelerated,” Bachman says. “And it’s no longer about hard-coding features and functionalities, it’s about feeding the AI the model and asking the question, and having it bring about the value outputs that matter to the individual user.”

Bachman says the team at Growmark believes in their tech-forward strategy not as an optional add-on, but as a fundamental requirement for the future of the cooperative system. And for the 2026 season, this advanced AI functionality is being included at no additional cost to FS member companies, framed as a “progressionary add” or standard upgrade to their existing cooperative technology suite.

Unlocking More With Less Through Precision Agriculture

Fri, 20 Feb 2026 19:08:08 GMT

Increasing productivity while also using less fuel, water, inputs and time may sound like a dream at today’s farmgate, but a new report called “The Benefits of Precision Ag in the United States” says that very dream is very much a reality for many farms and fields across the U.S.

The report, published collaboratively by Association of Equipment Manufacturers (AEM), American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, CropLife America and National Corn Growers Association, is a follow-up to the landmark 2020 study that first analyzed the potential of precision agriculture technologies to allow farmers and ranchers to do more with less.

It studies precision ag technologies like auto-guidance, machine section control, variable rate application, fleet analytics and telematics and precision irrigation in U.S. production of crops including corn, soybeans, cotton, peanuts, wheat, sorghum, potatoes, sugar beets, hay and alfalfa.

Quantifying the Impact: Inputs, Resources and Yield

Compared to the study five years ago, the trend of precision agriculture adoption is upward, with farmers reaping the benefits in quantifiable ways, according to Austin Gellings, senior director of agricultural services, AEM.

“The industry continues to see an improvement in input efficiency as a result of precision agriculture,” Gellings says. “Compared to five years ago, we have continued to see productivity increase while the comparative amount of herbicide, fertilizer, fuel and water used on a per unit basis continues to decline.”

The report details its findings of the current savings of critical inputs through precision agriculture, as well as what is possible through increased adoption, including:

An estimated 4 billion pounds of fertilizer application was avoided due to precision agriculture technologies, with an estimated 7 billion pounds of additional fertilizer that could be avoided with broader adoption
An estimated 54 million pounds of herbicide was avoided due to precision agriculture with an estimated 66 million pounds that could be avoided with broader adoption

The report didn’t stop with analysis of inputs, though. The research found similar savings in terms of fuel and water use as well, including:

147 million gallons of fuel saved, the equivalent of 283,000 cars off the road annually or 26,000 fewer flights
Water use has decreased an estimated 5% as a result of precision agriculture, or the equivalent of an estimated 824,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of water saved

The savings are helping to unlock an increase in overall productivity fueled by two decades of growth in U.S. corn and soybean yields, the report states.

Critically, the report not only highlights the strides made by adoption of precision agriculture, but what is possible with continued increases.

“The study references savings that could be achieved as a result of precision agricultural technologies if we were to reach full adoption, which we defined as 90-95% adoption,” says Gellings. “These numbers are not necessarily targeted goals, but rather a guiding light for the potential that remains within our industry.”

Quantifying the Impact: On-Farm Pain Points

Gellings encourages farmers to examine their operations for adoption opportunity.

“It is about identifying what the needs of your specific operation are and then identifying the proper technologies that can help you,” he says. “What are the biggest pain points that your operation faces? Once you pinpoint that, it is then about identifying what technologies address those needs while also fitting into the workflow of one’s operation.”

The report shares anonymous grower insights into how that analysis has paid off for their operation through precision agriculture technologies.

In the report, a Kansas farmer growing wheat, soybeans and alfalfa on their operation said, “We’re spraying less chemical, [targeted spray application technology] is saving us money, and it’s better for the environment.”

“We ran through our herbicide costs we were going to have and dropped them by two-thirds. That is going to make our sprayer payment.”

Similarly, a Minnesota corn and soybean farmer had this to say:

“We looked at what we were spending on postemergence weed control and felt we could justify [targeted spray application technology] if we sprayed only 50% of our acres post. In the end, we only sprayed 11% of our corn acres with postemergence herbicide and averaged only spraying 20% of our soybeans with both applications.”

Quantifying the Impact: Agriculture’s Solution Through Precision

The organizations behind the report are hoping that it will serve as a catalyst into conversations with policymakers and consumers around stewardship within the agriculture industry.

“When it comes to all of the conversations that are happening, whether it be healthy food, the environment, or a number of other issues, the solution at the end of the day tends to already exist and that solution is farmers,” says Gellings. “Farmers have, for generations, done what they believe is best for the land and the communities that they live within and serve.”

“Precision agriculture and all of the technologies that come with that term are nothing more than a tool to help them accomplish that goal at the end of the day,” he says. “None of these will be the silver bullet to solve any and all issues, but when chosen based on the needs and capabilities of a farm and then paired with the other proper practices and inputs, they can help farmers get ahead.”

The report is available for free download through AEM.

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One Montana Farmer’s Fight to Break the Generational Cycle of Failure

Exclusive: In the Eye of the Cycle, John Deere Charts a Path Through Ag’s Slump

Fri, 13 Feb 2026 21:25:39 GMT

After months of workforce reductions and sliding equipment sales, John Deere is reversing course, announcing it will bring 140 employees back to its Waterloo, Iowa, operations as demand ticks higher for its 8R and 9R tractors.

The recall comes even as Deere forecasts the North American ag equipment market will decline another 15% to 20% in 2026, underscoring the push-and-pull shaping today’s farm economy. Large equipment sales remain under pressure from lower commodity prices and tighter margins, yet pockets of global demand are forcing Deere to recalibrate production in real time.

In an exclusive interview with Farm Journal this week, Deere & Company President Deanna Kovar laid out how the company is navigating that tension: tightening its long-standing build-for-retail manufacturing model, adjusting output month to month and working to protect farmers’ equipment equity during a downturn.

At the same time, Deere is attacking costs where it can, reducing prices on 187,000 parts over the past two years and preparing to roll out a new lower-priced tier of replacement parts later this summer. The company is also testing a tractor powered by E-98 ethanol, technology that could eventually eliminate the need for Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) altogether while driving even more demand for the crops farmers already grow.

For Kovar, who grew up on a Wisconsin dairy farm before spending 26 years rising through Deere’s ranks, the stakes are personal. Now, just months into her role leading Deere’s Worldwide Agriculture & Turf Division, she is steering the company through one of the sharpest equipment pullbacks in recent memory, while positioning it for what comes next.

A Cyclical Business in a Prolonged Downturn

The ag equipment cycle has clearly turned. Industry data show steep drops in large equipment sales, and Deere’s internal outlook aligns with the broader trend.

“Deere is 188 years old, so we know we’re part of a cyclical business of ag equipment, but definitely we’re seeing similar numbers. Our expectations that we shared in our last quarterly earnings was that the North American equipment market would be down 15% to 20% again in 2026. We recognize the ag economy is in a tough spot at the moment, and we’re working hard to make sure we can help farmers become more productive and more profitable through using our equipment and technology solutions, but it’s tough out there.”

She says the Association of Equipment Manufacturers figures for 2025, which show sales of 4WD tractors fell nearly 42% and combine sales are down 36%, align with what Deere is seeing.

The significant slump in sales doesn’t come as a surprise to row crop farmers who’ve seen several consecutive years of declining net farm income following a record high in 2022. USDA’s first official forecast for 2026 suggests continued pressure and another year of declining net farm income, with not much relief on input prices and stagnant commodity prices. Kovar says Deere understands the financial strains producers are seeing.

“Overall, the outlook for 2026 is that farmers are going to continue to be under pressure from a commodity price standpoint,” she says. “We’re certainly seeing input costs somewhat flatten for producers, and, of course, many producers are grateful for the government payments that will help them start 2026 maybe in a better place than they would have without it. Certainly great yields last fall were a good positive thing for producers, but it’s still putting a lot of pressure on commodity prices today.”

For Deere, that pressure translates directly into lower equipment demand and tough decisions inside its factories.

Manufacturing Adjustments: Building for Retail in Real Time

Over the past year, Deere announced workforce reductions across multiple Midwestern facilities. Since 2024, it’s reported John Deere laid off over 2,000 employees in the U.S., with those jobs primarily located in Iowa and Illinois. Recently, it reversed course in a couple locations, announcing it would bring some of those employees back.

Back in January, Deere also announced it was returning 99 workers to the job in Iowa, impacting both its Davenport Works and Dubuque facilities. But Deere said this week it’s also bringing back jobs at its Waterloo facility.

“We’re constantly evaluating what we think the market will be. And it’s not an annual thing. It’s a month to month, a quarter-to-quarter opportunity. And yes, we just announced 140 workers to come back to our Waterloo operations. This is the operations where we make the drive trains for 8R tractors, where we pour the castings for the new high horsepower 9R tractors, where engines are made, and where we put tractors final assembly together. So we’re always happy when we can bring workers back into our factory. And it’s because we’re starting to see a little tick up in demand for those tractors,” she says.

Kovar says it’s not necessarily just a North American phenomenon. The uptick in demand is coming globally.

“We are seeing some signs that there could be some opportunities, but much of this is going to be iterative over time. It won’t be from a very low point to a very high point. We expect over time that we can start to see things normal,” she adds.

Kovar emphasizes Deere’s long-standing “build-for-retail” philosophy, avoiding overproduction that would flood dealer lots and depress used values.

“We’ve been in business for 188 years, so we’re always making sure that we’re being as efficient and effective as we can at building the quality products that farmers come to rely on. So we’re all always adjusting how we manufacture, how we make sure we have the quality checks and the automation to make sure we’re making every tractor as good as we can,” says Kovar.

She says the company is also working to forecast demand expectations and where that additional demand could surface. But she says for the past 25 years, the company has been focused on a build-to-order mentality, especially in the larger ag equipment space.

“We are a build for retail mentality,” says Kovar. “We don’t want to build it unless somebody wants it. So this has been something we’ve been working on for 20 years, and we will continue to be focused on really understanding the demand in the market and making sure we’re setting up schedules and plans to build for that amount.”

Equipment Prices: It’s About the Trade Differential

Few issues generate more coffee-shop debate than equipment prices. Farmers have seen machinery values dramatically climb over the past five years. Kovar points out that looking at sticker price alone misses the bigger financial picture.

“We’re always looking at making sure we’re delivering value for farmers when they buy our equipment, when they buy our technology,” Kovar says. “When we think about the price of equipment it’s really important we understand that farmers, when they buy a new piece of equipment, it’s really about the trade differential from the product they’re trading in to the one they’re buying, and if we were to lower the price of equipment, it would lower the trade-in value of their used equipment as well. We’re always very mindful of the equity farmers have in their equipment fleet and the fact it’s a huge part of their balance sheet.”

Not only does Deere need to be careful that changes don’t impact the trade differential, but she says the company is also focused on making sure there’s a balance between products being affordable and creating the value farmers expect.

That balance, of affordability versus protecting used values, according to Kovar, shapes Deere’s pricing philosophy in a down cycle.

Lowering the Cost of Technology and Parts

While base machine pricing remains complex, Deere is targeting affordability in other ways. The first, she says, is on the technology side, and lowering the upfront cost.

“We’re lowering the barrier to entry to amazing technologies like ExactShot fertilizer systems, See & Spray sprayer systems and a combine automation system so that more farmers can afford to get into the technology. These technologies are saving inputs, ensuring we’re getting all of the grain out of the field and increasing yields. That strategy to lower the upfront cost of those technologies, and help the customer pay for it as they get the value from it, is a huge step forward in allowing affordability of the technology.”

On repairs and parts, she points to self-service tools and direct price reductions. She says the company is constantly looking at the cost of parts for their equipment.

“Over the last two years, we’ve reduced the price on over 187,000 part numbers in the John Deere system. Later this summer, we’re going to be announcing a new tier of parts from John Deare that will allow us to give customers choice when they buy parts from us as to whether they want the traditional OEM, that likely has a longer life, or if they want to look at a lower cost option,” Kovar says.

Deciding between the two parts tiers depends on:

How much a farmer uses the machine
Equipment age
How long a farmer intends to keep that piece of equipment

Retrofit Kits: Precision Without the New Iron Price Tag

As new equipment sales slow and more farmers turn to the used market, Deere sees retrofit technology as a critical bridge, allowing producers to upgrade performance without taking on the cost of a brand-new machine.

Kovar says retrofit kits are designed to separate technology adoption from iron replacement.

“I think the beauty of retrofit kits is you don’t have to buy a brand new piece of equipment to get brand new technologies. Just last year we launched what we call our precision ag essentials kit, which is the foundation of our technology stack. It’s where farmers start to go from no precision to a more precision mentality, and this ability allows them to put a John Deere GPS receiver, a display and a modem on any piece of equipment, Deere or non Deere,” Kovar says.

The strategy fits squarely into Deere’s broader push to lower the barrier to entry for precision ag. By allowing a GPS receiver, display and modem to be installed on any brand of older equipment, the company is effectively expanding the addressable market for advanced automation and data tools.

“We’re seeing people put these kits on 20-year-old tractors and then being able to do things like AutoTrac, AutoPath and turn automation, section control, the things that can save 10% of inputs and make sure your stand is better in the spring and your weeds are deader during the season,” Kovar says. “This is a huge opportunity for every farmer to get more into precision. Once you get into that base of the technology stack, the sky’s the limit to be able to go to other products like ExactEmerge or See and Spray — these technologies that really drive savings to the bottom line for farmers.”

In a downturn defined by lower commodity prices and cautious equipment purchases, Deere is betting the future of precision ag won’t be limited to the newest machines on the lot, but will increasingly ride on tractors that have already been in the field for decades.

Right to Repair, EPA and DEF: Seeking Clarity

Right-to-repair and diesel exhaust fluid (DEF) rules have been flash points between manufacturers and producers with two major announcements from EPA.

In early February 2026, EPA made a right-to-repair guidance announcement guidance and actions supporting the right to repair for farmers and equipment owners, specifically addressing issues with Diesel Exhaust Fluid (DEF) systems and emission controls. The guidance clarifies the Clean Air Act allows for temporary overrides of emission systems during repairs, prohibits manufacturers from restricting access to tools or software, and enables repairs in the field.

The following day, EPA announced the agency is demanding detailed failure data from major diesel engine manufacturers as it considers additional rules aimed at reducing DEF-related shutdowns and derates that have plagued farmers, truckers and equipment operators for years.

“I think if you step back and think about what EPA’s done over about the last nine months, there’s been two important messages. One was last summer when they gave voluntary guidance that said we should extend the time from when a customer might have an issue with their DEF systems and not cause them to go into an inducement or a derate within two hours, which was the original rule. We’re very glad EPA has come out and said we can extend that time to give farmers more time to maybe finish the field, finish the day before they have to execute a derate or go through a regen on their DEF,” Kovar says.

She calls it a huge opportunity for Deere and one to which the company is already responding.

“We’re in the process of making sure we can extent that time on all the equipment we’re producing. We’ll do that over the coming months and years to help make sure we’re extending that time and not putting people in jeopardy of having a shutdown opportunity,” Kovar says.

On off-road right-to-repair clarity, Kovar says EPA’s right-to-repair guidance announced in February directly responds to a formal request the company made to the agency in June 2025 .

“[EPS] had already shared that on-road equipment didn’t have to go to the original equipment manufacturer or an authorized repair shop to turn your tractor or your truck back on after you had a deratement issue. We said, ‘Hey, we have tools that a farmer can do this on their own, but the way we read your rules, we believe we need you to tell us it’s OK.’ We’re grateful that last week EPA came out and said, yes, it is OK for off-road equipment for farmers to fix their own issues. We’re in the process of making sure John Deere Operations Center ProService, which is our self-repair tool any farmer can access, by early March, mid-March, we want to have the ability for a farmer to, if they run into a deratement issue on their tractor or combine or whatever, use Operation Center Pro Service to get their tractors back up.”

If DEF Goes Away, It’s Not a Quick Switch

With political discussions swirling around eliminating certain environmental regulations, and President Trump specifically stating he wants to see those regulations removed on equipment , some farmers wonder whether equipment could quickly be built without DEF systems.

When Trump was in a roundtable with farmers in December, he claimed removing those requirements on equipment would prevent breakdowns and make equipment cheaper. During the one-on-one interview with Kovar, Farm Journal asked if removing DEF on equipment would bring down prices.

“We have to really understand what they mean and how they want to go about it before we can really answer, does it make equipment cheaper? I think we’ve spent 15 years perfecting the system we have today, so we’ll have to continue to understand how far back do we think we’re going to go, how long would it take us, because we don’t have all of the technologies that don’t have DEF today,” Kovar explains. “If it were called tomorrow, we couldn’t start building tractors without it the next day.”

Removing DEF is not as simple as flipping a switch on the assembly line. Instead, she says Deere is focused on making sure farmers have the ability to repair their own equipment if it would go into derate. She thinks that’s a huge step forward in solving some of the issues that farmers have had with DEF.

Deere Tests an E-98 Ethanol Tractor

Even as debate continues in Washington over DEF requirements, Deere is exploring a future that could bypass the issue entirely.

While the company says it remains engaged with EPA on next steps surrounding DEF and emissions policy, Deere is also investing in an alternative fuel platform, an ethanol-powered tractor designed to run on E-98. The tractor will debut at Commodity Classic in two weeks.

“We’re not just thinking also about diesel, right, we also considering how might we fix this problem another way. And that’s an ethanol tractor we’ve been using across Iowa and other places. It’s early for us, but the idea that we could use E-98 to run a tractor, it’s so clean you don’t need diesel exhaust fluid to run it. We’re early in trying to pioneer what is an alternative to diesel that would allow a farmer to grow the fuel they put in their tractor to grow next year’s crop. It’s something we think we need to continue to talk about. There is a ton of infrastructure that would need to follow to allow an E-98-type fuel to flow and be on farm, but we think it’s an opportunity in the long run to help agriculture grow the fuel they use to grow the food we all eat.”

Deere confirms the early results are promising.

According to Deere, the limiting factor isn’t the engine technology itself, it’s the infrastructure needed to support it.

“Do we have the fuels available? Do we have the on-farm ability? Are the fuel companies ready to deliver it to the farm? At this point, there is a much bigger system challenge that will have to work,” Kovar says.

Advocating for Demand: Ethanol, Exports and E-15

Turning the ag economy around, in Kovar’s view, is about demand, both domestic and global. Not only is Deere working on equipment that could run with higher blends of ethanol, but Deere is also advocating for more demand.

“Certainly, we’re focused on helping farmers grow more with less. At the same time, we’re focused on helping to make sure there are markets for the crops our producers sell. We certainly spend a lot of time advocating for agriculture and for producers to have access to markets. We’re grateful for all of the trade deals that have happened here recently. We’re hopeful they start to materialize, and we see more and more grains flowing outside of the U.S. in exports. We also know we’ve got a huge opportunity here in the U.S. to drive ethanol and renewable fuels,” Kovar says. “We’re focused on making sure we’re using our voice at Deere to advocate for agriculture to not only feed the world, but fuel it. It starts with E-15, which we are hopeful we can get across the finish line at some point very soon. But it can’t end there. We have to continue to advocate for renewable diesels and an ethanol future, so we have to make sure farmers can sell their grains at a price that’s profitable, and it’s all about creating demand.”

The Next Five Years: From Data Collection to Real-Time Decisions

For Deere, which sees itself as a technology company, Kovar says she also sees Deere as a smart industrial company. With a focus on technology, she thinks the future isn’t about a single breakthrough machine, but rather about what happens behind the scenes in the data.

When asked what the biggest shift will be over the next five years, Kovar points to the evolution of information rooted in data.

“I think if you look back over those 25 years of technology, data has been such an important part of it. It started with yield maps, yield monitoring and binders on a shelf and has evolved over time to a cloud-based system. Everything’s connected. With Deere, it’s about John Deere Operation Center and how farmers can leverage that data, share it with partners, with their seed dealer, with their ag retailer, with the banker and with their landlords and have this really cohesive opportunity to bring all of the data they have in agriculture into one place,” Kovar says.

Personally, she sees the next step involving Deere helping farmers move beyond timely insights to timely decision-making.

“How do we help [farmers] get insights, timely information, that helps them make the best decision they can make in that moment on their unique piece of land in the middle of wherever they are farming and really give them confidence the data can help them drive to even better decisions,” she adds. “If we’re going to help them be more productive and be more profitable, it really starts with all the decisions they make. I think this next three to five years is a huge opportunity for us to make sure we are connecting all of their data in one place and helping them make really important decisions in real time that help them become more.”

Instead of one sweeping, industry-altering change, Kovar sees steady gains driven by machine learning, automation and in-the-moment decision-making, sometimes by the operator and sometimes by the equipment itself.

“I think that’s a huge part of the next three to five years, and those decisions happen because they’ve consciously made them or the machines are making them. If you think about See and Spray, it is deciding whether that’s a weed or a plant and only spraying the weed to save 50% to 60% of the herbicides,” Kovar says. “Those kind of in-the-moment decisions are a huge opportunity over the next 3 to 5 years as computer vision and machine learning compute and all of these things continue to accelerate at a pace that is very hard to keep up with.”

For Deere, the future isn’t just bigger iron or even more automation, it’s about connecting every data point on the farm and turning it into actionable insight, fast enough to matter in the field.

Watch the full interview here:

Faster Tillage, Smarter Spraying: John Deere Expands Its Machinery Lineup

Thu, 22 Jan 2026 14:01:39 GMT

Farmers looking to conquer heavy residue and tight tillage windows have new ways to tackle both challenges with John Deere’s expanded High-Speed Disk (HSD) lineup. For 2027, the company is offering four new HSD two-section models, which build on initial introductions in 2025. The latest models will be available in 15’, 19’, 22’ and 25’ widths.

As Michael Porter explains, the disks are purpose-built for the slowest, most time-consuming job on row-crop farms: deep ripping.

The high-speed tillage tools combine multiple operations into a single pass — residue sizing, burial, compaction removal and field leveling — delivering both agronomic and economic benefits, especially when paired with autonomous operation, explains Porter, John Deere marketing manager for large tractors and tillage.

Autonomy Creates New Efficiencies

For 2026, autonomy ready capability is available on the 2730 combination ripper and the 64’ and 69’ 2230 field cultivator models, giving farmers more options to integrate autonomous tillage into their operations. Porter says the autonomy factor could create a whole new level of efficiency for row crop growers short on time and manpower.

“Think about having an operator sit in that machine for 12 hours a day and maybe only getting one or two fields done. Now they can go haul grain … and when they get done, there’s a good chance 60%, 70%, 80% of their fields have already been ripped, and they just need to finish up the last few,” Porter says.

The company’s so-called “combination ripper” is equipped with lights, cameras and a StarFire receiver mast to enable safe, precise autonomous operation. “With autonomy, we need to know where this tool is at all times,” Porter notes.

Farmers with 2016 or newer 2730 combination rippers can update to autonomy-ready through a John Deere Precision Upgrade kit. The kits provide a cost-effective way to enhance existing machines delivering greater flexibility, Deere reports. Combination ripper upgrade kits will be available for order starting in summer 2026, while field cultivator kits are available today.

(Rhonda Brooks)

Sixteen cameras provide 360-degree perception, essentially replacing the operator’s eyes. In autonomous mode, the system detects obstacles, evaluates whether it can proceed, and either continues on its own or alerts the operator through Operations Center mobile with customizable, high-priority notifications.

When it comes to ROI, the payoff comes from both direct labor savings and the ability to reallocate time during harvest.

“In general, we see some customers who have run 5,000, 7,000 acres in a year, at a $40,000 to $50,000 cost to them, and this pays off. Those growers are saying, ‘Hey, I would have had to pay someone X amount of dollars for all those hours sitting in the cab,’” Porter says.

See & Spray Upgrades

Farmers staring down ugly weed pressure and weak commodity prices are demanding more from every input dollar. With that in mind, John Deere is betting its model year 2027 upgrades will prove See & Spray is not just cool tech. Instead, the company is positioning it as a fundamental tool designed to deliver better weed control, increased flexibility and a faster payback for farmers across a broader range of crops.

Historically, See & Spray was a tool for use in corn, soybeans and cotton. For 2027, John Deere is moving into the small grains market.

“We are jumping headfirst into wheat, canola, barley and a handful of other crops,” Ladd says, noting peanuts and sugar beets are also joining the list.

Last year, See & Spray covered over 5 million U.S. acres and delivered nearly a 50% reduction in non-residual herbicide use. For farmers on the fence about investing in the technology, the value proposition is moving away from saving dollars and toward improving the bottom line. For many growers, the company says, a two- to three-year ROI is available with the technology.

“We understand the increasing pressures farmers are facing, driving them to find solutions that allow them more flexibility and the opportunity to do more with less,” says Josh Ladd, marketing manager for application equipment at John Deere. “That is why we have updated See & Spray to directly address those challenges by helping farmers apply exactly what’s needed, where it’s needed, and across more acres and more crops.”

Computing Power Gets Updated

On a recent walk-around of a 2027 machine at the company’s Austin, Texas, R&D center, Ladd starts with what you can’t see from the outside: the machine’s computing backbone. Earlier generations of See & Spray relied on as many as 10 processors. The new models consolidate that power into just three vision processing units (VPUs) mounted on the center frame.

“We’re able to do that and not make any sacrifices on overall computing power, and there is less weight involved,” Ladd says. “We can only put so much stuff on this machine’s boom before we start to worry about boom durability, compaction and consistency of performance.”

Nozzle technology is also becoming more cost-effective. While the ExactApply (30Hz pulsing) remains the standard for dual-product systems, John Deere is introducing Individual Nozzle Control Pro as a factory option for 2027 single-tank machines.

“For customers who want 15Hz pulsing instead of 30Hz, or are comfortable with a five-nozzle turret, it’s a more accessible option,” Ladd explains. This gives farmers and customer applicators another entry point into row-by-row nozzle control from the factory, he added.

Additional Enhancements

New center-frame camera placement, on the front of the sprayer, to reduce dust interference and enhance detection accuracy for more-consistent application quality. For operators with MY18 to MY26, these cameras will be available through a Precision Upgrade kit.
Higher operating speeds in targeted modes — up to 16 mph depending on crop and configuration, allowing more acres to be covered when application windows are tight.
Optional full boom lighting enables targeted fallow application at night to extend productive hours.

The expanded See & Spray capabilities will be available on MY27 John Deere 408R, 410R, 412R, 612R and 616R sprayers. In addition, all Hagie sprayers – STS12, STS16, and STS20 – will now feature See & Spray Premium as a factory-installed option.

Alongside the expanded See & Spray capabilities, John Deere is introducing several MY27 sprayer enhancements designed to improve overall productivity, operator awareness and in-field efficiency across a wider range of applications.

Updated Name for DA Series Applicators

To better align their applicator portfolio with the broader tillage portfolio, John Deere is updating the naming of its DA Series Applicators, formerly known as the 2510H. While the name might be new, farmers can continue relying on the same proven performance they are used to across multiple seasons.

“With the MY27 updates, we continue to deliver proven durability, increased flexibility and technology-ready solutions that help farmers maximize productivity,” Porter says.

To learn more about the updates to the John Deere application portfolio, visit JohnDeere.com or contact your local John Deere dealer.

How Does Autonomous Machinery Stack Up Against Labor Costs on Midwest Row Crop Farms?

Mon, 15 Dec 2025 19:32:13 GMT

A first-of-its-kind academic analysis looks at labor rates and current autonomous solutions to spur a discussion on the tipping point for when the technology pays. Published by Chad Feichter, ag economist at Purdue, and PhD student Josh Strine, the recently released study looks at large-scale autonomous farming equipment and a Midwestern 50-50 corn/soybean farm.

“We were puzzled by what could potentially be the returns to these large autonomous machines because it seems that’s at least the trend of where we’re going,” Feichter says. “Also the idea there’s a labor shortage seems to be what’s motivating the conversation.”

The economists started with an economic farm-planning model originally developed at Purdue 60 years ago, updated it and plugged in a series of factors:

Labor rates
Production costs
Field size
Machinery/subscription costs
Equipment efficiency

The takeaway: Comparatively, autonomy is still an expensive alternative to average farm labor rates. Per the analysis, autonomy pays off when the labor rate is greater than $44 per hour.

“Currently, with where labor rates are, the autonomy solution across the board isn’t probably what we need in the immediate term, based on what we understand about how autonomy works and the productivity of autonomy,” Feichter says. “But if there’s a farmer who cannot find labor, autonomous machines will allow those acres to be farmed.”

Feichter says the current technology platforms installed on large-scale machines aren’t a one-for-one substitute for a human operator for a few reasons.

Profitability of autonomy hinges on three things:

the cost of autonomy subscriptions
the field efficiency of the machines
how much human supervision they still require

Co-author Strine says the ROI of autonomy is operation-specific to how the efficiencies of autonomy are realized. Their analysis included wide ranges in the variables to explore likely scenarios with today’s technology so as efficiencies improve there can be a comparison.

“Right now, the efficiency of the autonomy isn’t an advantage versus humans,” Strine says. “Maybe they will quickly get to 100% human efficiency, and it’s possible that it will surpass just having somebody driving that tractor. However, right now, oversight hours are required and the on-road transport is required.”

Where could autonomy pay off the soonest—Fiechter says it’s where high value tasks, in field efficiency and tightness in labor intersect.

“There are really high-value tasks, where you could potentially alleviate the labor challenge in the short run,” Fiechter says. “Maybe harvest is one of those where we would really see a benefit of having autonomous machines, whereas in planting time, it may not be quite as important.”

Manufacturers Report No Humans Have Been Displaced by Autonomous Tractors

Craig Rupp founded Sabanto, which sells autonomy systems to be outfitted on mid-range hp tractors.

“I had an epiphany after 50 systems,” Rupp says. “I’m not solving the labor problem. Farmers may buy as if we’re replacing labor, but they keep the labor, and it’s about quality of life. It’s about not spending 12 to 16 hours a day when they get behind or have to work weekends. And they are using autonomy to scale their operation—they are taking on more acres.”

Earlier this year Sabanto published a case study looking at seeding 10,000 acres with a traditional 4WD high-horsepower set up versus running three Sabanto outfitted tractors. The company’s analysis did not include labor costs, but evaluating the investment and operational costs, Sabanto says a traditional setup costs $18.88/acre the three Sabanto equipped machines cost $6.27/acre. You can read the whole report here.

His company has sold more than 200 systems in the past two years.

“We’ve put no people out of work,” Rupp says. “Farmers will adopt autonomy for labor when it’s the last choice they have.”

Michael Porter, large tractor marketing manager at John Deere, shares an anecdote from a customer over the Thanksgiving weekend.

“A great example this year is we had two machines running on Thanksgiving, and they literally ran while the farmers had their Thanksgiving dinner,” Porter says. “And the next day, when they got back out there, they had a couple hundreds acres already tilled so they can continue moving on with that fall field work.”

The quality of life autonomy adds to as well as the agronomic value of timely field work are added values manufacturers point to for being benefits of adopting these systems.

“That’s something that’s hard to quantify, football games on Friday nights, dinner with the family, all those things that’s a big part of it. Those quality of life things, they’re really hard to quantify, but people experience them, and once they experience them, they don’t want to go back,” Porter says.

John Deere autonomous systems cost between $40,000 and $45,000 for the kit, plus dealership install and yearly subscription fee, which is $10,000 for unlimited acres for tillage, for example.

Dinen Subramaniam, product launch manager for Outrun at PTx Trimble, has lead their team to deploy autonomous grain cart systems and tillage systems in Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois and Georgia.

He shares a story from a customer in Nebraska who it’s a father-son farming duo, and the OutRun grain cart allows the father to truck grain while the son harvests supported by the autonomous grain cart. That 3,500 acre farm has been able to finish harvest in 20% to 25% less time.

“It’s really about the flexibility of the deployment of labor that autonomy gives you,” Subramaniam says. “Like having a grain truck driver rather than a grain cart driver, or having someone who can take a five hour break during tillage and let the autonomous system run.”

AGCO’s PTx OutRun tillage solution is $44,000 for hardware plus a $9,000 annual cost. OutRun’s modular model also includes autonomous grain cart operations, with additional tasks in development. A combined tillage/grain cart setup costs $55,000 for hardware and $15,000 annually.

Subramaniam also highlights agronomic benefits for fall field work getting done timelier when autonomous systems are used.

“Instead of straining into December with harvest trying to get that crop off the ground, autonomy can help reduce late harvest yield loss, which can be a 3% to 5% reduction,” he says. “We talk about an ideal harvest season, but the reality is there are always weather delays, mechanical delays, and more.”

There’s a trickle down effect of timely harvest, fall tillage and fall application.

“From a tillage point of view, we’ve also learned that there’s other benefits as well from better incorporation of crop residue, getting to tillage sooner so that that crop residue can break down,” he says.

The Purdue economists agree this is a space to watch as what’s possible with technology and the escalating labor issues intersect.

Living Sensors Turn Soybeans into Fungal Disease Detectives

Mon, 08 Dec 2025 21:07:29 GMT

For Aidan Kleinschmit, trying to get the upper hand over white mold disease in soybeans used to involve a frustrating amount of guesswork.

White mold can lurk in soybean fields undetected for weeks, causing significant damage before any visible symptoms appear. Kleinschmit says his annual struggle with the disease turned a corner this past season when he decided to trial the use of CropVoice from InnerPlant.

“I remember they sent out an alert on a Saturday night about white mold being detected, and by Monday we had decided we were going to treat,” recounts Kleinschmit, who farms in northeast Nebraska with his dad and brother.

“That put us way ahead of the white mold, because by the time you see it some damage is done,” Kleinschmit adds. “You might get disease suppression from a fungicide at that point, but you’re going to have some yield loss.”

Early Detection: A Game-Changer For Disease Control
The proactive treatment Kleinschmit made included whole-field fungicide applications as well as some targeted spot spraying with a drone over 500-plus acres. The payoff was evident in yield results Kleinschmit saw at harvest.

“We sprayed one entire field in our bottom ground, and it made about 86 bushels per acre,” he says. “That was well over, probably 25 bushels better, than what some of the other fields in our bottom ground yielded.”

Gary Schaefer, chief commercial officer at InnerPlant, says the big takeaway with CropVoice is the tool gives farmers real-time disease detection, informing decisions on whether to spray a fungicide. This directly addresses the ambiguity that farmers like Kleinschmit have long faced with disease management decisions.

“CropVoice is designed to deliver ROI by either saving costs in years when spraying isn’t necessary, or by enabling timely, effective action during heavy disease pressure, significantly improving the efficacy and financial return of fungicide applications,” Schaefer says.

While Schaefer doesn’t say what the return-on-investment for using CropVoice is, he contends that for every dollar a farmer spends on technology or an input “they should get at least $3 back,” a number Kleinschmit affirms as being on par for his expectations.

A ‘Cell Phone Tower’ for Soybean Fields
CropVoice is the first product InnerPlant has designed for farmers. How the technology works hinges on a seed biotech trait the company has developed that turns soybeans into living sensors that detect disease at the molecular level. The soybeans emit a fluorescent optical signal within 48 hours of a fungal infection – before any visible symptoms appear.

The company is placing its soybeans in sentinel plots that act like an early alert system in a defined geography. CropVoice analyzes the data coming from the plots 24/7. If a foliar disease moves into the plots, farmers and retailers working with InnerPlant are alerted that the disease is in their area.

Schaefer says to think of the sentinel plots as working like a network of cell towers for farmers whose fields are the cell phones.
“What you’re subscribing to is the network of cell towers that gives coverage for a broad area,” he explains.

For 2026, InnerPlant is placing 100 sentinel plots in fields across Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota to achieve the cell tower network effect for farmers in those states. Each plot will range in size from one-eighth acre to one-fourth of an acre.

Cultural Practices Play An Important Role
The soybeans grown in the sentinel plots mimic the cultural practices representative of soybean growers in each state. The strategy ensures highly relevant data for farms that are enrolled in InnerPlant’s program, which is implemented through strategic partnerships with retailers, Schaefer reports.

Farmers enroll their soybean acres in the InnerPlant network for a fee ($6 per acre for 2026). Retailers facilitate the process, mapping fields into the company’s program for retailers’ continuous monitoring throughout the growing season.

Participating farmers get weekly scouting reports, which include a disease score indicating risk levels in their area along with a detailed map showing any disease progression in their area. In addition, the company provides real-time disease alerts that are pushed directly to farmers via text anytime CropVoice detects a disease in the sentinel plots in thearea.

“The plants will turn on to any fungal pathogen,” Schaefer reports. He says end-of-year scouting reports from 2025 in Nebraska and Illinois revealed the detection of between five and seven different fungal pathogens in the company’s plots.

Kleinschmit says the proximity of the sentinel plots to his soybean fields and the early text alerts are two of the factors that sold him on enrolling a portion of his acres in the program.

“We’re only going to spray acres that we think are going to be affected by white mold at this point. I thought the technology really gave us a good benefit there,” says Kleinschmit.

“There are so many variables and moving parts in farming, so if there’s a way to help minimize the guesswork to help us make a good decision, I’m going to look into it and try it,” he adds.

Other technologies are also being explored by researchers for early soybean disease detection, such as hyperspectral imaging for charcoal rot and the Sporecaster smartphone app from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The latter predicts white mold risk based on weather data and field conditions.

Expanding the Network: Coverage for 2026 and Beyond
InnerPlant expects to scale up to more than 500,000 soybean acres across Iowa, Illinois, Nebraska and South Dakota in 2026 and plans to expand beyond those states over time.

To learn more about the technology, farmers can connect with participating ag retailers or reach out directly to InnerPlant.
Schaefer says the companyis hosting demos this winter, offering a firsthand look at this real-time, plant-based technology that could redefine how farmers address key diseases in the future.

He adds that InnerPlant will start field testing a corn fungal sensor in 2026, aiming to expand the plant-based disease detection technology to even more farmers and geographies in the coming years.

InnerPlant is partnering with local ag retailers to introduce CropVoice. The 2026 retailer network includes:

Illinois
Sun Ag

Iowa
Agriland
FSC
NEW
Nutrien

Nebraska
Aurora Cooperative
CHS
Hwy 75-Chem
Norder Supply
Nutrien
Rawhide Fertilizer, LLC

South Dakota
CHS
Nutrien

Why the Northern Lights Are More Like Caution Lights to Farmers

Wed, 12 Nov 2025 16:55:59 GMT

This week, from Minnesota to Florida, the Aurora Borelias, or the northern lights have been observed.

Space weather forecasters at NOAA are expecting a strong magnetic field from the sun through 4 pm eastern on Wednesday, while also anticipating an extension of those alerts as a third flare approaches Earth and its strength and path can be confirmed. These current geomagnetic storms are categorized as G4, or severe, and the magnetic force has been 8x stronger than normal.

Why should farmers be aware?

Dr. Terry Griffin, precision ag economist at Kansas State University, says these severe events can interrupt high frequency radio waves, communications for the airline industry, and for agriculture–GPS, including RTK.

(@braunfarm / X)

He says this week’s storm has interrupted field activities such as strip-till, fertilizer application, and more. While it’s presumed (because USDA hasn’t published harvest data due to the shut down), most of regular harvest activities are wrapped up, but some key research fields or test plots may not be.

“My concern as a data person is not being able to log yield data to make the maps we use for on-farm experimentation in particular,” he says. “We put in this effort through the growing season, and a day comes to harvest that field, well if GPS isn’t working, we can still harvest but we’re not able to log that data.”

As for why space weather and it’s effects on Earth activities has come into focus recently, Griffin says solar cycles are roughly 11 years, and we’re entering the 11th year of the current cycle.

“It could tame down next year,” he says.

Updates are available at SpaceWeather.gov and anyone can sign up for alerts to stay up-to-date on posted notices for space weather.

No More Waiting: Operator-Free Grain Cart System Improves Harvest Efficiency

Wed, 15 Oct 2025 15:49:16 GMT

At first blush, the benefits promised by new autonomous retrofit grain cart system, OutRun, seemed too good to be true to Ken Ferrie and his agronomic team.

The system, now commercially available, promises to help farmers increase harvest efficiencies while reducing labor needs in the process.

Ferrie and team’s skepticism quickly turned to appreciation as they put the system to work harvesting large-scale Farm Journal Test Plots in central Illinois.

“Once it’s in the field, it’s kind of like a dog with a shock collar,” says Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist. “It can’t leave the field, meaning that there’s a GPS fence around that field that keeps it from leaving that defined area.”

OutRun, developed by PTx Trimble (formed by AGCO and Trimble), enables a tractor and auger cart to team up and move autonomously to catch a combine on the go.

The system uses Starlink connectivity and PTx Trimble location technology, while the combine’s guidance and steering system remains unchanged. Field boundaries loaded into the OutRun system keep the cart/tractor team where it needs to be.

Less Manpower Potentially Required
Nebraska farmer Geoffrey Ruth says he is pumped about the practicality and ease-of-use of driverless grain cart automation. The opportunity to reduce manpower needs or redeploy a worker is especially appealing.

“We’re usually pretty short on labor at harvest time, so we’re looking to purchase one outright and take that operator and throw them in a semi to haul grain,” Ruth says in this recent article by Farm Journal’s Matthew Grassi: Smart Harvest: How One Farmer Is Hitting Harvest Windows, Helping Others With Grain Cart Tech

As Ruth and Ferrie quickly learned, the grain cart can be staged or called for unloading without the need for another driver.

Once full, the combine operator can then send the grain cart to a predefined truck unload zone for unloading. An operator is still needed, however, to unload the cart into a truck.

“Once you get a full tank, you call for the cart, and the cart will pull up beside the combine and unload on the go for you, or you could stage it at the end, so it’s waiting for you when you get there,” says Ferrie, whose agronomic team at Crop-Tech Consulting are running the system.

The truck driver can then disengage the cart, fill the truck and then reengage the cart so the combine operator can take control of the system again.

“Your combine operator can put the cart anywhere he wants it to go,” Ferrie says. “If you’ve got tile holes, terraces, or other places in the field you don’t want that cart to go, the combine operator can draw those areas on the screen and tell it, ‘these are no-go areas,’ so it doesn’t get itself into trouble.”

Ruth adds that the system also knows where the farmer already cut corn and will use that area as a path instead of mowing over crops that haven’t been harvested yet. It’s similar to how a drone already knows the safe path home when the pilot hits return to home on the controller.

OutRun is currently available for model year 2014 or newer John Deere 8R tractors with Infinitely Variable Transmission (IVT) and will be commercially available on Fendt models in 2026.

You can learn more about PTx Trimble’s OutRun system at www.OutRunAg.com

Don't End Up In The Ditch! Update Your GPS Guidance Lines For 2026

Fri, 10 Oct 2025 16:53:34 GMT

Farmers who use a local RTK network or state-run Real Time Network (RTN) — Iowa and Ohio both offer these signals — for auto steer and GPS guidance systems will need to recapture new GPS coordinates for field boundaries and A-B lines before spring planting.

That’s because The National Geodetic Survey (NGS) will soon replace two outdated reference frames, NAD 83 and NAVD 88, with a new corrections datum. The shift could knock your current A-B lines and GPS field boundaries off by anywhere from 1 to 4 meters, according to a pair of Iowa State University Extension precision ag specialists.

The Ohio State University Extension and FABE professor Dr. John Fulton issued a similar warning last fall at the Ohio Farm Science Review.

Iowa State University precision ag engineer Luke Fuhrer and digital Extension specialist Doug Houser say farmers using a major commercial satellite RTK network, such as those offered by John Deere and Trimble, should be OK for 2026.

Farmers who need to make quick updates to field boundaries or A-B lines, or check on the potential impact to existing telematics data this winter, are being told to use the free NGS Coordinate Conversion and Transformation Tool (NCAT) to shift their GPS coordinates from NAD 83/NAVD 88 to NATRF2022.

Fuhrer and Houser also want you to consider:

Physically recollecting GPS coordinates for field boundaries, control points or benchmarks using a system aligned to the new datum.
Recalculating your historical data using updated reference points or transformation software.

Example Scenario

(John Deere/Mel Koltai)

The Iowa State researchers share the following scenario as an example of a farmer who will need to make updates before spring planting:

“A farmer in eastern Iowa has been using a local RTK base station tied to NAD 83 to map field boundaries with sub-inch accuracy to avoid a neighbor’s fence line.

“After 2026, the new NATRF2022 datum will shift those GPS-defined boundaries by several feet. While the fence hasn’t moved, the guidance lines will now show up partially in the neighbor’s field. Without correction, auto-steer will drift across actual property lines.”

Before spring 2026, Fuhrer and Houser want this farmer to:

Back up all current GPS files and data.
Talk to his/her equipment dealer about firmware updates or new coordinate system support.
Use NCAT or dealer-provided tools to test a few key points and see how much they move.
Consider a quick resurvey for high-value areas.

For more info, check out the NGS “Get Prepared” resource here .

John Deere Layoffs Continue Amid Sales Downturn, 142 Iowa Employees Notified

Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:57:38 GMT

Farm equipment giant John Deere has confirmed it is laying off 101 employees at its Waterloo Operations (last day on October 17) and 41 employees at the Des Moines Works (October 31) plant, according to an official statement emailed to Farm Journal.

It is a little over a month since the last round of layoffs , which affected over 200 employees across factories located in the Quad Cities region of western Illinois and eastern Iowa.

Deere says in the statement: “Production schedules at each John Deere factory vary to align with seasonal farming needs. When fewer orders come in, each factory adjusts accordingly.”

Despite the layoffs and an overall tough farm economy that some think will stretch well into 2026, Deere still intends on moving forward with its $20 billion investment strategy here in the U.S., according to the statement.

During John Deere’s earnings call in August, the company issued a warning that tariff costs could total $600 million for fiscal year 2025. The company’s share price dipped 6% immediately following that call. Deere’s net income for Q3 also sank 26%, and its total net sales decreased by 9% compared to Q3 in 2024.

At the beginning of August, John Deere addressed long-standing Right To Repair concerns with a new digital diagnosis and repair product for John Deere machines and Hagie STS high-clearance sprayers. That tool costs $195 per tractor for farmers and $5,995 per year for independent service technicians.

And in May, Deere acquired Minneapolis-based drone and sensor provider Sentera . Financial terms for that deal have not been disclosed.

John Deere also just dropped a new commercial featuring injured San Francisco 49ers quarterback and Iowa State Cyclone Brock Purdy cooking meals for farmers with tractor influencer @JustAJacksonThing. You can check that out below.

Additional Information

Deere shares the following bullet points regarding compensation benefits available to laid off employees:

Affected employees are eligible to be recalled to their home factory for a period equal to their length of service. Those laid off are automatically placed in seniority order for openings they are qualified to perform at the factory.
Weekly supplemental unemployment benefit (SUB pay), dependent on number of years of continuous employment.
Transitional Assistance Benefit (TAB) pay, which may cover up to 50% of their average weekly earnings for up to 52 weeks. 
Profit sharing, calculated based on hours worked, average earnings and the company’s profit margin.

Healthcare benefits employees can receive during a layoff include: 

Employees can keep healthcare coverage for at least six months, or as long as they are eligible for SUB pay.
Weekly Indemnity (WI): Employees who become disabled while on layoff can get WI benefits for the same duration as their SUB pay.
Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Employees and their household members can access EAP services for the duration of their recall rights. EAP provides up to eight sessions of in-person or virtual therapy per year.

Other benefits laid-off employees may receive include: 

Life insurance
Legal assistance
Tuition reimbursement and job-placement assistance.

Your next read: Why a Farmer on the Brink of Suicide Chose to Keep Going

Survey Says: Smart Farming Has Big Impact On U.S. Farms, And There’s Room for More

Fri, 12 Sep 2025 15:27:29 GMT

Smart farming technologies, like smart irrigation and targeted spraying systems, are helping farms reduce water use, burn less fuel and optimize fertilizer and pesticide applications. Those gains have led to a 5% increase in overall crop production in the U.S. in just the last five years.

That’s all according to newly released data from the Association of Equipment Manufacturer’s (AEM) “The Benefits of Precision Ag In The U.S.” report. You can read the full white paper study here .

“The overarching message is precision ag enables farmers to maximize use of their inputs,” says Austin Gellings, senior director of agricultural services, AEM. “We’re maximizing every drop of what we’re putting on our crops and on our soil, and I think that’s a very powerful message.”

Gellings found two specific aspects of the study results most compelling:

(Lori Hays)

U.S. farms have achieved an overall 5% reduction in annual water usage by adopting smart farming technologies like smart irrigation systems and soil moisture sensors. Gellings says the savings equates to about 824,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools worth of fresh water saved. It takes about 5 million standard 16 oz. bottled waters to fill just one Olympic-size swimming pool, he adds.

(Lori Hays)

Farmers who adopt targeted smart spraying application systems, like John Deere’s See & Spray and CNH Industrial’s SenseApply, can reduce America’s overall annual herbicide usage up to 55% if full adoption of the technology is achieved. The study defines full adoption as 90% of the total number of active farms in the U.S.

“We also found potential for an additional 6% increase in annual crop production with higher precision technology adoption rates,” he says. “It’s clear these technologies show almost unlimited potential in reducing inputs while increasing our output.

“[Technology is] a tool in the toolbox that helps our farmers step up to the challenges they face every single day, like they’ve always done. Our farmers always find a way to meet the challenge at hand. They are always going to innovate and find a way.”

The next big thing?

For Gellings, who grew up on the family farm in Wisconsin, daydreaming about the next big technology breakthrough for ag — something truly revolutionary along the lines of how smart spraying has impacted pesticide applications — gets him fired up. He says he can only imagine what his grandfather would say if he knew you could put a camera on a spray boom and only target the weeds as you drove 15 mph through the field.

“In 5 years, will there be a new technology like that, that revolutionizes the way we’re doing things and in a way that we never thought possible? That’s what’s exciting when I think about all the innovation that’s happening in agriculture,” he says. “We’re in this technology boom, and I can almost guarantee there will be another groundbreaking technology that don’t exist today that will come along and fundamentally change the way we farm.”

The updated study findings (the original study data was published back in 2020) were released in collaboration with the American Farm Bureau Federation, American Soybean Association, CropLife America and National Corn Growers Association. Kearney, a global management consulting firm, had a team of project management professionals and subject matter experts to assist AEM in executing the study update.

The full study is available now on AEM’s Insights page at www.aem.org/insights .

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Spray Drone Season Hits Full Throttle: 3 Service Providers Flying Acres and Boosting Yields

Tue, 29 Jul 2025 19:22:38 GMT

Nebraska native Andy Kreikemeier’s phone hasn’t stopped ringing all week, and it won’t go silent anytime soon.

That’s because his former hobby and volunteer side hustle, flying drones for the county emergency response team, transformed into a full-time gig as a spray drone operator. Kreikemeier is one-third of a team of spray drone pilots with business partners Brett Scheiding and Brad Eisenhauer. Together, the three local volunteer firefighters started Infinity Precision Ag, a custom drone application service provider in southeast Nebraska.

The Infinity team is in the crunch of the summer plant health application season, and farmers without access to a Hagie high-clearance sprayer or an aerial application service need the timely sprays these certified drone pilots provide to get their crop across the finish line and in good shape for fall harvest.

The trio is in their sophomore season offering per-acre spray drone application services to farmers, and the group learned “a ton” from last year’s rookie campaign.

“Spray drones are definitely a good tool because they can do a lot of specialized things, and it’s fun to see the old farmers come out and watch these things. They’ll tell me ‘Never in my day would I have thought this was something I’d be using’,” Kreikemeier says. “It’s a fun change, and it works. You can get more precise with your applications, and you get the stuff where you want it at all times.”

The team at Infinity exclusively flies Hylio spray drones, which are manufactured in Texas. Hylio was among the first U.S. service providers – Iowa-based Rantizo being one of the others – to receive FAA approval to swarm , or operate in concert, multiple spray drones in one flight mission. Swarming is exactly how Kreikemeier and his team prefer to operate the mostly automated quadcopters. By operating multiple spray drones together in a fleet, Infinity can cover more acres per hour.

Related: Trump Issues Executive Order Making Ag Drones More Efficient

Kreikemeier says the service requests from farmers this summer are “about 50-50” fungicide on corn applications and insecticide or foliar-applied biological sprays. There hasn’t been a lot of Tar Spot disease pressure in his area yet, but Gray Leaf Spot in corn is something farmers need to proactively spray for.

(Lindsey Pound)

While he won’t go as far as saying the drones are a superior application tool to a large ground rig or aerial application plane, he does see some advantages to using the technology.

“The drones can definitely get the products deeper into the plant canopy — at least that’s what I’m seeing right now,” Kreikemeier says, adding he’s also seeing improved application quality on end-rows and sensitive areas near buffers, streams and rural housing developments. An aerial applicator would usually have to pull up and gain altitude to avoid those obstacles, potentially leaving some spray to drift off-target. But an unmanned drone can stay low and keep blasting active ingredients directly into the canopy.

“Guys are definitely telling me they can see a difference between what the drones have done and what the planes have done,” he says.

From Photographer to Pilot-In-Charge

Drone shots of a drone spraying fungicide on corn field sprayer spray - By Lindsey Pound

(Lindsey Pound)

Over on the East Coast, Joshua Berry got his start in the drone world along the same lines as many early adopters: he built up a custom photography and videography business for years before making the decision to integrate aerial photography to stay relevant.

The first drone he purchased is widely considered one of the “OGs” in the drone world: DJI’s Phantom 1. Berry recalls his aerial photography service didn’t take off right away, but he always knew ag was an industry he wanted to join. The realization came fast and hard that he was facing an uphill battle to make that dream a reality, as his family didn’t own land or have a legacy in farming.

Berry’s big breakthrough came when he started using drones equipped with thermal cameras to help deer hunters locate fallen prey deep in the woods. The service gave him a foot in the door with local farmers – many of whom are avid hunters or at the very least friends with hunters – along Maryland’s specialty ag-rich Eastern Shore.

refilling drone spraying fungicide on corn field sprayer spray - By Lindsey Pound

(Lindsey Pound)

“A guy out in Ohio saw what I was doing and wanted to get into the deer recovery stuff, so he befriended me, and I helped teach him a couple things,” Berry says. “One day he calls me up and he’s like, ‘Yo, have you seen these agricultural drones?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I have my eye on it.’ And he tells me it’s going to be the next big thing.”

Berry started doing research and soon enough he agreed with his buddy in Ohio that spray drones would be his ticket to a career in farming. He ordered a pair of DJI Agras T-40 models and started working on getting licensed to legally apply chemicals.

That took him a few months (today the FAA licensing process has been streamlined), and he was able to start flying and applying midway through the 2024 growing season.

“I did a lot of research and networking before I flew a single acre, so I felt like I set myself up for success (early on),” Berry says. “Even though it was a dry year – dry and hot means there’s not a lot of pressure on farmers to spray – I ended the season with between 2,500 and 3,000 acres. For a guy in his first half of a season, I was happy with that.

Related: How Spray Drones Revolutionize Corn Farming, Make Farmers More Efficient and Sustainable

This year, Berry’s acreage will double to about 6,000-7,000. That’s an impressive figure, considering how fields are laid out on the East Coast. This isn’t Iowa, Berry says, where a drone operator can park at an intersection and knock out 300 acres of flat, continuous fields without having to move the truck and tender trailer.

As far as the job mix this summer, he is putting on a lot of single pass fungicide-insecticide-liquid fertilizer applications across a diverse mix of crops. Berry is also hearing some farmers in his area are buying drones themselves and skipping the whole FAA licensing process to spray their crops themselves.

“That’s going to hurt us as an industry, big time. And also, it’s going to hurt the farmers eventually. Even though the enforcement wing of the FAA is almost nonexistent, there is enforcement out there,” he says. “They may not have the manpower (now), but if that changes, you’re going to see these unlicensed guys really start to get dinged.”

Tendering for Spray Drones

The Mitten State is a good proving ground for spray drone applications, says Leon Thelen, agricultural drone application specialist, On Point Application Group (Battle Creek, Mich.).

For one, there aren’t many options for custom aerial application services available to growers like there are in the western Corn Belt. And Michigan farms are often broken into collections of smaller, oddly shaped fields with power lines, tree stands and residential developments nearby. That makes plane applications dicey.

And finally, the state has a diverse crop mix that features a lot of high-value, specialty crops like cranberries, cherries, potatoes and sugar beets. There are a lot of farmers looking to make applications without running over expensive plants with a ground rig.

Related: 7 Expert Tips To Maximize Spray Drone Efficiency

Thelen says On Point Application Group is doing a lot of field border insecticide applications, spot spraying tough weed escapes like water hemp, and putting out full field broadcast applications of fungicides with its XAG P140 spray drones.

One critical aspect of the business Thelen and his team have sorted out over the past few months is tendering. He says the giant, bi-level prefab drone tender trailers you see around the Midwest are good for most operations, but a smaller footprint tender that can fit in the back of an extended pickup is ideal for the type of work he’s doing in Michigan.

“Being that I’ve backed a trailer into a lot of fields, I like lightweight equipment that’s nimble,” he says. “We’ve got a trailer with 1,000 gallons of water and a mix tank that we can leave at the field edge and unhook. Then we have this 200-gallon hot tank with our charging equipment , batteries and everything we can take into the field. This setup works well when you’re working off (irrigation) pivot lanes or back in behind the woods. I like to be close to the field.”

Your Next Read: Yes, Corn Sweat is Real, But Here’s Why the Humidity is So Thick This Year

Fusing The Best of Regenerative Ag and Smart Farming: Senator Marshall’s Take on MAHA

Fri, 25 Jul 2025 14:22:11 GMT

Having grown up as a Kansas fifth generation farm kid and spending many years as a physician, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, R-Kan., views the Trump administration’s Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) agenda through a different lens than many of his Beltway colleagues.

“I delivered a baby every day for some 25 years in my hometown,” Marshall says. “And certainly, diet and nutrition are so, so, so important. When I came to Congress, this was one of the things I wanted to address. And I want to start by saying there’s no MAHA without American agriculture leadership.”

RELATED: MAHA Report’s Surprising Stance on Glyphosate, Atrazine Explained

While much of the recent reporting around MAHA focuses on unpacking the movement’s outwardly anti-pesticide bent , Marshall has fashioned his own, more conventional ag-friendly version covering four distinct pillars:

Increase American agricultural efficiency
Grow healthier, nutrient rich food
Unlock affordable health care access for millions of Americans
Focus on health care resources to combat the mental health epidemic

“I believe soil health leads to healthy food, which leads to healthy people,” Marshall says. “I hear the MAHA group and I hear the ag folks. I have a foot in each of those worlds, and I am trying to bring them together. Because guess what? American agriculture wants healthy children just as much as anybody.”

RELATED: Decode MAHA’s Potential Effect on the Agriculture Sector

Marshall believes MAHA can achieve that goal by embracing some – but not all – of the regenerative ag principles Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., espoused on the campaign trail. American farmers are already reducing chemical use with tools like selective spraying systems and mechanical weeding implements, but the senator knows there’s still meat on that bone. He views it less as a return to “40 acres and a mule” and more as a combination of pieces and parts from the regenerative ag playbook with precision ag technology generously sprinkled into the mix.

“Regenerative ag should be centered around precision ag and growing more with less,” he says. “We’re already using 60% less fertilizers and less pesticides. I think we must continue to decrease the amount of fertilizers and pesticides, so there’s less residue on that loaf of bread in the grocery store.”

Marshall is currently rallying Congressional support for the bipartisan Plant Biostimulant Act. This yet-to-be-ratified farm policy would streamline the FDA approval process under FIFRA for new, novel and natural modes of action. But the senator emphasizes the program must remain voluntary.

“About 5% of the farm bill is conservation practices,” he says. “So, I would streamline the FDA process and allow these biostimulants to be one of the options. It’s not a subsidy, though. I just want to make the regulatory process easier. And that’s going to make it more affordable, as well.”

More MAHA: 250-Plus Ag Groups Ask Trump Administration To ‘Correct’ MAHA Commission’s ‘Activities’

Another goal is for the American producer to embrace best-in-class crop production and sustainability practices. The Kansas senator points to one example from his home state as the creative and nimble thinking he wants to see American farmers embrace.

“We have a group of sorghum growers that have their own mill,” Marshall says. “And they’re selling that flour directly to the infant formula (companies) as well as to European markets. The EU has higher standards, so to speak, than America does, and so be it. I don’t know if they’re necessary, but I don’t make the rules. These Kansas farmers have cracked the code and they’re getting a premium for their sorghum right now, and all it takes is a little extra effort.”

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Inside the Pivot: Farmers Edge CEO on Reinventing for the Enterprise Era

Thu, 17 Jul 2025 14:11:38 GMT

What drew you to the company and to the role?

Agriculture is my fourth industry. Before this, I spent a decade at Amazon on the retail side of the business. When this opportunity with Farmers Edge was presented to me, I started researching the industry more deeply. Peeling back the layers and looking at the role of technology over the years—and the reputational challenges AgTech has faced—I saw an opportunity to apply my background in tech and operations to build solid technology solutions and help push the digitization of agriculture forward.

What changes did you aim to bring to the company?

My mandate was to assess the entire business model. A lot of ag technology solutions, including ours at Farmers Edge, were compelling—but adoption wasn’t where it should be. Our previous approach was very product-centric: launch a solution, and assume the customer would adopt it. But every grower is different, and a one-size-fits-all model doesn’t work.

So, the questions I focused on understanding were: Why is there a gap? And how can we create more value?

Your new product is Managed Services. Tell us what it offers.

With our enterprise business, we are completely customer centric. We start by understanding the customer’s business: what are they trying to do, and how can we help?

For example, if you’re a CTO at a large agribusiness, we bring both agronomic expertise and technical capability under one roof. That allows us to build custom solutions for operations, supply chain, and reporting. If your business is scaling from 1 million to 200 million acres, we can support that growth so your team can stay focused on the core business. In short, our Managed Services solution is designed to scale with customers.

We launched this under a year ago and the traction that we’ve received from these large agribusinesses has been significant. We are trying to address an unmet need in the marketplace for these large agribusinesses and take away the burden from these CTOs and CIOs who want to digitize, but don’t have a reliable partner to do it with.

What’s changed about Farmers Edge in the past three years?

The name “Farmers Edge” reflects our original focus: building tools for individual growers. Now, our model is focused on helping large enterprises—retailers, insurers, and input companies—depending on where they are on the tech adoption curve.

We can build new technology for them, improve what they already have, or white label our own. That flexibility helps them go to market faster with fewer resource demands.

We think of ourselves as an extension of their technology team—only more agile.

What percent of your business is focused on Managed Services today?

Roughly 80% of our team is focused on Managed Services, because that’s now our lead offering. We still have a base of growers across North America and Brazil using our variable rate solutions, and we continue to serve them. We also operate two soil testing labs that support both growers and enterprise clients.

What would you say are the most significant milestones for your team so far?

A key milestone was when we were able to define the problem, articulate it in a way that was simple for agribusinesses to understand, and then execute it with urgency and discipline in a way that we were also able to hold to our commitment. The last thing we wanted was to have an expectation mismatch with the ag tech and leave the business with a painful experience.

What’s an example of a recent project?

We support a variety of segments across agriculture—including insurance, ag retail, sustainability, and farm productivity—and each partnership looks a little different depending on the need.

One example is our work with the National Sorghum Producers, where we’re providing carbon intensity scoring for 1,700 fields and digitizing over 400 farms. It was a near turn-key solution that helped them meet evolving sustainability and compliance requirements without having to stand up internal infrastructure.

We’re also working with insurance providers in both Canada and Brazil to modernize risk management systems and enhance data-driven decision-making.

In ag retail, we build white-label technology platforms and agronomic tools that can scale with our partners—whether they’re launching digital agronomy services, expanding e-commerce, or centralizing data from across their network. Across every segment, the value is the same: taking the complexity off their plate so they can stay focused on what they do best.

You’ve shifted from public to private. What’s the story there?

We’re now backed by Fairfax Financial, a long-term investor based in Toronto. They’ve been around for four decades, have a strong track record of value investing and have outperformed the market with a compounded return of over 18% annually.
We’re well-capitalized and financially supported by Fairfax.

Like many in the technology sector, we experienced post-IPO correction. Going private allowed us to focus on successfully executing the pivot. Like I mentioned earlier, our Managed Services offering has been extremely well received by the industry.

Where do you hope to be five years from now?

In five years, I want Farmers Edge to be seen as the gold standard for digital transformation in agriculture. Not just as a service provider, but as a strategic partner that enables the world’s largest agribusinesses to scale, adapt, and lead.

We’re building a category-defining company – one that makes technology a competitive advantage, not a barrier, for the entire industry.

Meet The Forge: Kelly Hills Unmanned Puts New Spin on Ag Tech Field Testing

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 21:37:17 GMT

Over the weekend, Kelly Hills Unmanned, a company that says it is dedicated to accelerating multimodal technologies in agriculture and autonomy, announced the launch of The Forge.

It’s being described as a deployment-centered program designed to meld best-in-class ag technologies into new tools that farmers, ranchers and service providers can trust and use for decades to come, according to a press release from the group.

The Forge’s inaugural cohort hopes to bring together a “powerhouse group” of innovators and operators from across the ag technology landscape into a coordinated, systems approach to help growers identify and overcome agronomic issues before they become yield robbers.

The cohort members, or pillars, are:

Precision AI: Developers of real-time drone-based precision spraying systems that reduce chemical inputs and deliver hyper-targeted agronomic action.
Pyka: Builders of autonomous electric aircraft designed for aerial applications, logistics and mission-critical crop operations.
ScanIt Technologies: Experts in using early detection of airborne pathogens to maximize yields and minimize costs.
Heinen Brothers Agra Services: One of the nation’s largest aerial applicators and ag services companies, offering deployment scale and deep field expertise.
Yamaha Precision Agriculture: Pioneers of robotic and aerial technology for small scale, high-efficiency farming.
Drop Flight: Providers of droplet characterization and aircraft calibration tools to optimize spray accuracy and compliance in real-world operations.
Taranis: Global leaders in ultra-high-resolution aerial scouting, delivering precise field-level insights to boost agronomic decision-making.

For more information, head to www.kellyhills.us/the-forge .

Farm Journal reached out to Lukas Koch to pick his brain about this new, novel entrant to the ag tech ecosystem. We first met Koch last year during the Kelly Hills Unmanned summer field day near Seneca, Kan., where his group unveiled the Pyka Pelican Spray drone — at the time the largest, highest-capacity ag spray drone on the market (280-liter capacity). This year Kelly Hills is integrating the Pelican 2 (300-liter capacity, up to 222 acres per hour at 60-foot swath rate) into its aerial application arsenal.

Farm Journal: Would you call this an ag tech incubator or accelerator type of program, and if not, what’s makes The Forge different?

Lukas Koch (LK): “(The Forge) is neither of those, because we’re not taking a cash influx to create an R&D program. What we’re doing is creating new tools with existing technology — if they’re part of plug and play that’s fine, but we don’t care about that. We want to know if the tech has merit and does it fit on the acre, but maybe something with it is not fully there just yet? So, what are we supposed to do with it then? You have a technology and, for example, it can take high-res pictures and identify areas of your fields that need attention, but today the most likely options are using a ground rig or hiring an airplane to manage that in a meaningful way. For that example, we think there’s an opportunity to do that with a small spray drone, but then again the logistics are tough; you have to come back and land and swap out a battery or refill the tank so often. We’re going to take a bunch of existing technologies that already exist, ask them to change nothing and put them to the test — and we’ll push the bounds of what they can do, to make these all work together in a system.”

FJ: How will this all kind of come together and take shape this summer as the program rolls out?

LK: “We have a few drone companies (in the cohort), and there’s a droplet analysis program involved — I thought that was an important piece in analyzing the spray coverage we get. Right now, we have the in-field sensors out in the field to help us ground truth the data we get from overhead. And then the remote sensing piece gives us situational awareness; it tells us where we should be focusing our efforts. And overall, I think, OK, that’s great, but now you still have to make a treatment with either a ground rig or hire an airplane.

(www.KellyHills.us)

“But with our FAA test range (pictured above) that we were approved for last summer within Kelly Hills, now we can autonomously fly to those spots with a drone, either in line of sight or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and we can make those treatments autonomously. This year, the tool we’re focusing on is true spot spraying BVLOS in corn and soybeans, and then next year hopefully we can make more tools or take that technology that already exists and make it into a tool for a grower, who can sign up for this subscription and buy one of these drones, and now I have a full encompassing suite of tools and I can know for sure what works and what does not work.”

FJ: How can farmers in Kansas learn more and possibly sign up to work with you guys?

LK: “There’s really two ways right now. For anything specific they might want to do, maybe there are some projects they are thinking about, go ahead and ping us on the website , and we’ll get back to you. And the other way is, once we’re done with a set tool or we wrap up our summer series of projects, we plan to make the results and findings available online, kind of like Beck’s Hybrids does with its farm applied research studies. We want people to see what we’re doing and to reach out with their ideas on how we can make better tools inside of The Forge and showcase some of these technologies together in one new product, and growers are very interested in this and would love to understand if they can package these technologies together and make an ROI.”

FJ: You already have this inaugural cohort in place, but are you already thinking about what’s next?

LK: “I have a couple companies that I need to further engage with now that they can see what The Forge is all about. A couple of those are involved in year-over-year (data) modeling technology that can say, OK, help me start to determine this is my pattern, and this is what I did last year; now can you tell me what to do next year and how to create more ROI? And then I think soil is a huge key right now, too. I don’t have any any soil type products in there, and soil sampling is great, but there are some neat companies that are focusing on soil-sensing technology that I think would be interesting to package in there, too. You know, in due time I think we’ll get there.”

Koch says the plan is to unveil many of the insights and results from The Forge at this summer’s Kelly Hills Unmanned Field Day. That event is set for Aug. 19, and you can get registered for it here.

And, just for fun, here’s a video breakdown of the Pyka Pelican 2:

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American Dominance: Trump Issues Executive Order Making Ag Drones More Efficient

Wed, 11 Jun 2025 18:58:01 GMT

President Donald J. Trump has signed an Executive Order (EO) his administration claims will “ensure continued American leadership in the development, commercialization and export of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)”.

The order mentions precision agriculture as one of several industries where drones are “enhancing U.S. productivity, creating high-skilled jobs and reshaping the future of aviation.”

Related: Soaring Yields and Lower Costs: 7 Expert Tips To Maximize Spray Drone Efficiency

Two areas of emphasis within the EO itself will have direct benefits to many farm drone use-cases:

The expansion of approved autonomous Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) operations.
A new electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) integration pilot program.

By directing the FAA to continue on its current trajectory of streamlining the approval of autonomous BVLOS flights in areas where public safety is not at risk (i.e. in unrestricted Class G airspace), crop scouting and spray drones will be able to cover more acres in a more efficient manner.

And establishing a pilot program to further the advancement of eVTOLs is good news for many emerging spray drone technologies like Guardian.ag’s SC1 , which is now FAA-approved and field testing with growers in Salinas, Calif., this summer.

Related: What’s New With Agriculture Drones?

The order also directs the FAA administrator to deploy artificial intelligence tools to streamline and expedite UAS waiver reviews, meaning farm users with all the licensing and approval ducks-in-a-row will be approved faster for time-critical missions like in-season insecticide and fungicide applications.

Many in the drone industry expected an outright ban of Chinese and foreign drone technology in the U.S., but that does not appear to be the case with this EO. The order does instruct federal agencies using drones to “prioritize U.S.-manufactured UAS” and to “secure our supply chains and promote American leadership in production, certification and export.”

Domestic Drone Maker Reacts

Smart-Farming-Drone-Arthur-Erickson.jpg

(Hylio/Lori Hays)

Hylio is an American spray drone manufacturer based in Richmond, Texas. The company is building a new 40,000 square foot facility that CEO Arthur Erickson says will increase its drone production capacity by about 500%.

Erickson gave the following statement to Farm Journal after Trump’s EO was announced:

“Since 2015, Hylio has been on the front lines of the drone industry, fighting an uphill battle as one of the few US-based drone manufacturers. Over the past decade, we’ve witnessed Chinese companies employ increasingly aggressive, non-competitive practices, such as price dumping and strategic subsidizing, in an attempt to monopolize the market and eliminate American competition.

“We believe American self-reliance in drone manufacturing and component sourcing is an existential necessity; drone technology has proven to be incredibly important in private industry as well as civil and military government sectors. The executive orders issued by the Trump administration, which promote US manufacturers like Hylio while simultaneously curbing the anti-competitive practices of Chinese manufacturers, are a powerful step toward establishing a robust and secure American drone industrial base in the near future. We fully support the administration’s efforts and applaud them for their decisive action.”

To learn more about the EO, check out this fact sheet from the White House or dig deep and read the full EO, “Unleashing American Drone Dominance”, here.

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No, John Deere is Not Freezing Production or Stepping Away From its U.S. Factories

Mon, 09 Jun 2025 16:48:46 GMT

An online report last week claimed John Deere is shutting down ALL manufacturing in response to the ongoing tariff situation in the U.S.

But we looked into it, and we’re here to tell you: don’t take the bait — or, as the kids say, feed the trolls — because it’s simply not true.

An article authored by Kieran Schalkwyk and titled “John Deere Freezes U.S. Manufacturing in Unprecedented Shutdown” appeared on MSN.com and was aggregated by Google News feeds last week, claiming the manufacturer is “making a radical move that some might think is ‘un-American.’”

John Deere shared the following LinkedIn post Friday afternoon. You can also visit Deere.com for more information on the company’s U.S. manufacturing presence.

The MSN.com post has since been taken down and brings up an error page:

MSN.com screenshot

(MSN.com)

It’s somewhat bewildering timing for this particular misinformation ploy.

John Deere recently put out a blog post outlining its commitment to U.S. manufacturing. The statement says John Deere will invest $20 billion into its U.S. footprint over the next decade, which includes major expansion projects in Iowa, Missouri, North Carolina and Tennessee.

Today, the company has 60 manufacturing facilities in more than 16 U.S. states and employs over 30,000 American workers.

What is true is over the past 18 months, the company has been forced to lay off some employees , and it strategically slowed manufacturing at some production facilities in Iowa in response to depressed farmer demand for new tractors and combines.

Of course, John Deere is not alone navigating a treacherous global farm economy. Machinery rivals AGCO and CNH also made the tough choice to layoff factory workers over the past 12 months. CNH even completely shutdown its overseas machinery imports during the first few days of the tariff policy rollout, although that pause was only temporary.

In February, we updated our popular “Who Makes What Where” feature showing where major farm equipment is manufactured around the world.

Our analysis of John Deere’s global factory network shows that of the 60 John Deere machines relevant to U.S. farmers, 50 of them (83%) are manufactured here in North America. Of all the major farm equipment manufacturers we polled, John Deere has the largest U.S.-based manufacturing footprint other than Canadian-based Buhler Industries, which is 100% North America based.

So, it feels safe to say we can put this rumor to bed once and for all: No, John Deere is not shutting down its factories. Myth Busted. Shutdown the rumor mill.

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Heads Up: Space Weather Could Disrupt GPS Signal This Week

Sun, 01 Jun 2025 17:01:55 GMT

The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration has updated its expected arrival of a G4 severe geomagnetic storm. Initially expected to be observed June 2 to June 3, it’s now potentially ending earlier by June 2.

These space weather events can disturb the Earth’s magnetic field and at this severe level cause “more frequent and longer periods of GPS degradation.”

“If you’re finished planting, have no spraying to do, or otherwise too wet to get into the field, this solar storm may not matter for production agriculture even for the most susceptible states,” says Terry Griffin with Kansas State University. “Given the time of year, several hundred thousand acres of peanuts are left to be planted in Georgia (74% planting progress as of last week). Without RTK (not just GPS but sub-inch accuracy RTK), a 11% yield penalty is known at planting due to uncertainty of AB line when digging, the topic of my current research. In Kansas, corn was 85% planted as of last week and most crops have been planted on schedule or ahead of the 5-year average, but spraying and other midseason operations are still vulnerable.”

He adds Kansas winter wheat harvest usually begins mid-June so it won’t be affected by this storm.

Are these events normal?

Griffin says accurately predicting solar storms is more difficult than terrestrial weather.
“One analogy is to think of predicting geomagnetic disturbances on Earth as compared to the familiar tornado season. We know that in Kansas every April and May we can expect tornadoes in our area; when we may have a tornado watch, sometimes a tornado warning, and less common for an individual homeowner to be directly affected by a tornado,” he says. “Geomagnetic disturbances are similar: every 11 years we should expect a variety of “watches” and “alerts” due to increased solar activity before quieting down for about the next seven years until activity ramps up again.”

However space weather brings an even greater level of uncertainty for what the precise impacts on Earth will be. Just because there’s activity measured from the sun, it doesn’t always arrive at Earth in a predictable pattern.

“Activity on the sun does not always arrive at the Earth, observed coronal mass ejections (CME) can go in the opposite direction or even be a “near miss”, just like a tornado,” he says. “Instruments can detect CMEs several minutes after they occur, and even when material is coming toward the Earth it may take a few days before we know if we’re being affected.”

What can farmers do?

“GNSS outages caused by solar storms should be expected to be the norm, at least during solar sunspot number maximums that occur about every 11 years,” Griffin says. “At the very least, farmers should expect GNSS outages associated with solar storms during sunspot maximum; spanning maybe three years of the 11 year cycle.”

Griffin says solar storms can occur any time of year, and he points to some historical evidence suggesting increased frequency of geomagnetic disturbances near the spring and fall equinoxes.

Farm Journal reached out to Griffin first thing Monday morning for an update. He said the solar storm “arrived a day early...it was moving really fast” and would likely be over by Monday afternoon. He did not hear from any farmers about GPS outages or issues with satellite lock on their farm equipment as of Monday morning.

NOAA did record a G4 level solar event in space occurring on Sunday, June 1, however, by Monday morning at 8:45 am EST it had weakened to a G1.

Griffin says farmers should check the NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center hompage (www.swpc.noaa.gov) on a regular basis this summer before heading out to spray or do other field work.

“That May 10th event (last year) was not a once in a lifetime event,” Griffin warns. “We need to keep our eyes open for the next one.”

The “next one” could happen anytime in the next 12 months, or not at all, he believes. Griffin says we’re in the middle of what some scientists call the “battle zone” of solar activity and the current conditions are expected to last for the next year. Once we get to next summer, Griffin says, scientists are projecting a “quiet period” for the next six or seven years before space weather and solar storms start to ramp back up in the early 2030s.

“The previous solar cycle we were in was really quiet, and the one we’re in right now is normal,” he says. “We need to be ready for these events.”

John Deere-Sentera Tie Up: Here’s What We Know So Far

Fri, 23 May 2025 21:07:32 GMT

John Deere has announced its acquisition of Minnesota-based aerial optics innovator Sentera. Although specific details are few and far between this early in the process, here’s what we know so far:

The two companies have a long history. John Deere was the first enterprise customer Sentera signed onto its system over a decade ago, and the two companies have had an API link in place between Sentera’s drone management software and John Deere’s Operations Center since 2016.
Financial details are not being disclosed. We do know the deal is not subject to any further regulatory or shareholder approvals.
In a similar fashion to the Blue River Technologies and Bear Flag Robotics acquisitions, Sentera will maintain its independence as a free-standing business unit. Once fully integrated into the Deere family, Sentera will operate under the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) framework. Sentera leadership will remain at its St. Paul, Minn., headquarters.
For the time being, no major changes are planned for either company as we head into the heart of the summer crop scouting and spraying season. The two companies anticipate having more details to share about the nuts and bolts of the acquisition this fall.
The two groups are a natural fit. Sentera is aggressively marketing its SmartScripts drone weed mapping program, and the technology is complimentary to John Deere’s Operations Center and its See & Spray and ExactApply application technologies. One driving force behind this deal, Farm Journal is told, is Deere’s motivation to integrate more real-time agronomic data into its Operations Center platform, and Sentera’s aerial data capture capabilities can help make that happen.

(John Deere)

A deal to lift both boats. John Deere has built up a deep bench of artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous technology expertise within ISG, and Sentera has a long track record of aerial sensing and camera payload innovation. Considering how many cameras and sensors are included from the factory on new John Deere machines and within its Precision Upgrades retrofit kits, there should be a healthy cross pollination of sensor and camera innovation between Urbandale, Iowa, (where ISG is based) and St. Paul, Minn.
Sentera can help make See & Spray even better. SmartScripts uses drone-based imaging to scan a field and build a weed pressure map which is then loaded onto the sprayer’s in-cab computer. Now the sprayer operator can see exactly where weeds are in the field and focus their spraying efforts there first. There’s also a logistical and planning aspect to SmartScripts: by knowing exactly how many weeds are present in the field, and even what type of weeds are there, an adept operator can have the right active ingredients premixed and the exact amount needed loaded into the tank or staged nearby in a tender truck to keep that sprayer running all day long.

“Farming is becoming a very sensor and data-centric business, and in our opinion, there isn’t anyone doing it at broad scale today better than John Deere,” says Eric Taipale, chief technology officer, Sentera. “The way we can bring these data-driven insights and improve grower outcomes — it’s just what we’ve always been about. It’s what John Deere is all about. There’s such a great mesh between the two cultures, the objectives and the mission of the two organizations.”

Joseph Liefer, global technology marketing lead at John Deere, adds, “We’re excited about how this complements our existing portfolio with See & Spray, and then not just that (product). Now a farmer with an individual nozzle-controlled sprayer from any manufacturer can also leverage this technology. A drone can fly their field, generate a weed map, turn it into a prescription in Operations Center and the machine can go execute the plan. From an ag retailer standpoint, that might have a mixed fleet, and this gives them more tools in the toolbox to do targeted application for growers and help them save on herbicide. We view this deal as complementary to our overall tech strategy.”

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CNH, Starlink Announce Satellite Connectivity Expansion To Case IH And New Holland Machines

Fri, 16 May 2025 03:52:38 GMT

CNH has an agreement in place with Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX, to bring industry-leading satellite connectivity to farmers.

The company says this new collaboration will provide customers of Case IH, New Holland and STEYR, with robust high-speed connectivity – further unlocking the benefits of a fully connected fleet – even in the most remote rural locations around the world.

“We’re thrilled to offer our customers access to industry-leading satellite connectivity, enabling them to maximize the potential of our full suite of precision technology in even the most challenging rural environments,” said Stefano Pampalone, Agriculture Chief Commercial Officer at CNH.

(CNH Industrial)

Starlink’s Low-Earth-Orbit (LEO) satellite network offers reliable, low-latency internet. This enables today’s smart machines to communicate and coordinate efficiently , enhancing productivity. The connectivity module will seamlessly integrate with CNH’s FieldOps digital platform, giving farmers visibility of their machines and providing data from anywhere, anytime. It also enables greater data streaming capabilities by keeping farm management devices consistently connected, regardless of location.

CNH says this collaboration underscores it’s ongoing commitment to equipping farmers with reliable, tailored solutions that meet the unique demands of agriculture, while amplifying the capabilities of precision technology.

You can read the full announcement here.

BREAKING: CNH Halts Farm Equipment Shipments From North America, Europe To Assess Tariff Situation

Wed, 02 Apr 2025 12:53:24 GMT

In North America, we are stopping shipments from North America plants and European imports effective today. This is a temporary move until we assess the full impact of planned tariffs on pricing. There are no impacts to production and parts shipments continue as planned. We will continue to monitor the situation.CNH Industrial has confirmed online reports it will temporarily pause farm equipment shipments from North American factories as well as from its European counterparts, effective immediately.

Here is CNH Industrial’s statement in full:

“In North America, we are stopping shipments from North America plants and European imports effective today. This is a temporary move until we assess the full impact of planned tariffs on pricing. There are no impacts to production and parts shipments continue as planned. We will continue to monitor the situation.”

CNH Industrial official statement

Quick Analysis

It’s a stunning move the international equipment giant is directly linking to the ongoing global tariff situation. President Donald Trump’s wide-reaching tariff strategy is set to go in motion April 2 (pending any last-minute shifts) and is projected to have sweeping implications for agriculture businesses and economies around the globe.

In addition, this development might represent yet another warning sign the global ag economy is entering a period of recession.

If this feels like a complete surprise to many in the equipment industry that’s because it likely is.

CNH’s latest earnings report call, on Feb. 4, did not contain any mention of the possibility the company would halt shipments. In that call CEO Gerrit Marx did note a 34% reduction in production had already been set in motion in Q4 2024. He attributed the move as a strategy to help lower dealer inventories by over $700 million.

Marx also shared the company is always actively monitoring the tariff situation, a development Case IH head of North America Kurt Coffey previously disclosed to Farm Journal during the National Farm Machinery Show in mid-February , but Marx also mentioned on the Feb. 4 earnings call that at the time it was “too early” to fully assess (tariff) impacts.

Our 2025 update to “ Who Makes What Where ” showed Case IH builds 66% of its row-crop machines throughout North America, while 24% of them are manufactured in Europe.

New Holland itself maintains a fairly balanced manufacturing presence between the two continents, with Europe (30%) and North America (43%) hosting its largest manufacturing footprints.

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Carbon Robotics adds autonomous tractor solution

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 20:29:21 GMT

In a move to help growers maximize equipment and address labor shortages, Carbon Robotics launched its Carbon AutoTractor, an autonomous solution installed on existing tractors.

Carbon Robotics’ founder and CEO Paul Mikesell says its Carbon AI will power remotely monitored tractors to help specialty crop growers deploy laser weeders for almost around-the-clock production.

“With LaserWeeder, farmers want to run them as much as they possibly can, but it’s hard to find labor,” he told The Packer. “It’s really hard to find labor to do the tractor driving. It’s hard to find labor to do these late midnight shifts. It’s hard to find people to do all the different tasks you want to do with the tractors.”

The Carbon AutoTractor features two core components: the Carbon Autonomy Kit and the Remote Operations Control Center. Mikesell said operators in ROCC handle any obstructions through monitored autonomy and take over the autonomy system, so production continues. He said growers, then, don’t have to worry whether an autonomous task gets completed.

“They’re trained in using Carbon Auto Tractor,” he said. “They know how to do the functions that the farmer wants to do in the field. And then, whenever there’s something that comes up, they can literally change drive the tractor remotely, and get through whatever obstacle it is, and then keep moving.”

Mikesell said the Carbon Auto Tractor will currently work for LaserWeeder tasks, ground prep such as mulching, mowing, discing and more, but there are plans to expand its capabilities in the future.

The Carbon Autonomy Kit is initially compatible with John Deere 6R and 8R Series tractors, requiring no permanent modifications and installation completed in less than 24 hours. Once installed, tractors can toggle between autonomous and manual operation as needed.

“It bolts on and then that you plug into the harness in the inside on the inside cab, and there’s a box that mounts on the window that you can turn it on and off,” Mikesell said.

The Carbon AutoTractor system includes RTK-accurate GPS, 360-degree cameras and radar-based safety sensors, as well asphysical, remote and mobile e-stops connected via a high-speed, low-latency satellite link.

“We have better visibility from the cameras on the roof than you do from the inside the cabin,” Mikesell said.

And for those growers who might be reluctant to go to an autonomous tractor, Mikesell said the Carbon AutoTractor is designed to help growers better deploy farm labor where it’s needed most.

“You want somebody there to inspect or notice problems with your irrigation or things of that nature. You’ll still want to have those people around, but the point is that they don’t have to spend all that time driving up and down the rows to do the simple task,” he said. “They can then spend their time focusing on figuring out where or if there’s issues and how to address other problems and it relieves the constant need to be driving the tractor all the time.”

Mikesell said this solution also offers growers the option to deploy tractors at night for weeding or when the nighttime temperatures are cooler. This also helps growers maximize return on investment by being able to run the autonomous solution all the time, he said.

“We found that lot of people want to run their LaserWeeder 24/7 because they get a really good ROI or more crops they can put it under, but they just can’t find the operators to run it 24/7,” he told The Packer. “If you can run it, 24/7, you can double the hours in a typical season and you can get that tool doing everything you need it to.”

Carbon Robotics said the autonomous solution works seamlessly with its LaserWeeder, automatically adjusting speed to optimize weeding performance based on weed type, size and density, which can boost coverage by up to 20% compared to manually operated systems.

Brandon Munn, farm manager with Columbia Basin Onion, has worked with the Carbon Robotics team on this autonomous solution.

“With many of our tractors and LaserWeeders running autonomously with Carbon AutoTractor, we’re able to operate more hours, address labor challenges and make night shifts safer and more reliable,” Munn said in a news release. “This isn’t just automation; it’s a practical solution that’s fundamentally changing how we farm.”

Additional Details Come In On AutoTractor
Farm Journal talked with CEO Paul Mikesell to see what else we could learn about the system and what makes it different from other tractor autonomy kits on the market. Here’s a handful of bullet points breaking down what we uncovered:

Don’t Call It A Retrofit - Because the AutoTractor kit doesn’t effectively alter or change anything mechanically on the tractor itself, Mikesell says he prefers to refer to it as a “augmentation kit.”
Satellite Connectivity Changed The Game - When Mikesell and his team started this project back in 2023, connectivity was a limiting factor in enabling a tractor to safely operate with complete autonomy. That is no longer a limiting factor as developments in the stratosphere like SpaceX’s StarLink and Intellsat’s low earth orbit constellations have provided the necessary latency and bandwidth to make driver-less operation safe and viable.
Pricing Is Still TBD - Pressed on how much the system will cost from an up-front investment standpoint, Mikesell told us that “we’re still fine tuning that price.”
Expect An Hourly Fee - Mikesell did confirm that the technology will carry a per-hour fee. He says that fee will track closely with what the user would pay a local machine operator to run the tractor. That could mean a per-hour fee anywhere from $15 in the Midwest to upwards of $25 per hour in high-wage markets like California and Washington. “We’re trying to save you money by not having to worry about travel time out to the fields. There’s no lunch break. You don’t have to worry about paying overtime. This machine will do as many double shifts as you want, and we’re still employing people to do all the monitoring. So we have a very skilled and qualified group of people that are doing all the monitoring. So that’s kind of the model: we charge you per hour to run this machine for you and we’ll work with you on what jobs you want done and how you want it done and make sure that everything is handled appropriately.”
Remote Operators With Tractor Experience - Mikesell says his remote operators that task and oversee the driverless tractors for farmers get a crash course in how tractors are used on your typical farm. “Just being out there in the field long enough to understand the size of things that are around you and just kind of what a field looks like and how things are laid out, makes a huge difference when you’re trying to drive remotely,” says Mikesell. “Even though you have a better view driving remotely, because you have a nice 360 degree view off the roof, having some concept and understanding about the size of things and kind of what everything looks like helps quite a bit.”

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Nutrien Officially Opens Champaign, IL Innovation Farm

Mon, 24 Mar 2025 17:56:15 GMT

Spanning a 282-acre campus, Nutrien Ag Solutions has cut the ribbon on its new Innovation Farm facility located outside Champaign, IL.

Originally purchased in 2019, this location has been developed as part of Nutrien’s Innovation Farm network. These sites provide trials to demonstrate products, practices, and technology. Company leaders say the goal is to create confidence in recommendations that can be shared with Nutrien Ag Solutions’ team of agronomists and crop consultants.

“Our Innovation Farm Network runs off five essential components: equipment, technology, products, practices, and people. In my opinion, people are the most important component out of the list,” says Thaddeus Bates, Senior Manager, Applied Agronomy. “Many people have supported and put in a lot of work to get our Champaign Innovation Farm to where it is today. There have been many hands involved in this project, and we’re grateful for everyone’s support in bringing this vision to life.”

The other locations are Selma, California; Winterville, Mississippi; and Owensboro, Kentucky.

“Our goal with our Innovation Farm Network is to grow agriculture by sharing the knowledge that we gather on these farms, not by promoting specific products, but by sharing the practices, products, and technology that have been demonstrated to successfully work together as a full-acre approach that is efficient, attainable, and repeatable by farmers across North America,” says Paul Bonnett, Senior Director, Nutrien Agronomy.

At the Illinois location, the building will be the headquarters for 16 team members on site and will be used for trainings, team meetings and customer events. Since it was first occupied this past November, 18 events have already taken place.

Why Reliable Connectivity is the Key to Smart Farming Success

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 19:01:50 GMT

For smart farming technologies to have an on-farm impact, machine connectivity must be robust.

“What farmers need most are tools or systems that will help them avoid one of their staunchest enemies: downtime,” says Alex Ngu, product marketing, Trimble. “If there’s been rain for two weeks, the skies clear and you have one day to take off the crop, downtime due to shoddy signals can cut deeply.

Current estimates show roughly 20% to 30% of rural areas in the U.S. do not have sufficient cellular network coverage. Equipment manufacturers are partnering with satellite connectivity providers to ensure you don’t have to stop and wait for a strong connection. Or worse yet, forge ahead without capturing the data needed.

Enhanced Options

Case IH announced a collaboration with international satellite provider Intelsat in spring 2024. Intelsat offers the world’s largest satellite network alongside terrestrial (cellular) to increase connectivity. Its best known for providing in-flight Wi-Fi to many well-known commercial airline brands. Kendal Quandahl, precision segment lead, says Case IH plans to expand the beta testing for its new satellite terminals with farmers in South America as well as other regions. The service is currently being tested in North America, but is not yet available.

For Quandahl, who still farms with her family, it’s all about offering options so farmers can choose the service that works best for them.

“If you think about it, there are areas where Verizon is really strong and AT&T isn’t, and then you might go somewhere else where Verizon doesn’t have good coverage,” Quandahl says. “Previously, in our equipment we have had farmers choose one cell provider. Now we’ve enhanced our hardware, so it can talk to multiple providers. Very soon, we’ll offer satellite as another option.”

Quandahl says the connectivity module will come in a small box that’s installed into a tractor or combine cab by mounting a receiver and plugging in a cable or two. When paired alongside a receiver that can pull in cellular signals, the pair can offer peace of mind to a farmer due to the redundancy of having both signals available at the same time.

Quandahl is seeing a lot of farmer interest in satellite connectivity, and she has heard from several Case IH dealers that are also excited about being able to use the signal to remote into machines and help growers troubleshoot their issues.

Coverage Boost

John Deere made big waves in 2024 when the manufacturer announced its partnership with Elon Musk’s low earth orbit satellite service Starlink. The two companies joined forces to develop satellite receivers that farmers can install on their John Deere machines to keep them connected. The service,
called JDLink Boost, is available through John Deere dealers, though pricing has not been publicly released as of press time.

Mike Kool, senior product manager for connected fleets, shares the beta test phase for JDLink Boost provided some really good feedback from test farmers in the U.S. and Brazil.

“Generally, they told us how well it works switching between satellite and cellular, and that’s really our goal,” he says. “It’s giving customers the ability to augment satellite where they cannot connect to cell, and vice versa.”

With John Deere taking another step forward in the autonomy market with the release of its Next Generation Perception System for autonomous tillage on the 8R and 9R series tractors in January, Kool says it’s absolutely critical to maintain high connectivity when a machine is in autonomous mode.

“Our goal with this is to drive value, and connectivity is just so foundational to our technology stack,” Kool says. “Now we can do that in a multitude of flavors and give our customers the ability to get their data back into their operations however they see fit.

“That data is key for our customers because it generates a scorecard at the end of the year — how did I perform, and what tweaks do I need to make for next year to be more productive?”

While generally viewed as rivals in the heavy ag equipment space, there’s one thing Case IH and John Deere can both find common ground around when it comes to connectivity.

“I’d say the benefit of adopting satellite through an OEM is we’ve focused on integrating it directly into our equipment,” Quandahl says. “We don’t have to interrupt the operator’s day-to-day to install or change connectivity providers, and they appreciate that.”

Did You Know?

Kansas State University associate professor Terry Griffin analyzed the financial impact to farmers from the May 10, 2024, GPS outage, which was caused by solar weather and sun flares in outer space. Many farmers around the Midwest were right in the middle of planting during the outage.

Griffin found that (assuming a minimum of 200 bu. per acre yield and $4.50 crop price) Illinois farmers who were delayed by the outage and forced to plant corn later in the month experienced losses of up to $90 per acre.

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Open For Business: Farmers Edge Soil Lab Now Taking Farmer, Agribusiness Samples

Mon, 03 Mar 2025 13:01:00 GMT

Farmers Edge is opening its laboratory testing services up to the public, offering agribusinesses, retailers and farmers access to soil and plant tissue testing.

With soil labs in the U.S. and Canada, Farmers Edge Laboratories has conducted over 7 million soil tests for its proprietary customers — now retailers and industry professionals can access those same offerings.

According to Farmers Edge, its labs can provide farmers and retailers:

Results in 3 days to help deliver faster, more precise agronomic recommendations.
API Integrations that directly integrate soil data into agribusiness platforms for real-time access and enhanced decision-making.
A suite of digital tools designed for ag retailers, simplifying test result interpretation and application, and automated workflows that eliminate manual data entry.

With centralized testing in Des Moines, Iowa, and Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Farmers Edge Laboratories can quickly provide breakdowns of macro and micronutrients, soil chemistry and structure, and organic matter and soil composition.

Learn more about Farmers Edge Laboratories and its soil testing solutions by visiting FarmersEdgeLabs.com.

Case IH Launches SenseApply: Subscription-Free, Variable-Rate Capable Smart Spraying Technology

Sun, 02 Mar 2025 21:19:55 GMT

Case IH is launching SenseApply technology, an automated live variable-rate application and selective spraying solution. The company says its smart spraying technology is designed to maximize the output of every input.

SenseApply consists of a single cab-mounted camera system that offers multi-season uses.

Case IH says its new SenseApply technology includes lifetime Live VRA use and a one-time activation fee for Selective Spray, eliminating per acre fees and annual subscription fees for the life of the device.

(Case IH)

“SenseApply offers unparalleled flexibility, with a range of application methods that were previously unavailable in a single solution,” says Leo Bose, application equipment customer segmentation lead at Case IH. “It is also a cost-effective solution with no annual subscriptions or per acre fees, driving efficiency and profitability for a grower.”

Multi-Application Uses Include:

Selective apray
Green-on-brown spot spray offers upgraded weed management
Base + Boost applies a consistent base rate across the entire boom while boosting individual nozzle sections to a higher rate when passing over areas with higher weed pressure
Live variable-rate application (VRA)
Burndown VRA
Nitrogen VRA
Harvest aid VRA
Plant growth regulator VRA
Fungicide VRA

SenseApply technology includes lifetime live VRA use and a one-time activation fee for Selective Spray, eliminating both per acre fees and annual fees for the life of the device.

RELATED: Plowing Through Tough Times: Equipment Manufacturers Double Down on Technology Upgrades Amid Sales Slump

The technology is designed for simple and efficient application, at speeds of up to 25 mph, with the camera self-calibrating to the crop within the first 150 feet during live VRA. The SenseApply camera – which is mounted on top of the cab to maximize field of view – senses plant biomass and responds accordingly, depending on the application type the operator selects.

SenseApply integrates with Case IH FieldOps and Raven Slingshot, enabling operators to connect and manage application data through their preferred platform. Case IH says the integration enables real-time data analysis and decision-making capabilities.

Learn more about SenseApply at caseih.com.

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John Deere Details Model Year 2026 Updates, New Machine Capabilities and Technology Features

Thu, 27 Feb 2025 18:42:29 GMT

John Deere announces a suite of equipment and technology upgrades and new features across its portfolio of machines. Some of the updates are exclusive to model year 2026 machines, and some are available as retrofit options or upgrades for new and/or older John Deere machines.

Next Generation Perception System For Autonomous Tillage
John Deere is releasing its autonomy Precision Upgrades kit for select tractor models that brings autonomy to tillage work. The system is available as a Precision Upgrades kit for model year 2022 and newer 9R and 9RX tractors and model year 2020.5 and newer 8R and 8RX tractors. Select model year 2025 John Deere tractors are autonomy ready from the factory.

RELATED: John Deere Introducing Next Generation Perception Autonomy Kits

To add autonomy to the tillage tool, retrofit kits are available for 2017 and newer John Deere tillage implements with additional lighting and the StarFire receiver mast and harnessing. The autonomy ready solutions are factory installed in base models for select MY25 tillage tools.

Combine Improvements
For model year 2026, the additions include a new three-piece CAM hinge draper reel with dense pack fingers and a new CF 18 30 corn head, which John Deere says is the industry’s first folding corn head with 18" rows and 30" spacing.

John Deere is also announcing several enhancements to its model year 2026 combines:

The Harvest Settings Automation feature will now include an out-of-crop settings adjustment that engages when the combine is passing through previously harvested areas of the field. Now the feature supports wheat, barely, canola, soybean, corn and rice crops.

Predictive Ground Speed Automation is being updated with a new feature that helps operators manage unique field terrains such as waterways, ditches or terraces. Weed detection sensing is also being added. There will be new functionality incorporated into John Deere Operations Center that will use crop-type data from planting and satellite imagery to ensure all eligible combines have the essential harvest automation files necessary to increase productivity. Predictive Ground Speed Automation supports wheat, barley, canola, soybean, corn, peas, edible beans and lentils.

AutoTrac Turn Automation is being updated to automate the raising and lowering of the combine head for hands-free turning, and a new auto-unload camera with supporting hardware and software is available to help consistently fill grain carts and possibly reduce in-field spills.

(Dan Videtich/John Deere)

John Deere also announced a handful of harvest settings updates available in Operations Center, including grain harvest weight sharing and Grain Sensing with HarvestLab 3000 available now for all model year 2025 and newer X9, S7 and T6 combines.

And physical updates to model year 2026 machines include a new instructor seat in all models and a dual USB-C fast charging module in the cab. And the JD Link Boost satellite connectivity module is available for install on eligible combine models to maintain connectivity during harvest.

Sprayer Updates
John Deere says these updates were developed to give farmers cleaner fields that have less weed competition, leading to more yield potential.

See & Spray has new variable rate capabilities that can unlock precise applications and significant product savings in later-season fungicide and desiccant applications, preharvest passes and more, according to John Deere. Farmers can also now see the percentage of biomass each perception camera detects throughout the field. See & Spray Variable Rate capabilities will require a G5 or G5Plus CommandCenter display.

See & Spray Select is now available from the factory on model year 2026 John Deere 400 and 600 series sprayers with 90', 100' or 120' steel booms. See & Spray Select also will be available as a Precision Upgrades kit for model year 2018 and newer John Deere sprayers with ExactApply and a 120' steel boom.

See & Spray Premium is adding new boom sizes and is now available on Hagie STS20 sprayers. See & Spray Premium is compatible with 90', 100' or 120' booms.

(Mel Koltai/John Deere)

Beyond the See & Spray updates, John Deere also has two new AutoTrac options for sprayers:

AutoTrac Turn Automation (ATTA) is now compatible with John Deere 400 and 600 series self-propelled sprayers, 800R floaters, and Hagie STS12, STS16 and STS20 sprayers, model year 2022 and newer. The new feature is also included with Automation 4.0 on Gen4 displays and the G5 Advanced license for machines that have a G5 display.

AutoTrac Vision 2.0 is a new technology that ensures sprayer wheels remain centered within each crop row, and it boasts a maximum speed of 22 mph, slope performance of up to 6 degrees, and the ability to navigate curves with a radius of just 50 meters. AutoTrac Vision 2.0 is available on model year 2026 John Deere sprayers as a factory option.

John Deere is also introducing ExactApply Variable Rate capabilities – including multi-rate across the boom with AutoSelect Pulsing (and A+B pulse width modulation nozzle switching). Sprayer operators can now vary multiple application rates across the entire boom, up to 11 unique sections, leading to more precise product placement. Operators also can use increased rate ranges for variable rate prescriptions and curve compensation. This technology is available as a software update for model year 2023 to 2025 sprayers, and model year 2026 will come factory installed with updated software features and functionalities.

Planter Updates
John Deere announced four new planter updates:

A new rate controller, the John Deere Rate Controller 3, with the option to control and apply two liquid and/or anhydrous ammonia (NH3) products simultaneously across up to 16 sections. This can help farmers decrease the number of trips through the field while getting the same application work completed. John Deere says the new rate controller is suitable for a variety of row crops, ranches, high-value crops and even on golf courses.

Rate Controller 3 also features a new rate controller app that is available within the John Deere display menu. The rate controller app is fully compatible with Gen 4 v2 and G5 displays.

(Michael J Newell/John Deere)

John Deere says the new app will give farmers a similar experience as operating a self-propelled sprayer with a controller with a built-in base from the factory. This means farmers can now monitor their planter and rate controller functions on one screen on the display and execute easy adjustments, according to John Deere.

The new rate controller module also has a new harness and 48-pin connector, which expands the compatibility with third-party equipment.

Seed-Level Sensing provides farmers with a more accurate look at the level of seed remaining in the tank. It places a sensor in the tank that can measure the volume of seed left in the tank, which is then provided to the operator in the cab and the John Deere Operations Center. This feature is available on model year 2026 planters or as a Precision Upgrades kit for certain models back to model year 2022.

Fertilizer-Level Sensing is also new and it is similar to seed-level sensing, providing the operator with better information on the fertilizer level remaining in the tank. It is an external manifold that includes two pressure sensors, which are used to calculate both the liquid density as well as the volume remaining in the tank. This update is available on model year 2026 planters and is also a Precision Upgrades kit that can be added to machines that are model year 2022 and newer.

Active Vacuum Automation is available on model year 2026 planters with electric drives and the SeedStar 5 Monitoring System. This feature looks in real time at singulation and automatically adjusts the vacuum, helping to prevent skips and doubles.

To determine which new features and updates are available for existing machines or only on model year 2026 new machines, contact your local John Deere dealer.

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Machinery and Tech News: Updates From Ag Leader, John Deere, Kinze, Rantizo, Unverferth, Yamaha and More

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 17:36:18 GMT

Ag Leader announces RightPath implement guidance
Trailed implements are known for drifting even when using autosteer, resulting in imprecise placement of inputs and inconsistent guess rows. Ag Leader is introducing RightPath, a passive implement steering solution, to alleviate these problems.

In many cases, an implement can drift off its guidance line up to 10 inches or more, even on flat ground. Ag Leader says RightPath keeps implements centered on the guidance line via passive implement guidance, which the company says enables farmers to:

Place the implement – and therefore rows and inputs – in the right place.
Plant seed accurately relative to a previous operation.
Achieve consistent guess rows in all conditions.
Re-use the same guidance line in the next field.
Reduce stress and fatigue.

Both the tractor and implement require Ag Leader’s GPS 7500 to utilize RightPath, and the tractor needs to be equipped with TerraStar-C, TerraStar-X, or RTK. It is designed to operate through Ag Leader’s InCommand Go displays. RightPath is compatible with both SteerCommand Z2 and SteadySteer.

RightPath will be available in late fall 2025 through a single purchase unlock, and there will be no recurring subscription fee.

Learn more at AgLeader.com.

Greeneye Precision Spraying system available for cotton
Greeneye Technology announces the expansion of its retrofit, selective smart spraying system to include cotton for 2025.

(Greeneye)

Greeneye’s AI-enabled system addresses the numerous weed management challenges facing cotton farmers today by precisely targeting herbicide application to weeds using real-time, sub-millimeter precision. The company says its technology significantly reduces herbicide usage, lowers input costs, and enhances weed control efficacy while providing flexibility for both pre- and post-emergence applications.

The retrofit solution is engineered to integrate with any commercial sprayer, regardless of brand, model, or size, according to the company.

Greeneye has already secured multiple sales with cotton farmers in the U.S., who will begin using the system at the start of the 2025 growing season.

Learn more at Greeneye.ag.

John Deere adds electric seed meters to Precision Upgrades lineup
John Deere is releasing two new planter retrofit kits to supplement its Ultimate Planter Upgrade program. Now, farmers can either replace individual seed metering row units as they wish, or they can opt-in to the full planter upgrade program.

(Nate Luke/John Deere)

For farmers that just want to upgrade to new seed meters, the MaxEmerge 5e and ExactEmerge electric drive seed Meter Upgrade kits are available for model year 2015 and newer planters. Deere says the seed meters optimize planting productivity and help farmers plant faster with pinpoint population and spacing accuracy.

Deere’s Ultimate Planter Upgrade program is a complete factory row replacement for 2005 and newer planters that include the following features:

ExactEmerge or MaxEmerge 5e electric meters.
IRHD and active pneumatic downforce.
Standard or spoked gauge wheels.
SeedStar 5 monitoring.
One year factory warranty.

Additional options for the Ultimate Planter Upgrade include ExactRate or ExactShot liquid fertilizer systems, ExactChem granular insecticide, easy-adjust pneumatic row cleaners or pneumatic closing wheels.

Learn more at deere.com.

Kinze announces model year 2026 releases
Kinze Manufacturing is introducing the following innovations as part of its model year updates for next year:

A new dual product fertilizer system on all configurations of its popular 5900 front fold planter. The new system features row-by-row section control, and fertilizer products can be applied at two different rates and are fully controlled by the Blue Vantage display.
Two new configurations and an additional seed meter for the recently released 5670 pivot-fold, split-row planter. Now a 12-row 30" and a 16-row 30" will be available for next season. And all configurations can be ordered with the True Speed electric high speed seed meter to plant at 3 to 12 mph. The 5670 fertilizer system will also be available with rear fertilizer drop tubes.
Several new alerts, counters, and reports have been added to enhance its Blue Vantage displays, along with the ability to replant over a skipped area. In addition, both the John Deere Operations Center and Ag Leader AgFiniti have been linked to Blue Vantage so data can be easily uploaded through a Wi-Fi connection.
Harvest Commander Grain Cart models will offer the Scale-Tec POINT scale indicator for scale monitoring and data collection. The scale indicator is Bluetooth enabled and ISOBUS compatible, and provides scale readout information to mobile devices up to 1,000 ft. away and on an externally mounted readout on the cart.
New Offset-Pivot Hydraulic Doors will be available in 40' to 120' widths and heights up to 30'. The door options have been built for production facilities, machine sheds, and aircraft hangars.

For additional information, farmers can visit Kinze.com or contact their local Kinze dealer.

Manitou Group announces new MLT 850 telehandler
Manitou is launching an all-new agricultural telehandler to the North American market: the MLT 850.

The new model features heavy-duty parts and components similar to its existing MLT 961 while retaining a relatively smaller footprint more similar to its MLT 841.

(Manitou Group, Inc.)

The machine features a max lift height of 24 feet, 11 inches and a maximum lifting capacity of 11,021 pounds (4,410 pounds capacity at maximum lift height). The ability to easily change between dozens of attachments offers versatility for tasks including loading bulk into a trailer, loading silage and manure, loading a feed mixer wagon, stacking straw and hay bales, handling and filling bags, and loading compost and wood chips.

MLT 850 also features a double U-shaped boom built for ground engaging work and to have comparable strength and performance to front-end loaders.

Learn more about the Manitou MLT 850 here.

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Morton Building’s 3D Studio tool helps farmers design the new barn of their dreams
Morton Buildings is introducing its new 3D Studio online tool that enables users to design their own Morton building.

When working in the 3D Studio, farmers can zoom in and move around the building to fully engage in the design. They can save their building color choices and finished product with the “save” button, digitally share with others and print out the selections.

(Morton Buildings)

A unique feature of the 3D Studio allows farmers to determine the ideal dimensions for their buildings based on the specific size of the machinery, vehicles and equipment they plan to store.

To try out the new tool, visit mortonbuildings.com/3d-studio.

Rantizo, Climate FieldView now connected via new API
Iowa-based spray drone service provider Rantizo says its proprietary AcreConnect software is now connected with Climate FieldView, Bayer’s digital farming platform.

Rantizo’s AcreConnect software can share application maps with Climate FieldView accounts.

(Rantizo)

The owner of the largest spray drone network in the U.S. says this connection allows retail agronomists and growers that use these digital platforms to have a more comprehensive view of operations by including spray drone application records and maps.

Now spray drone operators can easily share those application maps with agronomists and growers directly via their FieldView account. This ensures that spray records are included with other application information and field data, giving farmers and retailers a comprehensive view of their field operations.

To learn more about AcreConnect, visit Rantizo.com/AcreConnect.

Unverferth unveils new Parker Seed tender model
The Parker Seed Chariot seed tender lineup is adding a new model, the 3620R, that offers a longer 21’ conveyor for filling central-fill planters and drills. The split compartment tank can haul multiple seed varieties and has a combined capacity of 360 seed units.

(Unverferth)

All 3620R Parker Seed Chariot tenders feature an 8” tubular style conveyor powered by an industrial-grade gasoline engine with electric start. All controls are housed in a weather-tight compartment located on the driver’s side.

For transport the 3620R features a tri-axle undercarriage with 7,000 lb. capacity torsion axles and new 235/85 x 16 highway-rated tires with electric braking on all axles.

You can learn more about Parker 3620R Seed Chariot tender by visiting the nearest Parker Seed Chariot dealer, or parkerequip.com.

Yamaha Motor Co. launches Yamaha Agriculture, a precision ag and autonomy spinoff
Yamaha Motor Co., the Japanese company that launched the first unmanned aerial application vehicles for agriculture over 40 years ago, is launching Yamaha Agriculture, a new company that will focus on delivering autonomous equipment and AI-powered digital solutions for the specialty crop market.

The new venture is being formed through strategic acquisitions of Robotics Plus and The Yield, according to a press release from the company.

Robotics Plus’ robot Prospr spraying in a New Zealand vineyard.

(Robotics Plus)

Robotics Plus provides an autonomous hybrid vehicle capable of multiple activities including spraying and weed control, while The Yield brings AI-powered yield modeling and data analytics.

Yamaha Agriculture plans to provide robotics solutions for spraying, weeding and other field operations for growers of wine grapes, apples and other specialty crops in key markets like North America and Australia.

You can learn more at yamaha-agriculture.com.

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