Business Leaders Should Look to Farmers for Tomorrow’s Tech Innovations

Steve Johnson
Jul 21, 2017 · 5 min read

The word “technology” likely conjures up a shining image of Silicon Valley in most people’s minds — but tomorrow’s tech innovations aren’t relegated to what’s happening in the Bay Area. These modernizations are also happening close to home, in the nation’s farms that provide food, feed, fuel, and fiber for global consumers and clientele.

Self-driving vehicles? Check.

Drones? Check.

Big data? Check.

Yes, high-tech upgrades have already improved the agricultural industry, expanding production and enriching sustainability efforts. Where it ultimately goes depends on the creativity of the leaders in the field.

You don’t have to run a giant company to join the tech club. A few simple actions can get your business up and running with the latest advances.

Trends Seeding and Shaping Agtech

Years ago, technology began to creep into farming. Since then, farmers and agriculture executives have taken great leaps forward. Trends such as big data, leading-edge moisture management, and precision fertilizer application add tremendous gains to those working in all types of agribusiness, as well as the populations they serve.

Big Data: Data has given farming an evolutionary shove, and ag conglomerates have noticed. Monsanto is investing heavily in data, counting on tech partners such as Blue River Technology, HydroBio, and VitalFields to boost profitability and production through computer-vision technology, water usage monitoring devices, and farm management software. Last year, Planet Labs, with its focus on satellite monitoring of crop and soil changes, raised nearly $120 million in funding. Not to be left behind, DuPont, Dow, Syngenta, and Bayer are also pouring fiscal resources into the next generation of on-farm technologies.

Moisture Management: Moisture sensors aren’t new in farming; what’s new is their marriage via wireless, cloud-based connected systems. Farmers can explore real-time details on moisture, soil temperature, salinity, electrical connectivity, and more, all thanks to connected sensors and data analytics. Then, they can further integrate the technologies with drones to evaluate and irrigate crops. Water shortages happen in plenty of places already, and forecasts suggest our agricultural water usage will increase up to 50 percent by 2050. The ability to maximize water’s effectiveness while minimizing its use — despite the impact of weather — is priceless.

Fertilizer Application: Of course, a significant benefit of agricultural technology is the smarter, safer use of soil and growing cycle-specific fertilizers and pesticides. Case in point: Farmers can inject pellets of slow-release chemicals into the ground rather than spray. Similarly, they can utilize biotech crops to reduce certain crop pressures and lower the need for externally applied treatments. Not only does this reduce the impact of weather, bugs, and disease, but it also optimizes seed performance during the growing season and decreases the use of chemicals on the farm — and the time spent applying them.

Alone, each of these tech advances has moved the needle forward; together, they’re giving agribusinesses phenomenal opportunities to improve production.

Leaders of Farming Technology

It would be impossible to list all the companies that have launched headfirst into agtech, but Monsanto and Bayer are heading the charts. Their predicted $66 billion merger will help drive seed development, enhance traits specific to farmers’ needs, ensure runoff reduction and input uptake by crops, and perhaps co-develop traits and herbicides. It’s an unprecedented union that promises farming’s next quantum leap.

What makes Monsanto and Bayer so forward-thinking? Their adoption of technology — like Climate Corporation’s FieldView Plus, software that streamlines data collection and provides real-time analysis for farmers who want to unlock the true nature of their field data. Leveraging atmospheric, soil, and field data, Climate FieldView Plus guides seed usage like never before; it’s truly the tip of the iceberg in digital agriculture.

We can’t forget John Deere as a tech leader, either. Headlines may suggest self-driving cars are new inventions, but that’s simply not true. John Deere’s line of GPS-enabled autonomous tractors have been transforming the seeding and harvesting experience for years. Self-driving tractors precisely plant seeds of the right type in the right quantities and with the right amount of pesticides and chemicals. From a tablet, a farmer can program the tractor before relaxing to watch the latest YouTube hit from the Peterson Farm Bros.

Where Will Agtech Take Your Company?

The agtech bandwagon is growing, and climbing aboard is as simple as taking the following actions:

1) Collaborate outside the homestead.

No farming advancement occurs without companies from all industries working side by side to develop the next adjacent technologies. Big data companies, herbicide developers, seed corporations, tech incubators — they all bring the advantages of biotech and other tools into the matrix for agricultural real-time and real-world decision-making. Identify businesses in an industry that could improve your farming operation, and work with them to implement tech-focused strategies.

2) Focus on sustainability.

In 1915, the world had 1.8 billion people; by 2050, we will approach 9.7 billion, an increase of 439 percent in about nine generations. This growth, in conjunction with developing nations moving to meat-based diets, puts phenomenal strain on global food demands. We need to protect our planet for future generations while providing necessary levels of output. Technology-improved agronomics, big data, and improved seeds are key parts of ongoing sustainability.

3) Keep your customers in mind.

Your ultimate customer is the public, and members of the public crave knowledge — which they’ll get one way or another. Make sure it comes from you, not an anonymous blogger. As you implement more technology in your production process, be transparent about how it works so the public knows your food is safe.

The days of the cloistered family farm have passed, and the results are nothing short of outstanding. There’s no doubt that unbelievable and unique tech innovations are just around the bend; we need to be prepared to adopt them for the betterment of our industry and society.

With more than 30 years of experience leading regional and state economic development initiatives, Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, works with agtech companies evaluating Missouri for investment and agtech leaders across the state working to attract those companies, giving him a unique perspective on the agtech industry.

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Written by

Steve Johnson, CEO of Missouri Partnership, has more than 30 years of experience leading economic development efforts across Missouri.

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