Farmers can’t control everything, but youcan always make improvements. Short of being able to dial into the perfect temperature or annual rainfall amount, precision ag technology is one of the best ways to get the results – and peace of mind – you’re after.
Precision ag solutions are changing the face of farming, and getting started with PA is easier than ever before. You can enhance your equipment with precision ag, reaping all the benefits of the technology without a tremendous cost.
Upgrade with Precision Ag
After asking what is precision agriculture, many farmers want to know how to upgrade their current vehicles with the technology. Let’s face it, input costs and land prices have stretched many farmers thin. Many are seeking ways to improve yields but keep costs down. When buying new isn’t an option, upgrading what you already have with precision ag is the way to go.
Take row guidance, for instance. Many farmers aren’t prepared to fund a brand-new tractor or combine just to boost their accuracy, but they can take advantage of guidance technology with a GFX-750 Display System to make every day on the field a little easier. Imagine perfect passes, acre after acre, on a steamy morning or a late harvest night—all from upgrading what you’ve already got.
Enhance Your Equipment’s Performance
When it comes to enhancing your equipment’s performance, it’s essential to get into the details of what you hope to accomplish. What is the goal of using precision ag on your operation?
For example, do you want to spend less time behind the steering wheel and more time doing what matters?
An Autopilot Automated Steering System might just be the tool for you. It’s a hands-free way to achieve maximum precision and can provide high accuracy even on rugged terrain. For assistance, affordability, and accuracy, the EZ-Pilot® Assisted Steering System will keep you on line, making both low-accuracy broadacre and high-accuracy row-crop farming much easier.
One of the most significant benefits of these precision ag parts is precisely that: they’re just parts that can be plugged into vehicles you likely already have. When input and equipment costs are already high, the best type of precision ag technology minimizes the need for additional equipment.
Benefits of Investing in Precision Ag Technology
If you’ve been reluctant about incorporating precision ag into your operation, we understand many of your reasons. Whether you’re satisfied with your current practices, concerned about time constraints, or skeptical of the costs entailed, investing in precision ag technology can afford many benefits—even for you.
It can help you make use of what you’ve already got.
Because of the versatility of many precision ag technologies, they can transform that Massey Ferguson 5200 that’s been on your farm since 1990 into a new and improved machine. Whether your farm is small or your operation is complex with hundreds of acres, most guidance systems can pair with machines from most brands—making the technology simple to bring on-farm.
If hesitation has kept you from trying out this technology, consider starting with the GFX-350 Display System. It’s compatible with several steering solutions and can be optimized with even more technology in the future.
It can boost ROI.
It makes perfect sense: fewer errors, less time, more accuracy, and better yields all translate to better productivity and a boosted ROI. In a 2019 study, fertilizer application accuracy alone translated to ROI benefits of 7.2%. Similarly, another study found that crop row guidance improvements by precision ag reduced input waste and minimized soil compaction, also providing some financial savings.
Many precision ag solutions will quickly pay for themselves, and they often go beyond benefits to your bottom line. When you’ve got a clutter-free way to tackle your farming applications with ease, you’ve got more time to do what matters—whether that’s planning for next season, working on a marketing plan, or spending time with your loved ones.
It’s the tool of the future.
Simply put, things are changing. Many farmers are experiencing weather like never before, and constant fluctuations in the commodity market are throwing curveballs left and right. Even if you’re content with your current operations, precision agriculture implements will continue to become more useful in the years to come.
Small and large farms alike stand to benefit from precision ag—and so does the environment. Across the board, precision agriculture is associated with environmental benefits like increased yields, reduced soil compaction, reduced nutrient runoff, improved soil health, net greenhouse gas reductions, reduced soil, and fewer energy requirements.
At its current levels of adoption, precision agriculture has already prevented 10.2 million acres of cropland from being cultivated, all thanks to more efficient use of existing land. This results in significant economic savings around the world.
Precision agriculture technologies have been proven to foster yield increases for many major crops.
Even if you’ve been hesitant to try it out yourself over the past few decades, now is the time to bring it on board. The future of farming is optimized, automated, connected, and precise—and Trimble’s got the precision ag services, options for retrofitting existing equipment, and dedicated team to ensure that you and your crops don’t get left in the dust. Connect with your local reseller to enhance your equipment with precision ag today.