By Tyler Harris
Editor, Nebraska Farmer
Penton Ag
Farmers may not always consider themselves entrepreneurs or
innovators, but they play a vital role in driving innovation nonetheless. Every
day, producers make agronomic decisions on seed, fertilizer, water, pest
management, and soil health, as part of the to meet the food demands of a
rising global population, while continually working to improve efficiency,
profitability and sustainability.
In his book, 40 Chances:
Finding Hope in a Hungry World, Howard G. Buffett notes that farmers get
approximately 40 seasons in their lifetime – 40 chances to grow a crop. That's
why growers have to be innovative, making the most of the information they have
to make decisions that bring the highest potential for return on investment.
Technology has a vital role to play here, and more and more entrepreneurs
are realizing this – there's a reason parts of the Midwest are referred to as
the "Silicon Prairie". In 2016, $3.23 billion was invested in ag tech
startups, according to a report from AgFunder.com. Although a decline from a
record-breaking $4.6 billion in 2015, this illustrates that investments in
technology like remote-sensing, site-specific management, and data management
and aggregation services, aren't going away anytime soon.
However, one of the biggest questions is whether or not
producers are using this technology. Adoption is hard to measure, and the curve
is different for everyone, but a couple trends are consistent. Producers have
been quick to adopt and implement technology like GPS guidance and automatic
section control. And although producers may be adopting "decision
technology" like remote sensing and soil moisture sensors, where they are
lagging behind is putting that technology to use in their decision-making.
These technologies don't come with an "easy button"
for a quick return on investment, but enhance producers' abilities to make incremental
improvements over the long-term through the decisions they make every day. As
one agronomist put it recently, the big increases in efficiency and
profitability won't be made by doing one thing 100% better, but 100 things 1%
better.
As we celebrate National Ag Day, join me in thanking the producers
that continually work to improve the efficiency, sustainability and
profitability of their operations while helping feed a hungry world.
