Defining and Ranking the Five Levels of Ag Data Transparency

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Note:  Agribusiness Lawyer Todd Janzen, administrator of the Ag Data Transparent certification program, reflects on the state of data use agreements as he identifies five levels of ag data transparency. The PrecisionAg Alliance supports efforts that facilitate farmer understanding of data use agreements, and overall data transparency in agriculture that leads to increased trust in, and adoption of, digital technology tools. – Paul Schrimpf, Manager, PrecisionAg Alliance

As someone who is immersed in legal issues related to data privacy and ownership, it should come as no surprise that I have a Google alert set up so that I get notified when a company uses the words “transparency” and “ag data” in a sentence. I get 2-5 emails per week, so there is still a lot of buzz in the industry surrounding ag data.

What I observe from the email traffic is interesting. Some ag tech providers treat “transparency” as a marketing buzzword — something companies say because farmers want to hear it — and others build transparency into every aspect of their organization. Using these extremes as bookends, I thought it was worth a deeper dive into categorizing the different levels of transparency between these points.

Establishing some levels would provide farmers and service providers a benchmark for comparing the relative transparency of the partner organizations they currently use, or plan to engage. It would also allow the companies themselves to pinpoint their approach and identify a pathway to improvement.

Here are the levels of ag data transparency from least transparent to most.

Level 1: Borrowing data privacy contract forms from other industries. In this category are tech providers that have given no consideration to the unique aspects of agricultural data. As a result, these providers have cut and pasted contract forms (e.g., terms of service, privacy policies, EULAs) used by other industries. While better than nothing, these forms lack transparency because they fail to define what “agricultural data” is. Instead, these providers treat ag data as just another form of “information” or “data” to be collected. Transparency begins with understanding what data is being collected. Generic forms can’t do this.

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Rodney Wright: Better Farming With Precision

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Leader in Precision

Even if you leave it for a while, there’s something about growing up on a farm that’s been in your family for generations, says Rodney Wright of Wright Farms in Tyronza, AR, recipient of the farmer award in the 2018 Awards of Excellence program.

“It just gets you. I went to school and majored in ag engineering. I saw all these things on the farm and thought, ‘Why do they do it like that? We should do it like this to make it better.’ My dream job at one time was to go to school, get an ag engineering degree, and then go to work for John Deere. That last thing never happened.”

Instead, after undergrad and a stretch working for Jacuzzi Brothers and at the University of Arkansas in irrigation research, Wright returned to his home base in Northeast Arkansas in 1993 – to farm ground in the same areas that his grandfather and father farmed. From that point on, he has never stopped improving it and making it the most efficient operation possible.

It’s perhaps the reason why precision agriculture has become such a passion for Wright. Precision is a way of conservation – a way of honoring the history of his family farm and ensuring it thrives for years to come.

Precision ag first grabbed Wright’s attention 15 years ago at the Arkansas Crop Management Conference. “This farmer was there, and he was presenting all of these fields with yield maps, and I was like, ‘Man, that’s incredible.’ I had worked in research, so the details were really interesting to me. Yield mapping was probably what really got me on the track, and the guidance systems for tractors is still kind of mind-boggling – how the little receiver on the top of the tractor can talk to those satellites and can steer your tractor in a perfect, straight line. That’s always been kind of neat.”

While he produces a variety of crops, including grain sorghum, cotton, corn, soybeans, and wheat, the huge water management challenge of growing rice is what has captured his interest the most. Wright is currently in his second year using Dr. Chris Henry’s (University of Arkansas) Multiple Inlet Rice Irrigation (MIRI) program, which uses shape files to determine the acreage of the field’s contour levees. Based on the pipe diameter, well flow rate and drop in field grade, it calculates the size of holes to be punched so that the field waters evenly, eliminating the need for spillways.

“If you can imagine, 30 inches is a lot of water you have to put on the field,” Wright says. “With this system, you never lose water at the end of your field. My goal is to never see water running out at the end of this field all year.”

Wright employs a similar irrigation system in his row crops, and is also looking to utilize his yield mapping to create management zones for fertility, seeding, and other crop decisions.

Many have not only taken note of Wright’s dedication and expertise in irrigation, but followed his lead. Just some examples: He was appointed to the Arkansas Agriculture Irrigation Science Technical Working Group in 2016. He was also appointed to the Mississippi County Farm Bureau committee on Research and Extension Resolutions, and served on board of the Mississippi County Conservation District for 10 years until 2014.

“Rodney’s role with the Mississippi County Conservation District formed close connections with USDA National Resources Conservation Service personnel that enhanced his use of precision agricultural technology to simultaneously reduce risk at the farm level and reduce potential runoff of nutrients via over-application and erosion,” says Jennifer Bouldin, professor at Arkansas State University who worked closely with Wright when he was attending the school. His roles with NRCS, Farm Bureau, and academic publishing “has placed him at the focus of decisions being made in Little Rock and Washington, D.C. Once Rodney decides whether a technology is profitable for his farm, his neighboring farmers follow his lead … He is a pillar to the agricultural community of Northeast Arkansas.”

Asked to reflect on the big picture of precision ag and its potential, Wright commented: “Farming has always been a business, but it’s one that took care of itself if the grower took care of his crops. Precision agriculture has changed all that; now a grower has precise information on practically every square foot of his farm. With this new level of intelligence, the grower can analytically and economically take his production to the next level to supply an increasing world population, while being environmentally friendly at the same time.

“I would like to encourage farmers, even if it requires getting help, to utilize yield and other data to manage crop production better and stay abreast of new technological innovations as they come online such as drone capabilities. Drones are getting more user-friendly and can allow for instant feedback on crop conditions.”

Brent Rendel: A Leader in Developing Precision Ag Practices

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Brent Rendel is a man who has been actively involved in farming and ranching his whole life. After graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1986, Rendel went on active duty with the U.S. Navy, retiring with a rank of Commander. He returned to the family farm near Miami, OK in 1997 and has been an active partner of the operation ever since. Rendel Farms has about 3,000 acres of winter wheat, winter canola, corn, grain sorghum, and soybeans.

For more than two decades, Rendel has been a cooperator with OSU extension specialists and researchers. He was the first to bring winter canola into his area as rotational crop, worked with OSU to evaluate using minimum tillage beds on his poorly drained crop ground, and was the earliest adopter and advocate of the N-Rich Strip, GreenSeeker (NDVI), and Sensor-Based Nitrogen Rate Calculator (SBNRC) methodology.

“In fact, adopter is not the best term to use. Developer is more accurate,” says his nominator, Dr. Brian Arnall.

“Brent hosted the earliest farm studies and provided feedback on every iteration of sensor and online calculator. He has been a leader in developing technologies and practices via sound science for Oklahoma and the surrounding areas.”

Arnell adds: “Brent never been afraid to share his wins or trials and tribulations. He also never gives up on an idea that has merit.”

PrecisionAg spoke with Rendel about his history on the farm and what drives him.

THE BEGINNING: “My great-grandfather moved to Oklahoma in the late 1800s from the Ohio River Valley. He bought his first ground just outside of Miami, in the far northeastern corner of the state, 5 miles from Kansas and 7 miles from Missouri. This is dryland country; there’s good groundwater but it’s too deep for irrigation. In this part of the world, we’ve got to maximize resources and do everything we can to keep costs in check. I’m not against spending money, as long as the dollar I spent on the crop returns more in the dollar in income. That’s why I started looking at precision ag – it’s all about maximizing return on investment.”

FIRST FORAY INTO PRECISION AGRICULTURE: “In 1996, the opportunity came to put my money on the line in the farm. Around 1998-99 is when I heard about the GreenSeeker that Oklahoma State University had been developing to better manage nitrogen in wheat and other crops. At that time, it was simply a large handheld device with a shoulder strap that you walked around the field. I was really impressed by the results, and with my engineering background, data and numbers speak well to me. It showed me the first year the dollar savings that I could have, so I went all in after that. My father was open-minded, so he embraced it, too. The ultimate thing with engineers is that numbers and data mean more than visuals. I deliberately left check strips in and adopted that system wholeheartedly after three years of testing and it always working in my favor.”

ON THE GOAL OF PRECISION: “Nitrogen is the hardest nutrient of all to manage, in my opinion, and it’s absolutely critical to manage right. Too little, you cost yourself yield; too much, you waste money. When I first started getting into (precision agriculture), I was talking with Bill Raun and Brian Arnall, who were my mentors, as well as Randy Taylor. They used a long-term study that goes back decades looking at the right amount of nitrogen to use in wheat. They came to find out that in some years, zero was the right number, and in some years, 4 or 5 lbs. per bushel of yield goal was the right number. When you average it out, it’s 2 lbs. per bushel of yield goal, and you still hear that.

But when you dig into the numbers, you find out that’s right one-third of the time. Two-thirds of the time it’s wrong. I wanted to be right more than one-third of the time. That’s what attracted me to GreenSeeker and was my whole leaping-off point into the concept of precision ag. Precision ag is not perfect and never will be perfect. The goal is that it’s better than what we’re doing now. So many people are turned off by the lack of perfection: ‘What if it’s wrong?’ But in many cases, a computer is more right than you are.”

ON LOW ADOPTION OF HIGH-ROI TOOLS: “If you put hard numbers to a tool like auto-steer, it has a very low payback in dollars. So why does it have universal adoption? The answer is, as soon as I push that button, my life just got better, and I know it. I feel better, I drive better, my rows are straighter, and I have time to look at my smartphone. When I punch auto-apply on nitrogen using an NDVI system, my life instantly had questions added to it – ‘Am I doing the right thing? Is it too much nitrogen, or not enough?’ A lot of adoption of technology seems to be about how it makes you feel, instead of what it does. That’s a challenge for the entire industry. If I’m running a center pivot, I need a soil moisture probe out in that field. The return on investment is massive, yet the adoption rate of those technologies is very low. It’s improving, but it’s nowhere near where it should be.

We plant about 1,400 acres of corn a year – that’s a lot, but a lot of farmers are bigger and can easily justify higher levels of precision. We just added planter that has ability to variable-rate plant, but it’s hard to cash flow that. The ROI just isn’t there, and at the end of the day, I’m about ROI.”

ON FUTURE TECHNOLOGY: “One that I like is (John Deere) Blue River’s See & Spray. I think that could be a complete game-changer. It helps farmers because it reduces cost of chemicals, and immediately starts paying itself back. I think in eight to 10 years it’s going to become the industry standard. I was talking to one of the guys at the company and said, ‘Even taking the spray off the table, you’re telling me today, you could drive one of my fields and give me a map and tell me what weed species I have mapped across my field?’ He said, ‘Oh yeah, that’s easy.’ Do you understand how valuable that one piece of information is? If the spray piece is hard, give me that piece where I can go across field and map my weeds. I think that’s a really exciting piece of technology.”

Six Levels of Precision Agriculture Adoption Identified by the PrecisionAg Alliance

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Debate over technology adoption levels has roiled the precision agriculture industry for years. Is technology use increasing? Plateauing? Can we expect precision use to mainstream any time soon? Questions like these ultimately lead to an even bigger one: How is “adoption” defined in the first place? Which is to say: How do growers know when they’re “there”?

The PrecisionAg® Alliance, administered by Meister Media Worldwide along with representatives from its Partner organizations, took on this question and came to an agreement that the answer is likely not binary, that there is no clear divide of precision growers on one side and non-precision growers on the other. Rather, precision adoption is best represented on a sliding scale.

After considerable discussion about adoption specifically in row crops, consensus gelled around six core levels of adoption ranging from “basic” to “mastery.” Using these criteria, current and future adoption levels could be quantified more consistently and effectively.

Level 0: Equipment Efficiency and Basic Automation. At this level farmers are focused on efficiency technologies such as automation steering and boom shutoff. There is little to no data collected – or if data is collected, it is related to operational efficiency and not integrated into the production planning regimen.

Level 1: Basic Georeferenced Data Collection. Here, growers are collecting at least one layer of spatial data utilizing GPS, most likely through some kind of nutrient management system/regimen. The data enables them to make inter-field, or sub-field, assessments, as well as year-over-year fertility plans. Field imagery is collected and analyzed but not necessarily integrated fully into decision making. GPS resolution, at a minimum, is assisted by the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS).

Six Levels of Precision Agriculture AdoptionLevel 2: Advanced Georeferenced Data Collection. Building on level 1, the grower collects data on additional layers for comparison to make operational decisions, which could include calibrated yield data, seed hybrid/variety information, in-season imagery, weather data, and other information sources. An outside agronomic service provider is often employed to help with collection and aggregation of data. The minimum GPS resolution is at the decimeter level.

Level 3: In-Season Decision Making. Building on the minimum standards at Levels 1 and 2, growers are able to make, measure, and manage crop production using an evidence-based approach through the integration of multiple data layers. Growers at this level would be collecting as-applied records for all field operations – as-planted, as-fertilized, as-sprayed, and-as-scouted (including human and satellite/aerial observations) – and would create additional data layers to deepen field knowledge and understanding and improve decision making. Value generation from data should be such that a loss of data is viewed as potentially catastrophic to the farm – sufficient to halt farming operations for the sake of valid data collection. Either a trusted agronomic advisor or “in-house” agronomist will play an important leadership role in moving the use of precision technology and practices forward.

Level 4: Digital and Process Mastery. Having operated at Level 3 effectively for about three years, a Level 4 grower now possesses multiple data layers over multiple years, affording the ability to make comparisons year over year, as well as in season, to make on-the-go operational decisions. Trusted adviser(s) and commercial partners usually play a significant role in helping the farmer move into this level.

Level 5: Continuous Improvement and Systems Mastery. This final and highest level builds upon Level 4 effectiveness in the creation and use of valid data sets, and confidence in continuous improvement, by pushing into exploration of technologies and systems that allow for targeted, effective decision making on a continuous basis – for instance, nitrogen management modeling for targeted split applications, on-the-go sensors, use of weather and soil moisture sensors, insect and disease pressure monitoring, and imagery collection and use. Regardless of the field or crop situation, the farmer is fully informed and in control of decision making. Further, at this advanced level growers can more effectively engage with the downstream food production channel on sustainability and value-add crop production regimens.

What is effective and potentially durable about this five-level adoption scale is that it’s less reliant on specific but evolving technologies and more on timeless and enduring agricultural practices – especially observation, analysis, and decision making in the areas of fertility, planting, application, and harvest. The Institute and its Partners do acknowledge, however, that the criteria still can be fine-tuned – for example, perhaps by adding a level at both the lowest and highest levels of adoption.

Comments and questions about the five levels of precision adoption are encouraged and can be directed to Paul Schrimpf, PrecisionAg Alliance, at pschrimpf@meistermedia.com, 440-602-9142.

Three Essential Elements for Implementing Precision Agriculture on Your Farm

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There’s no doubt. Your vision of the future dramatically affects decisions you make today. The same is true for the implementation of precision agriculture on the farm. If you believe life will continue along much as it has, you will likely choose a much different course of action than if you believe we are moving into a more environmentally aware, consumer focused, efficiency and productivity driven future. The upshot: develop your vision of the future and re-evaluate it regularly.

How? Actually, there isn’t a lot of mystery to developing a vision of the future. Simply read the trade press, attend conferences, and talk with anyone who has a shared interest in the evolution of global agriculture. Sit down with your advisors and family and actually discuss what it all means. Commit your conclusions to paper. It is the routine discussion and debate about the future where you will find your vision.

When you commit your vision to paper, put it in the context of a broad business plan for your operation. Your plan should include these elements:

  • A vision statement (what you want your business to be when it [or you] grow up)
  • A set of goals for the future (some short-term; some long-term)
  • The key strategies and actions required to accomplish your vision and goals.

Remember, regardless of your precision strategy, you should have a written business plan for your farming operation. The reason for the plan is to ensure that you will have done planning. As Dwight Eisenhower said when complimented on the brilliant D-Day plan, “Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.” With your plan in place, you can more effectively develop and implement a precision strategy for your operation.

There’s no doubt in my mind. Farmers will be producing in a more precise manner in the future. So the issue is not whether to participate in precision agriculture or not. The issue is what approach will you follow. Develop a precision strategy. Implement it well. Measure results. Continuously improve. But, for heaven’s sake, don’t wait for it to start raining.

How to Develop a Precision Ag Strategy: Start With These 6 Steps

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Those who are having success with today’s precision agriculture techniques indicate that these are the keys to successful implementation:

  1. Establish reasonable expectations. With a strategy in place, what are your expectations for performance in the near term? Realistic expectations are key. For example, don’t expect your land values to double over two years just because you are actively involved in precision agriculture. It might be realistic, though, to expect that you will enhance your reputation as a progressive farmer and get the nod more often than not in renting additional land.
  2. Prepare to measure ROI. It will take several years of data to thoroughly analyze the return on investment in precision. However, you must start your analysis process immediately. Compile three or four years of production data prior to the use of precision in your operation. Look at yields, costs and services utilized. Calculate historic return on input investment.
  3. Keep track of the same types of data for the same geography after you began using precision services. Look for the differences…but be careful making any big conclusions with only a year or two of information to support you.
  4. Do the basics right. Without a complete georeferencing effort and sampling rigor, it will be difficult to ever really see precision pay out for you. It is true that you can have too much information, so choose precision services which you intend to lever into action in your strategy in the foreseeable future.
  5. Choose the right supplier(s). No decision is more important to your precision agriculture implementation effort than picking a partner you can trust. There are two considerations, each based on your relative needs. First, can your supplier help you make better decisions because of superior expertise? Second, can my supplier help me implement my plan effectively with analysis capability and equipment right for me? While it is important to get a reasonable price, the most important selection criteria are expertise, quality, capabilities and responsiveness.
  6. Continuously learn and improve. Networking with other farmers, suppliers and experts to compare notes is critical in the prudent implementation of your precision plan. In any evolving industry or discipline, new discoveries and approaches are common. Be sure to capture the latest for your operation.

5 Compelling Reasons to Invest in Precision Agriculture Technologies

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Below are five compelling reasons you should invest in precision ag technologies:

1. Precision agriculture technologies have not always been economical for small to medium-sized farming operations. However, as input costs rise, precision agriculture equipment is becoming less expensive and tools such as guidance systems, yield monitors, and variable-rate fertilizer applicators may now be profitable for nearly all growers.

2. Some technologies, like RTK auto-steering, can improve efficiency without changing management practices. Using a GPS-guided steering system can eliminate sprayer overlaps and planter skips that can result in lower profits. Considering an example from an Ohio State University extension article, a grower using row or foam markers on the planter and sprayer might be farming 102 acres in a 100-acre field. This extra area might not seem significant, but when one considers that this translates into spending 2% more on all associated inputs such as seed, fertilizer, pesticides, fuel, and labor, even small application errors can prove costly. An RTK guidance system with 1-in. driving accuracy can eliminate this risk.

3. Despite the fact that yield monitors have been around over two decades, many growers still don’t fully understand how to use them to improve farming efficiency. This lack of knowledge is being actively addressed in a series of extension programs and classroom courses developed North Carolina State University. This training involves on-farm demonstrations, hands-on classroom training using “Virtual Yield Monitor” custom software, and introduction to spreadsheet-based analysis of yield monitor data, yield-limiting factors, and potential changes in management that could increase yield.

4. Variable-rate fertilizer applications have been shown to improve efficiency and increase profits in many grower fields. Several universities and USDA-ARS research units have developed strategies for using on-the-go sensor-based applicators to improve fertilizer use efficiency. Profits have come in the form of increased grain yields without increasing total nutrient inputs. For production, most of these systems consider spatial and temporal variability. Current work is focused on incorporating additional layers of data that includes real-time weather and soil EC into the processes used to determine fertilizer application rates.

5. Precision management pays now more than ever. Current grain and fertilizer prices greatly increase the value of precision agriculture technologies. The information generated using precision agriculture equipment and the decisions based upon it can help mitigate the growing risk of yield loss.

5 Helpful Steps To Precision Agriculture Success

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One of the most common questions I get asked in grower presentations or at ag shows is: “How do I get started in precision ag?” Perhaps a better question is: “What do I need to do to be successful in precision agriculture?”

The precision success stories in this issue provide good examples of individuals who have been successful over the years. But it is sometimes helpful to think back on what are the steps to this success. This thought process is especially instructive to folks who are getting their feet wet for the first time in precision agriculture.

The first step to success is determining whether there is a need for precision agriculture in your enterprise. Just running out and getting a bunch of software or going online may be more of a liability than an asset if there is no well-defined need for the effort. This need can be in the form of expected efficiency in operations or in having better records of decisions made and actions taken in production. The need could be driven by regulatory demands or a proactive position to be in the lead with new ideas in the industry. Whatever the reason, it is important to recognize why one gets involved in precision agriculture.

The second step is determining the specific requirements that will fulfill the identified need or needs. Requirements can be synonymous with technology tools. For example, if I have a need to map my farm, I may require geographic information systems (GIS) software to make boundaries of my fields. If better records are my need, I may require an on-line record keeping program. If I need to report my production practices to buyers, a tracking program may be in order.

Once the requirements have been enumerated, the third step is to identify the personnel within your organization who are going to use IT tools. If you do not have the right people, the tools will be of little or no value. While everyone wishes for a program with a “magic” button that gives an answer, the truth is a user must have a minimum understanding of how a tool works. Before making an investment in tools or education, it is important to find the right individual(s) for the job.

The fourth step to success is training and support, whether from within an organization or outside. Handing someone a set of tools without training can be both frustrating and costly to all involved. Furthermore, the lack of follow-up support for a program can waste untold hours and leave participants feeling abandoned at the most inopportune time. Support is probably one of the most important but least appreciated aspects of any precision agriculture effort.

The fifth step is back-up, whether in the form of an alternate plan to do something or just archiving important information. Back-up also pertains to people. At least two individuals should be trained to perform the same skills. There should be at least two computers with similar configurations to ensure a possible failure of one. Back-up is more than just an insurance policy; it provides added capability in times of short-term, high demand.

Some Steps Beyond

The five steps for success in precision agriculture — determine need, specify requirements, identify personnel, train and support, and provide back-up — must be accompanied by other common sense practices. One such practice is allowing for adequate time to incorporate a precision agriculture technology into an existing enterprise. Whatever time was planned for adding a tool, you should double it. Everything takes longer because of integration issues, resistance to change, and just normal feedback during installation.

Another common sense practice is constant communication during the step-by-step process for incorporating precision agriculture tools. Communication in the form of documentation, check-off lists, and periodic updates on progress keeps everyone focused and on the same page. Lastly, common sense dictates that you never take on more than you can handle. It is better to have one small tool delivered and working, than a number of them incomplete and behind schedule. The careful planning and allocation of resources in any application always pays off in time and savings.

As a final note, precision agriculture is about harnessing technologies to improve decision making and production practices. New technologies, by their nature, are going to be disruptive to an existing operation. But this disruption can be for the betterment of the enterprise if the right steps are taken in combination with a common sense approach.

Joseph Russo, an early pioneer in the precision ag movement, is president of ZedX Inc. in Bellefonte, PA.