The Big Data of Farming

Farming_BigDataAs further evidence of the accelerating reach of big data technology, let’s take a look at how big data has touched the farming industry. Farmers have long been data gatherers. Before home computers, smartphones and iPads, producers carried notepads in their front pocket filled with farm records. Most of the data, like soil temperatures and calving dates, was free and easy to collect.

Today in agriculture, data patterns are changing radically. Precision ag technology allows farmers to track a staggering amount of agronomic, herd management and equipment data. Master the data, and you can master better operational efficiency on the farm. Now, agribusinesses are finding better ways to manage mountains of data so the signal isn’t lost in all the noise.

Paul Schickler, DuPont Pioneer president, offers this observation:

In today’s complex, data-intense farming operations, growers need a way to sort through all their data to make better decisions. Information is only relevant if it’s used in a way that can help increase the entire farm operation’s profitability.

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