- who currently spend 80% of their time trying to collect
and analyze a farmer’s data – to make decisions with greater
confidence,” says Kristen Lauria, general manager of Watson
Media and Weather Solutions.
By collating and curating the data, Paulman can also iden-
tify the best practices for his irrigated acres. With an annual
allotment of 13 inches of water for a corn crop that requires
about 22 inches of water, he has to ensure every drop is used
wisely. That means relying on technology that understands
he has some soils that will take 2 inches of water per hour and
others that will take ¼ inch per hour.
Because prices fluctuate constantly, Watson also offers a tool
that marshals huge amounts of pricing data – from the local
grain elevator to the futures markets – and recommends the best
time to sell to maximize profit. It’s the type of data gathering and
analysis that would be impossible without AI and analytics.
building the database
A
s more data flows in, the decision platform becomes a more
robust solution. That’s the caveat. In order for AI to be ef-
fective, it requires a large database to draw from. Farmers not
only are going to have to allow others access to their infor-
mation, but also will need to share data to take advantage of
digital tools.
“Although we talk about having so much data, in many cas-
es, it’s very localized. It’s almost as though we have too much
data, yet not enough data at the same time,” Sudduth says.
The key, Gomes says, is to get the right data that farmers
accept, so they can then take action with confidence.
So how do you get farmers comfortable with sharing their data?
Billy Tiller maintains that it has to be a producer-led initiative.
Founded in 2012, the Grower Information Services
Cooperative (GiSC) is a farmer-owned data cooperative provid-
ing secure cloud storage for its farmer members. Headquartered
in Lubbock, Texas, the company’s platform collects and manages
multiple layers of agronomy and yield data across a variety of
crops including corn, soybeans, wheat, and sorghum.
“It is time for farmers to have options that are built on objec-
tive motives, not on a reason to buy another product,” says
Tiller, who is the founder and CEO of GiSC.
IBM is also a firm believer in data cooperatives. By building
thousands of farmer experiences into a data set, Paulman could
understand, for example, what is common among all corn
growers in Nebraska that is driving yields 20% above the aver-
age compared with those who had yields 20% below average.
Because he is viewing his operation from a different perspec-
tive, he can evaluate which practices are truly driving better
yields and which ones are not contributing.
“Instead of relying solely on data from their own farms
year after year, farmers can learn from each other as well,”
Lauria says.
Access and sharing are key components to the infrastruc-
ture, because value from analytics will come from different
companies, Fulton says.
Skeptical about companies
with a vested interest in his
data, Watson also offers the
independence Paulman is
looking for. “IBM is not try-
ing to sell me more fertilizer
or machines,” he says. “It’s a
trust thing.”Moving ForwardI
nfrastructure is the biggest
component in making
digital ag a success story.
According to Ag Gateway,
84% of farmers and their
trusted business partners
say they find it moderately
or very difficult to compile
and analyze the data coming
from farm fields.
Established in 2005,
Ag Gateway has been
chipping away at the
interoperability friction. Its
Standardized Precision Ag
Data Exchange (SPADE)
project has produced the AgData Application Toolkit
(ADAPT), which enables
different software applica-
tions and hardware systems
to seamlessly exchange
information – with broad
adoption as the end goal.
To date, 26 companies have
committed to ADAPT by ei-
ther developing a plug-in for
their file format or integrat-
ing ADAPT support into
their software systems.
“We use technology
wherever and however we
can, because we have to get
better at what we’re doing
for future generations,”
Paulman says. “Insight from
data helps us do that.”
Until there is a single
system in place that standard-
izes and connects the entire
ecosystem, the silos will
remain, and the value of data
will continue to be limited for
Paulman Farms.DEVELOPING
A DIGITAL
STRATEGY
B
efore farmers can gain value
from their data, they have to
create a foundation. John Fulton, Ohio State
University, suggests farmers consider
the seven points below when developing
a digital strategy.- Identify the technologies you use as
well as the data generated from those
technologies. - Organize your stored data (e.g., year, crop,
farm, field). - Store an original copy of your data both
on and off the farm so there is a backup. - Ensure data can be accessed from
any location and that offline information
is updated once a connection is
reestablished. - Collect complete and quality data so you
can execute desired analyses. - Protect data with secure passwords.
- Define a strategy for sharing files, which
includes an easy-to-copy format both on
and off the farm. Don’t share information
without permission.
Laurie Bedord, Executive Editor,
Ag Technology, covers precision
agriculture and technology topics for
Successful Farming magazine and
hosts the technology segment on the
Successful Farming Show (on RFD-TV).
Email: [email protected]44 Successful Farming at Agriculture.com |August 2019