As technology has integrated into every aspect of our day-to-day lives, seed and crop input companies work to keep pace.
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Need help determining your optimum planting rate? Or want to know if there’s a beehive nearby? There’s an app for that._x000D_
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One company that’s leading the way in Canada when it comes to creating apps to help farmers is DuPont Pioneer. Having introduced six different apps, the company encourages farmers to make the most of the data that’s available — right in the palm of their hand._x000D_
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DuPont Pioneer has introduced: Seed Guide, Pioneer GrowingPoint Agronomy, Pioneer Field360 Tools, Planting Rate, Plantability — Planter Settings and Inoculant Value Calculator._x000D_
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“We have a lot of on-farm trials that help us understand our hybrids and which soil types are best suited for them along with the different populations in order to maximize the opportunity for profitability,” says Travis Kriegshauser, DuPont Pioneer senior manager for Encirca services._x000D_
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Farmers can evaluate up to three yield goals for the same hybrid; compare up to three different hybrids each with its own yield goal; and adjust grain price and seed cost for the optimal net income and seeding rate._x000D_
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Making the Connection_x000D_
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Another app, released in April of this year, helps farmers connect with beekeepers. The BeeConnected app encourages communication between beekeepers and farmers. The app anonymously connects registered farmers, beekeepers and pesticide applicators to provide information on any pesticide application activity or beehive locations near them._x000D_
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“There has been a strong interest in improving communication between all parties, and the BeeConnected app addresses this issue with an end goal of helping prevent bees from being unintentionally exposed to pesticides,” says Pierre Petelle, CropLife Canada vice-president of chemistry._x000D_
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Farmers are then notified when a beekeeper logs a bee yard within five kilometres of their property and beekeepers are notified when any crop protection activity is logged within five kilometres of their hives. Petelle says all registered information is kept confidential and users are always anonymous. Registered users can use BeeConnected’s messaging service to coordinate and privately share information with specific users._x000D_
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Dig into Data_x000D_
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Most recently The Climate Corporation, a subsidiary of Monsanto Company, announced the introduction of Climate FieldView into Eastern Canada for the 2017 growing season. According to the company, the Climate FieldView platform combines data science with field science and onfarm data to take the complex, environmental interactions that happen in each unique field and turn them into customized insights farmers can use to make data-driven decisions._x000D_
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“Through the advanced digital tools … Canadian farmers can instantly … analyze crop performance with field data maps and satellite imagery, so they can tailor their agronomic practices for the best outcome at the end of the season,” says Mike Stern, The Climate Corporation CEO._x000D_
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He compares the launch of all these digital applications to the launch of biotechnology in the 1990s. “We are now experiencing the next revolution of global agriculture through transformative digital technologies that are helping farmers gain a much deeper understanding of their fields, optimize their resources and maximize their return on every acre,” Stern says.
