Precision Ag

5 Water Trends to Watch in 2026

Sun, 04 Jan 2026 16:27:54 GMT

The “everything old is new again” proverb will be at play in 2026 when it comes to water trends irrigators need to know in the new year.

The Packer sat down with Melissa Lilze — who, as of Jan. 1, became senior vice president of Netafim North America, the top position for Netafim in North America, and the first woman to lead Netafim’s North America division — on the top water trends coming in 2026. Several are long-running themes from years past that will continue to dominate in the new year. Others, however, are new and potentially novel.

No. 1: Water scarcity

This one is nothing new, but Lilze notes smart water management or “digital irrigation” that involves remote sensors, automated irrigation systems and real-time monitoring of conditions such as weather, soil moisture and crop needs — once the purview of highly techy early adopters — is increasingly mainstream in the face of ongoing water scarcity.

“Today it’s more of a necessity,” she says.

This fits with both USDA records and data from The Packer’s 2025 Grower Sustainability Insights .

According to the Census of Agriculture’s most recent few Irrigation and Water Management Surveys, the number of farms and open-field acres under irrigation using drip, trickle or micro-flow sprinklers has grown since 2008, even as farm numbers and open-field acres under irrigation have fallen.

For example, in 2008 , 43,368 farms (14.4% of 2007’s total irrigated farms) reported using these water-saving irrigation systems on 3.76 million acres (6.84% of total irrigated acres in 2008). In 2023 , the numbers had jumped to 60,160 farms (21.14% of 2022’s total irrigated farms) and 6.43 million acres (12.11% of total irrigated acres in 2023).

The Packer’s Sustainability Insights survey responses showed similar grower attention to water conservation efforts. Water efficiency was ranked as the most important sustainability issue by produce growers, and precision irrigation ranked high on the list of sustainability investments growers are making on their operations.

No. 2: Regulations and reporting requirements

Just like water scarcity is nothing new, so too is the mounting regulatory pressure because the two are so closely intertwined.

“[Ongoing water scarcity] just changes what we will see in the next few years with regulation around water use and groundwater use,” Lilze says, pointing to regulation and reporting requirements as a major water theme in 2026.

“We have increasing regulatory pressure in different farming regions. Growers must adapt to allocation limits that they’re given, especially in the western U.S.,” she says. While California and its Sustainable Groundwater Management Act come to mind when it comes to water regulations squeezing produce growers, regulations and their attendant reporting requirements can vary wildly by state, county and even by watershed.

Lilze framed digital irrigation as helpful to irrigators regardless of the regulatory situation they find themselves in because it not only helps with water conservation efforts but documents them at the same time.

“Many times the reason you have regulation is because you don’t have the data to show that you are being conservative with the water and of your resources,” she says. “I absolutely think the more information you have available to prove that you are a steward of the land, which these farmers are, I think the better situation they’re in on the front end of things.”

No. 3: Drip irrigation expanding

Lilze reports the well-known water saving strategy of drip irrigation has been expanding into new crops, something she highlights as a trend to watch. Alfalfa is an example she’s seen with Netafim.

“With an alfalfa, we’ll do an SDI system, which is a subsurface drip irrigation system, meaning we’ll actually bury the drip 10 to 12 inches underground,” she reports. Not only has this resulted in extra cuttings and increased yields, but it has management implications as well.

“You can get into the field quicker after a cutting because we’re not having to flood irrigate,” she says.

No. 4: Return of federal funds

A welcomed “new” trend in 2026 according to Lilze is the return of federal funding for conservation and sustainability improvements, including for water.

“There’s a lot of federal funding, NRCS [National Resources Conservation Service] and EQIP [Environmental Quality Incentives Program] monies, that are available typically every year. In 2025, a lot of that money got put on hold,” she says. “We just received news that the 2026 funding will be available in January, and growers will be able to apply and access those funds for smarter, more efficient irrigation systems.”

On Dec. 15, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service announced it was opening its first funding round of key conservation programs. This includes the Agricultural Conservation Easement Program, Agricultural Management Assistance, the Conservation Stewardship Program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program, and the new Regenerative Pilot Program .

According to NRCS, growers, farmers and ranchers have until Jan. 15, 2026, to apply for the first batching period. National and State Conservation Innovation Grants will open later in the year.

“We’re really starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel with this funding coming,” Lilze says. “There’s been a lot of farmers that have benefited from this money over the years, and having it frozen last year really prevented a lot of new irrigation systems going in because [growers] need the funding to help with that initial year return.”

No. 5: New or untapped funding sources

In addition to the return of federal funding that can go to conservation irrigation efforts, Lilze points to other, potentially more novel or unexpected sources of funding for water sustainability projects as something irrigators should look for in 2026.

On the one hand, the “partnership economy” around water — basically, applying the carbon credit concept to water — is growing. Lilze pointed to Netafim’s Corporate Partnership Program as an example, explaining that they pair companies with high water usage with area farmers and growers who still use less efficient irrigation like flooding. The company helps fund the grower’s conversion to a drip irrigation system.

“So basically, we’d put in a drip irrigation system, we’d put our automation system out, and we can track water usage over that crop and over time, we can show the amount of water that’s been saved by investing in that drip irrigation system,” she says.

Other precision irrigation or ag tech companies have similar programs, such as Phytech and N-Drip. Though Lilze says Netafim has been “leading the charge” on developing these kinds of partnerships.

“We’ve been successful over the last two years in matching up these companies that have this money set aside for these sustainability practices with the farmers in the region that are trying to be more efficient in their farming.”

Lilze also recommends irrigators look at other, potentially untapped local funding sources for irrigation efficiency improvements such as state, county or watershed organizations.

For example, she notes that Utah’s Department of Agriculture has a fund specifically “to help their growers become more efficient water users.” Utah growers could receive as much as $500,000 in funding for irrigation optimization efforts. Applications for the program open on Jan. 1, 2026 and run through the end of February.

“There’s plenty of state funding moving because they want people to move away from flood to drip and conserve,” Lilze says.

Melissa Lilze to be Senior Vice President of Netafim North America

Wed, 31 Dec 2025 18:23:43 GMT

Orbia Advance Corporation’s precision agriculture business Netafim announced Dec. 16 that it has appointed Melissa Lilze as senior vice president of Netafim North America, effective Jan. 1, 2026. As part of her new role, Lilze will also join Netafim’s executive leadership team. Lilze succeeds Mike Hemman and brings nearly two decades of experience in agriculture and ag tech to the role.

Lilze has been with Orbia Netafim since 2016, starting as a sales representative in California and quickly advancing to lead sales in the Western U.S. Most recently, she served as senior director of sales for North America, where she was instrumental in expanding the business and strengthening customer relationships.

Prior to joining Orbia Netafim, Lilze held national and regional leadership roles in leading ag tech companies, successfully opening new markets, building high-performing sales teams and securing major multiyear agreements with industry partners.

“Melissa’s appointment marks an exciting milestone for Orbia Netafim,” says Gaby Miodownik, president and CEO of Netafim. “Melissa embodies the values and culture we have cultivated over many years of industry leadership. This, combined with her deep industry knowledge, commercial excellence and people-first approach, makes her the ideal fit to lead our North America business, which is a key growth market for Orbia Netafim. We are proud to have Melissa on board our executive leadership team as we continue to deliver real results for farmers across the globe.”

Lilze is the first woman to lead the North America division, joining a growing number of women in senior executive roles across Netafim.

“I’m excited to take on this role and lead our next chapter of growth for Netafim North America,” Lilze says. “Our focus for the coming years is clear: Deliver smarter irrigation solutions that empower growers, strengthen partnerships and drive sustainable impact. My approach starts with listening — to our customers, our teams and the land — because that’s where real innovation begins. Together, we’ll accelerate progress, create value across the supply chain and ensure agriculture and specialty markets thrive for generations to come.”

AgZen, Corteva Team up on AI-Powered, Retrofit Sprayer Tech

Fri, 24 Oct 2025 16:10:42 GMT

AgZen announces an agreement with Corteva to further “explore the commercial potential” of AgZen’s AI-powered crop spraying optimization technology, RealCoverage.

The news comes on the heels of Corteva’s big announcement on Oct. 1 , detailing the crop protection multinational’s plan to split its crop protection and seeds businesses.

AgZen, a tech startup spun out of MIT, is making a name for itself by pioneering feedback optimization for spray applications — a new approach the company thinks has potential to improve farmer outcomes and reduce crop input costs.

(AgZen)

AgZen’s first product, RealCoverage, is a retrofit kit that can be bolted onto any sprayer to measure and optimize the number of drops of agrochemicals applied to crops. The system features a boom-mounted sensor that analyzes the coverage and quality of spray applications in real-time, displaying actionable data to a tablet mounted in the cab. Farmers can use the data to optimize the physical settings on spray rigs, both self-propelled and pull-behind, to increase coverage.

The startup says its system works by leveraging AI and cutting-edge computer vision, and customers have used RealCoverage to save 30% to 50% on input costs.

Farmer Feedback

(AgZen)

Northwest Indiana farmer Bryan Brost slapped a RealCoverage system onto his Hagie STS 16 high-clearance sprayer to use on his waxy corn and soybean crops. He says it has helped boost his spray program efficiency overall by reducing application rates while maintaining optimal coverage throughout his 12,000-acre operation.

“The payback came in the first year,” he tells Farm Journal via text message. “We have increased our acres [covered] per day with less hours on the machine, the operator and the nurse tanks supplying product [to the sprayer].”

Corey McIntosh set the technology loose across his 4,000 acre spread in Missouri Valley, Iowa. He is looking forward to using the data to improve his application efficiency across the board. He’s also letting his neighbors and local retailer in on the secret.

“I was getting a chem shuttle refilled at [the] co-op, these guys have always been complimentary of our weed control, I asked them: ‘What percentage of leaf surface area do you think you are covering with your sprayers?’ One of their best operators said he thought 50% coverage. The salesman next to him said it would definitely be more than 60%,” McIntosh says.

“They were shocked when I told them we were at 9% to 10%, but nobody has had ever had a way to quantify this before,” he adds. “We are really looking forward to making improvements.”

Since launching on the market in 2024, AgZen says it covered more than 970,000 commercial acres of application across the U.S. on row crops and specialty crops.

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John Deere-Sentera Tie Up: Here’s What We Know So Far

Tue, 27 May 2025 15:40:37 GMT

John Deere has announced its acquisition of Minnesota-based aerial optics innovator Sentera. Although specific details are few and far between this early in the process, here’s what we know so far:

The two companies have a long history. John Deere was the first enterprise customer Sentera signed onto its system over a decade ago, and the two companies have had an API link in place between Sentera’s drone management software and John Deere’s Operations Center since 2016.
Financial details are not being disclosed. We do know the deal is not subject to any further regulatory or shareholder approvals.
In a similar fashion to the Blue River Technologies and Bear Flag Robotics acquisitions, Sentera will maintain its independence as a free-standing business unit. Once fully integrated into the Deere family, Sentera will operate under the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) framework. Sentera leadership will remain at its St. Paul, Minn., headquarters.
For the time being, no major changes are planned for either company as we head into the heart of the summer crop scouting and spraying season. The two companies anticipate having more details to share about the nuts and bolts of the acquisition this fall.
The two groups are a natural fit. Sentera is aggressively marketing its SmartScripts drone weed mapping program, and the technology is complimentary to John Deere’s Operations Center and its See & Spray and ExactApply application technologies. One driving force behind this deal, Farm Journal is told, is Deere’s motivation to integrate more real-time agronomic data into its Operations Center platform, and Sentera’s aerial data capture capabilities can help make that happen.

(John Deere)

A deal to lift both boats. John Deere has built up a deep bench of artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous technology expertise within ISG, and Sentera has a long track record of aerial sensing and camera payload innovation. Considering how many cameras and sensors are included from the factory on new John Deere machines and within its Precision Upgrades retrofit kits, there should be a healthy cross pollination of sensor and camera innovation between Urbandale, Iowa, (where ISG is based) and St. Paul, Minn.
Sentera can help make See & Spray even better. SmartScripts uses drone-based imaging to scan a field and build a weed pressure map which is then loaded onto the sprayer’s in-cab computer. Now the sprayer operator can see exactly where weeds are in the field and focus their spraying efforts there first. There’s also a logistical and planning aspect to SmartScripts: by knowing exactly how many weeds are present in the field, and even what type of weeds are there, an adept operator can have the right active ingredients premixed and the exact amount needed loaded into the tank or staged nearby in a tender truck to keep that sprayer running all day long.

“Farming is becoming a very sensor and data-centric business, and in our opinion, there isn’t anyone doing it at broad scale today better than John Deere,” says Eric Taipale, chief technology officer, Sentera. “The way we can bring these data-driven insights and improve grower outcomes — it’s just what we’ve always been about. It’s what John Deere is all about. There’s such a great mesh between the two cultures, the objectives and the mission of the two organizations.”

Joseph Liefer, global technology marketing lead at John Deere, adds, “We’re excited about how this complements our existing portfolio with See & Spray, and then not just that (product). Now a farmer with an individual nozzle-controlled sprayer from any manufacturer can also leverage this technology. A drone can fly their field, generate a weed map, turn it into a prescription in Operations Center and the machine can go execute the plan. From an ag retailer standpoint, that might have a mixed fleet, and this gives them more tools in the toolbox to do targeted application for growers and help them save on herbicide. We view this deal as complementary to our overall tech strategy.”

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Carbon Robotics adds autonomous tractor solution

Mon, 31 Mar 2025 18:38:41 GMT

In a move to help growers maximize equipment and address labor shortages, Carbon Robotics launched its Carbon AutoTractor, an autonomous solution installed on existing tractors.

Carbon Robotics’ founder and CEO Paul Mikesell says its Carbon AI will power remotely monitored tractors to help specialty crop growers deploy laser weeders for almost around-the-clock production.

“With LaserWeeder, farmers want to run them as much as they possibly can, but it’s hard to find labor,” he told The Packer. “It’s really hard to find labor to do the tractor driving. It’s hard to find labor to do these late midnight shifts. It’s hard to find people to do all the different tasks you want to do with the tractors.”

The Carbon AutoTractor features two core components: the Carbon Autonomy Kit and the Remote Operations Control Center. Mikesell said operators in ROCC handle any obstructions through monitored autonomy and take over the autonomy system, so production continues. He said growers, then, don’t have to worry whether an autonomous task gets completed.

“They’re trained in using Carbon Auto Tractor,” he said. “They know how to do the functions that the farmer wants to do in the field. And then, whenever there’s something that comes up, they can literally change drive the tractor remotely, and get through whatever obstacle it is, and then keep moving.”

Mikesell said the Carbon Auto Tractor will currently work for LaserWeeder tasks, ground prep such as mulching, mowing, discing and more, but there are plans to expand its capabilities in the future.

The Carbon Autonomy Kit is initially compatible with John Deere 6R and 8R Series tractors, requiring no permanent modifications and installation completed in less than 24 hours. Once installed, tractors can toggle between autonomous and manual operation as needed.

“It bolts on and then that you plug into the harness in the inside on the inside cab, and there’s a box that mounts on the window that you can turn it on and off,” Mikesell said.

The Carbon AutoTractor system includes RTK-accurate GPS, 360-degree cameras and radar-based safety sensors, as well asphysical, remote and mobile e-stops connected via a high-speed, low-latency satellite link.

“We have better visibility from the cameras on the roof than you do from the inside the cabin,” Mikesell said.

And for those growers who might be reluctant to go to an autonomous tractor, Mikesell said the Carbon AutoTractor is designed to help growers better deploy farm labor where it’s needed most.

“You want somebody there to inspect or notice problems with your irrigation or things of that nature. You’ll still want to have those people around, but the point is that they don’t have to spend all that time driving up and down the rows to do the simple task,” he said. “They can then spend their time focusing on figuring out where or if there’s issues and how to address other problems and it relieves the constant need to be driving the tractor all the time.”

Mikesell said this solution also offers growers the option to deploy tractors at night for weeding or when the nighttime temperatures are cooler. This also helps growers maximize return on investment by being able to run the autonomous solution all the time, he said.

“We found that lot of people want to run their LaserWeeder 24/7 because they get a really good ROI or more crops they can put it under, but they just can’t find the operators to run it 24/7,” he told The Packer. “If you can run it, 24/7, you can double the hours in a typical season and you can get that tool doing everything you need it to.”

Carbon Robotics said the autonomous solution works seamlessly with its LaserWeeder, automatically adjusting speed to optimize weeding performance based on weed type, size and density, which can boost coverage by up to 20% compared to manually operated systems.

Brandon Munn, farm manager with Columbia Basin Onion, has worked with the Carbon Robotics team on this autonomous solution.

“With many of our tractors and LaserWeeders running autonomously with Carbon AutoTractor, we’re able to operate more hours, address labor challenges and make night shifts safer and more reliable,” Munn said in a news release. “This isn’t just automation; it’s a practical solution that’s fundamentally changing how we farm.”

Additional Details Come In On AutoTractor
Farm Journal talked with CEO Paul Mikesell to see what else we could learn about the system and what makes it different from other tractor autonomy kits on the market. Here’s a handful of bullet points breaking down what we uncovered:

Don’t Call It A Retrofit - Because the AutoTractor kit doesn’t effectively alter or change anything mechanically on the tractor itself, Mikesell says he prefers to refer to it as a “augmentation kit.”
Satellite Connectivity Changed The Game - When Mikesell and his team started this project back in 2023, connectivity was a limiting factor in enabling a tractor to safely operate with complete autonomy. That is no longer a limiting factor as developments in the stratosphere like SpaceX’s StarLink and Intellsat’s low earth orbit constellations have provided the necessary latency and bandwidth to make driver-less operation safe and viable.
Pricing Is Still TBD - Pressed on how much the system will cost from an up-front investment standpoint, Mikesell told us that “we’re still fine tuning that price.”
Expect An Hourly Fee - Mikesell did confirm that the technology will carry a per-hour fee. He says that fee will track closely with what the user would pay a local machine operator to run the tractor. That could mean a per-hour fee anywhere from $15 in the Midwest to upwards of $25 per hour in high-wage markets like California and Washington. “We’re trying to save you money by not having to worry about travel time out to the fields. There’s no lunch break. You don’t have to worry about paying overtime. This machine will do as many double shifts as you want, and we’re still employing people to do all the monitoring. So we have a very skilled and qualified group of people that are doing all the monitoring. So that’s kind of the model: we charge you per hour to run this machine for you and we’ll work with you on what jobs you want done and how you want it done and make sure that everything is handled appropriately.”
Remote Operators With Tractor Experience - Mikesell says his remote operators that task and oversee the driverless tractors for farmers get a crash course in how tractors are used on your typical farm. “Just being out there in the field long enough to understand the size of things that are around you and just kind of what a field looks like and how things are laid out, makes a huge difference when you’re trying to drive remotely,” says Mikesell. “Even though you have a better view driving remotely, because you have a nice 360 degree view off the roof, having some concept and understanding about the size of things and kind of what everything looks like helps quite a bit.”

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The Tech World Had The Chance To Meet Real Farmers At CES, And The Reaction Was Surprisingly Good

Sat, 14 Jan 2023 02:33:13 GMT

The global tech industry gathered at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas this past week to see the latest and greatest in technology and this year, agriculture took center stage. What’s traditionally been a show geared to consumers is one agriculture is playing a bigger role, and as Farm Journal discovered, the interest in agriculture’s story became a resounding theme.

From driverless vehicles to a flying car, CES was full of the latest technology and a few surprises. One popular attraction was at the John Deere booth. Not only was each area of the display equipped with farming facts for consumers, the company also served up the chance for attendees to meet- and speak- with real farmers.

“We actually are a vertically integrated company–we take rice from the farm to a finished product. And we even have our own brand now called 4Sisters,” says Meryl Kennedy , a farmer in northeast Louisiana.

Kenny and Travis Senter of northeast Arkansas, were just two of the farmers in Deere’s CES display, answering questions and pulled back the curtain on production agriculture today.

“The biggest question is this machine that we’re standing behind autonomous?” says Senter. “The other question is, on my Operations Center, all those all those machines that are on there, are they autonomous? So, I guess the big factor that they’re looking at is autonomy.”

Deere and Company kicked off CES as the keynote speaker–a first for agriculture. And as Deere presented, the company pointed out farmers were sitting in the audience. The crowd gasped in response, proof that to CES attendees, the chance to meet real farmers was rare.

The Chance to Meet Farmers at CES

It was during those one-on-one conversations that Senter and Kennedy were able to connect with consumers, sharing with them–and even showing them–the ag technology already at work in fields today.

“Frankly, just having conversations with people that are in a totally different field than you but knowing that you’re so connected to technology and how we’re going to feed the world,” says Kennedy, when asked what’s been the most eye-opening aspect of her CES experience so far. “That’s really the mission of CES right now. It’s all about driving that sustainability and providing technology to make sure that we can provide water and food and fuel to the world.

Kennedy is a second-generation farmer, who along with her dad and three sisters, created the brand 4Sisters , proving rice is part of this family’s legacy.

“Retail has been a whole new journey for us as a company, honestly, before 2019, we really didn’t even have a website ,” says Kennedy. “So, we were truly a commodity-based agricultural company. It has truly been a transformation from us.”

Connecting with Consumers

Kennedy says as CES sparked conversations with consumers, technology is helping discover what solutions really do make an environmental and production difference on their farm today.

“I think probably one of the hardest things that we’ve been facing recently is bringing that sustainability journey to life in a way that is meaningful to consumers, and doing it fast enough,” she says. “People want to see meaningful change, and I think that we’re doing that, it just it takes time. So, having that kind of balance and providing the data to backup what we’ve been doing for so many years. I mean, really, the U.S. farmers the most sustainable in the world, we just had to tell that story better.”

Kennedy’s top concern for 2023 is climbing input costs, which is why she says any investment on their farm must produce a ROI. With higher costs, the rate at which they see that return is getting shorter, but it’s not changing their overall goal.

“It’s about creating a path that we can all be on as a sustainable business,” she says. “And that we can all feel comfortable with the technology that we’re using, and that we can make sure that we implement it in a meaningful way that brings value to us as a company.”

On the Cutting Edge of Adopting Technology

Senter considers himself on the cutting edge of adopting technology on his farm, as experiencing the latest technology is something Senter says he truly enjoys.

With 38 tractors, three combines, four sprayers and three cotton harvesters, orchestrating field works across their 20,000 acres, is a challenge, But Senter says through technology, that job is getting more efficient, something he was able to show attendees at CES.

“I remember early days of data, we always had flash drive and I just chased machines with a flash drive,” he says. “I felt like I was just working too hard to gather information and not actually using what I had to get it.”

A decade ago, Senter decided it was time to go all-in with how he was collecting and managing the data. That’s when he started processing his farm’s information into the cloud, while also investing in the systems and technology to propel his farm into the future.

“We kind of had a little bit here and a little bit there. Let’s just put everything connected that way. It’s all in one unit, we can see where everything’s at. We know what everybody has going on. I don’t have to keep detailed notes. I know everything’s going into the cloud. I don’t have to worry about chasing data that is working for me. I’m not working for it,” he says.

Adopting Automation

When Senter explores what’s next, he believes automation is the wave of the future.

“I think when you get into automation, which is what’s coming, being able to drive machines, you’re not necessarily going to lose labor, because you’re going to need that labor to fix those pieces of equipment,” says Senter. “Their job may change from being an operator to actually maintaining and keeping that machine moving.

And while some automation is already at work in agriculture today, the velocity at which those changes are happening may be the biggest difference in the years ahead. Senter admits even his own views on autonomy have changed.

“I’ve had the opportunity to use that some of that autonomous machines, and I was very pessimistic at first. But it actually it did a phenomenal job. And so, me seeing it firsthand said, ‘Okay, we can do this, it can be done. Let’s go forward with it,’” says Senter.

AEM’s View on Agriculture’s Role at CES

Association of Equipment Manufacturer (AEM) senior vice president Curt Blades says agriculture’s large footprint at CES elevated the image of ag last week.

“The biggest takeaway that I had from CES, representing the off road equipment industry was, hey, look at the really interesting technology that our members and the entire industry is working at to solve sustainability challenges for society,” says Blades.

As Blades attended CES, sat in on conversations and watched how equipment manufacturer’s showcased the technology in agriculture and construction today, and he says the message at CES was resounding: ag tech is a critical piece of meeting the growing demands.

“What’s happened specifically at CES is that we have pointed to technology as part of that solution. In fact, we have some of the facts and figures and research to back that up that’s telling a story that it’s not about trying to sell more equipment, it’s actually trying to solve societal problems,” says Blades.

The Rapid Change in Ag Tech

So, why is ag tech growing so rapidly? Blades says it’s multi-faceted. The changes are driven by not only agriculture being part of the solution, but the amount of investment entering the space, and just the sheer amount of data available today.

“The data is what’s allowing good robotics to make more sense. It’s allowing for better management decisions. It’s allowing for better prescriptions,” he says. “You have to have the data in place to be able to take advantage of some of the technology that was unveiled, either in practice or in concept at CES.”

From artificial intelligence to robotics, CES showed the technology space is ever-changing, something Kennedy knows the future of their family farm hinges on the ability to evolve along with it.

“For my kids, I have a four- and eight-year-old, so I feel like if I can do something that’s meaningful, bring value to them future generations to come preserve the land, that’s what it’s about,” she says.

The biggest surprise during CES was just how excited those consumers were to meet real farmers like Kennedy, a low tech, high touch opportunity for the industry to show off its positive impact on the world.

2024 AgTech Predictions: 5 Trends To Watch

Tue, 09 Jan 2024 16:51:10 GMT

In 2023 the agricultural industry faced challenges from extreme weather to supply chain issues.

Ron Baruchi, CEO of Agmatix, outlines the key trends he anticipates impacting the agricultural industry over the coming year:

#1 - Generative Artificial Intelligence in AgTech

Of all the 2024 trends in digital agriculture, the role played by Gen AI, or generative AI, is likely to be one of the most significant. The potential of Gen AI on the global economy is already being calculated in trillions of dollars. There is a historic opportunity to optimize processes, cut costs, and importantly, fuel innovations through improved modeling to fuel decision-making. Companies are already using Gen AI through Digital Crop Advisors, allowing agronomists to distill agronomic data into actionable recommendations for farmers.

These tools enhance crop management by analyzing big agronomic data, providing AI-supported insights to optimize production practices. This helps farmers understand patterns affecting the performance of crop varieties and production on their specific farms, and tracks climate trends to help farmers become more resilient to the changing climate.

#2 - Using Digital Twins to Optimize Field Trials

An interesting 2024 trend is increased integration of digital twins into field tests and field test planning. A digital twin is a digital model or a virtual representation of an actual physical product, system, or process. These allow researchers and designers to experiment as though they were handling its physical counterpart, reducing the need for expensive and time-consuming field trials.

Generating real-world data is a costly and time-consuming process, averaging more than 150 studies and over 11 years to register a new active ingredient. From 2010-14, developing a new crop protection product cost around $286 million, of which, $47 million (approximately 16%) was budgeted for field trials.

Synthetic data can enhance the performance of digital twins. Based on real-world data, synthetic data can supplement data gaps, significantly reducing the time, cost, and effort in bringing new agricultural products to market. These tools provide a competitive edge for agricultural input suppliers seeking regulatory approval, or seed companies that rely heavily on experimentation to improve their seed genetics.

#3 - Technical Innovation in Regenerative Agriculture

Greater technical innovation and research into regenerative agriculture will continue over the coming year. Essentially mimicking natural process and biodiversity on agricultural land, the ultimate aim of regenerative agriculture is to improve soil health in order to boost yield.

To address the challenges of climate change and feed a global population of over 8 billion, regenerative agriculture is vital. Digital tools use accurate, up-to-date data to create tailored regenerative agriculture solutions. These consider soil conditions, weather conditions, microclimates, and current crop growth or land use, as well as individual budgets and local regulations.

Platforms offering site specific data will likely reign supreme in 2024. A view of sustainability that extends beyond simple carbon metrics and one-size-fits-all solutions is necessary and will enable the establishment of realistic, actionable objectives for growers, promoting sustainability and formulating strategies tailored to local environments.

#4 - Managing Data with Advanced Cloud Solutions

Innovation in agriculture is often data-dependent and the cloud gives researchers the ability to collate, manage, and extrapolate information from data in a way that was previously unimaginable. Anticipated exponential growth in farm data emphasizes the transformative impact - IDC has estimated that by 2036 the amount of data collected on the farm will increase by more than 800-percent. Cloud tools enabling real-time access to field trial data reduces trial duration and cost, and the volume and scope of trials can be increased.

Cloud applications span every aspect of agriculture, optimizing crop management, soil insights, multi-season crop monitoring and analysis, and leveraging local knowledge for decision-making. Cloud-based solutions foster collaboration between researchers, agronomists, and farmers, providing R&D companies with an efficient, cost-effective and scalable solution.

#5 - Innovation Across the Agricultural Spectrum

Agriculture’s innovative history is turning towards sustainability and environmental protection, marking a transformative era. The new year will see progress in climate-resilient crop development.

At the farm level, digital technologies empower farmers to process and use the data they collect. AgTech solutions can help farmers and agronomists measure and demonstrate the return on investment of agricultural technologies. Amidst global challenges, stakeholders using AI and machine learning will drive unprecedented innovation in food production.

About the Author - Ron Baruchi, President & CEO, Agmatix

With over 20 years of experience in the technology sphere, Ron is passionate about using data to solve complex problems. He has used his expertise in technology and AI with Agmatix to improve crop yields and quality while limiting environmental impact.

Three’s A Crowd: Hylio Secures FAA Drone Swarm, Night Flight Exemptions

Tue, 26 Mar 2024 19:41:29 GMT

Ag drone outfit Hylio (Houston, Texas) has received an unprecedented “all clear” from the FAA: an exemption allowing the company’s application drones to be “swarmed” or flown in concert with up to three drones controlled by a single operator, as well as allowing spray missions to be flown after sundown.

Why it Matters

Standard U.S. commercial drone regulations set forth under the FAA’s Part 107 certification limit operations to one pilot-in-charge per drone (plus a visual observer) and only flying between sunup and sundown. Chemical application drones are jointly regulated under Part 107 (pilot) as well as FAA 14 CFR Part 137 (service provider). A pesticide applicators license is also required.

Clearly, this development unlocks more efficient and scalable workflows for farm work (one of Hylio’s spray drones can cover up to 50 acres per hour), but it also has additional implications worth exploring.

“It’s precedent setting,” says Arthur Erickson, CEO and cofounder. “Essentially what the FAA does after this is…people can cite Hylio’s first exemption, this one, and be like, because Hylio can do that, we’re showing that we also have the same technical capabilities, therefore we should be able to do that.”

Technology has certainly evolved to the point of enabling autonomous swarms. Erickson says part of the buildup to that was a literal accounting for every single imaginable scenario (good or bad) under the sun.

“That’s redundant radar systems, that’s redundant GPS, that’s redundant IMUs in the flight controller, and redundant hardware to make sure that if anything goes wrong during a flight, there’s another system that can pick up and just make sure the drone does what it needs to do,” he explains. “It’s all about engineering that safety margin into the products and the machines themselves.”

By swarming three of Hylio’s AG-230 spray drones (which can also apply dry dispersible products and cover crop seeds), for example, a skilled operator can now cover 150 acres per hour, which Erickson says is comparable to a large pull-behind sprayer in some cases.

“It’s unlocking the ability for these drones to actually go toe to toe with traditional large equipment, which is what we’ve been waiting for in this industry,” he adds.

Advice for farmers

Judging from the winter farm trade show circuit , it seems clear there are more options available to farmers today when it comes to drone application than perhaps ever before.

Erickson advises interested farmers to do their homework and verify paperwork/licenses before committing big dollars to a drone application service provider.

“You also need to educate yourself on best practices for applying by drone, because what you want to do is make sure you don’t have someone who’s going out there with the drones and cutting corners,” he cautions. “And by that, I mean, most of these guys are making money based on acres per hour.

“Some of these pilots, and this isn’t just with drones, they’ll go out there and they’ll potentially do swaths that are too wide for what the effective swath is. What that can end up doing is, leaving weaker coverage at the edges of those swaths, right? Because there’s not enough overlap and they’re not getting enough droplets across the entire swath.”

What Could the Future Hold?

It’s a question that Erickson encounters often throughout his travels: just how big can application drones get? Can they ever replace conventional self-propelled ground rigs?

“Drones are going to get bigger to a certain point, but then they’re going to level out because beyond that point they become overly cumbersome and expensive,” he says. “You’ll start to see the same economic problems that you see with helicopters, which is they’re way too expensive, the insurance is way too high, they’re dangerous, they’re hard to maintain and repair, and hard to transport.”

Erickson sees the ceiling for capacity coming in around the 1,000-pounds/40-60 gallon per drone mark, eventually.

“Then you’re going to get multiples deployed in a field instead of just one giant, 200-gallon drone,” he says. “I think that’s more practical for manufacturers and the buyers and users themselves.”

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Retailers Pivotal To Farmer Adoption Of Conservation Ag, Says Research

Fri, 13 Nov 2020 06:28:02 GMT

Building trust in food begins with empowering farmers through one of the largest and most diverse conservation- and sustainability-focused public-private partnerships in our nation’s history: America’s Conservation Ag Movement. To find the latest news and resources related to the Movement, visit AgWeb.com/ACAM .

Kinsie Rayburn is a Conservation Knowledge Officer with Farm Journal’s Trust In Food. Learn more at www.trustinfood.com

“I would say that precision ag has gotten more precise. So we’re selling products now by the ounce that we used to sell by the gallon, and we’re applying them in very small doses.” –Anne Cook, The Andersons Inc.

U.S. farm productivity increased by 178% between 1948 and 2015, according to a 2018 USDA report, while total land used for agricultural production fell 24%. Modern agricultural systems development such as mechanization, biotechnology, and crop nutrient management solutions played a large role in the productivity boon USDA identified. However, along with the growth in productivity has come other challenges—water quality issues, declines in pollinator habitat, and soil erosion, to name a few.

Key to mitigating risk and firmly ingraining agricultural resilience into farm operations across the nation is the increased adoption rates of conservation agricultural practices, which research has shown can improve environmental outcomes associated with agricultural production. To scale such practices on farms, growers need increased access to informed professionals, such as ag retailers, who can provide the education, training and technical support services required.

Research conducted in 2019 by Trust In Food, a Farm Journal initiative, in partnership with the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), found that ag retailers are uniquely suited to play an influential role in the continuous improvement of conservation across the agricultural value chain.

According to the research, ag retailers:

• Have the tools and training to help farmers make data-informed production decisions. “We can say to a grower, ‘The green on this yield map is where it only cost you $1.90 to produce a bushel of corn, but the red is where it’s costing you $5.50.’ That’s how we turn data into actual results and possibilities for the grower.” –Ashley Schmeling, Central Farm Service

• Can help farmers meet the needs of future agricultural markets. “That’s the big point going forward: We’re going to have to have traceability of crops that goes back to sustainable practices, or food suppliers are not going to buy them.” –Tim Mundorf, Central Valley Ag

• Can help educate critical stakeholder groups, such as lenders and financial institutions. “We actually encourage our customers to bring their loan providers to some of our tours out on the research farm during the summer, and we have winter meetings where we really recap a lot of that data. We encourage the customers to bring their lenders to those events.” –Cat Salois, The McGregor Company

• Can help farmers get ahead of new or potential regulations. “If we in ag, the farmer and the ag retailer, don’t start taking the environment [issues] seriously, there will be new regulations sent our way quickly [Sustainability] is the difference between whether farmers are going to be allowed to manage and farm their farms the way they want to, versus a state or federal office placing a bunch of mandates on them.” –Ben Hushon, The Mill

The full report presents a clear business case for ag retailers, exploring how they can dramatically transform their businesses to meet the needs of their grower-customers, the broader agri-food value chain, their local communities and the natural resources the world depends upon.

The time for proactively seeking out ways to improve the reputation and impact of the agricultural sector is now, and the full report showcases how some leading ag retailers are getting the job done.

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