Precision Farming With Farmers Edge

Farmers Edge Guarantees Privacy

Lately, there has been a lot of talk about privacy in the Precision Farming world. Company’s like Farmers Edge track data to assist you on making the best possible decisions for your farm, but is the data they gather private? With Farmers Edge it absolutely is private. They gather the data, but it is truly the farmer’s data. The farmer owns it and has control of who sees it. Birkey’s and Case IH have formed a partnership with Farmers Edge and we have taken the stance of keeping all data private and only available to the farmer it belongs to. But how does the data help the farmer? Farmers Edge’s “smart” package includes satellite imagery, weather stations, soil moisture probes, and CanPlug. You are also able to get technical and agronomic support directly from Farmers Edge.

Satellite Imagery

The satellite imagery provided by Farmers Edge gives more detail than you could ever get from simply walking a few rows into your fields, or taking pictures with a drone. Farmers Edge has daily satellite imagery powered by the largest private constellation of satellites. Images are delivered at a high-frequency to help you identify problems as they emerge, like wheat infestation. Images are delivered within 48 hours of being taken. The images are processed into easy-to-read field maps for monitoring crop health and any subtle or major variations in vegetation and soil. Farmers Edge inspects all of this so they can notify you of any developing changes in the fields so you can take corrective action before yield is impacted.

Weather Stations

The weather stations are installed around your fields so information can be gathered directly from your fields. They track important conditions like temperature, wind speed, wind direction, dewpoint, rainfall, and more. The Farmers Edge weather stations have access to the entire network of over 4,000 weather stations around the world, giving information about the weather and allowing you to make decisions in advance. The enhanced radar and severe weather alerts give you notice when weather near your fields turns bad, as well as, hourly and 10-day daily forecasts.

Soil Moisture Probes

The Soil Moisture Probes measure water in your fields and temperatures at 6 depths, but they also do so much more. They provide real-time data to help increase yield and input efficiency. Soil sampling and lab analysis for moisture and texture from each probe location is a key feature. Moisture reports and recommendations from regional experts are also available. This will allow farmers to check surface wetness to determine if field operations are possible, so you don’t have to worry about getting your farm equipment stuck in a field. You can also compare how much water your crops are getting to how much water they need in order to know if crop water requirements are being met.

CanPlug

CanPlug is a device created by Farmers Edge able to plug into virtually all makes and models of equipment to provide in-field data for every piece of equipment. It streams real-time equipment values along with planting, spraying, harvest and tillage data wirelessly to an iPad, tablet or mobile device so you can view the status of any field activity and easily analyze where adjustments can be made to improve performance. Featuring mixed-fleet compatibility, automatic data transfers and customizable options, the tool simplifies record-keeping and provides full transparency of your operation.

FarmCommand

The FarmCommand software is also part of the “smart” package, it processes the information gathered and provides the user with helpful statistics to enhance farming capabilities. FarmCommand automatically integrates all sources of data and delivers what growers need most: swift, accurate, in-field decision support. It is available as a web-based tool and a mobile app, you can quickly analyze, visualize and share information from one easy-to-use platform. It also includes a broad series of maps allowing you to visualize and understand your data easily. The analytics and reports help you understand how your farm stacks up and compare the performance of equipment and see varieties within your region. FarmCommand also possesses predictive modeling to make informed decisions based on accurate predictions for crop growth, pests, nitrogen and yield. Other benefits include automatic syncing to keep all your records in one place, identify problems with built-in pest lists, locate problem spots accurately with GPS navigation, and take pictures and schecule tasks right from the field.

Case IH is a founding member of the Agricultural Data Coalition, a nonprofit organization focused on connecting data. The ADC’s goal is to encourage the gathering of agricultural data to further agronomic knowledge. Case IH has incorporated the AFS Connect and Farmers Edge to help further these goals and arm farmers with the capacity to take their agricultural skills to an entirely new level. For more information on Precision Farming and Farmers Edge, contact your local Birkey's Precision Farming Specialist.