2024 marks the first year of full-farm data for Canadian farmer
In today’s rapidly evolving agricultural landscape, the potential for farmers to benefit from their own data has never been greater. With a plethora of data platforms and a continuous stream of revolutionary apps being launched, the promise of data-driven farming is tantalising. But does this data truly empower farmers, or are they becoming mere cogs in a data-driven machine? Future Farming set out to answer this question by speaking with crop growers from around the globe. In this third episode, we hear from Garth George from Marwayne, Saskatchewan, Canada. Read also the first and second episode.
Garth George of Marwayne, Saskatchewan has gone all in with farm data, using three platforms. He is also a commercial pilot during the winters and crop duster pilot during the growing season. His goal to achieve digital mapping of his entire farm for the purpose of variable rate fertilizer application and variable rate seeding began three years ago. While all three mapping systems are now in place, he will be able to implement variable rate fertility and seeding in 2025.
1. Software platforms
“I use John Deere Operations Center, complimented by Bayer FieldView. I already had John Deere tractors and I have a Deere dealership here that provides really good support. I use FieldView for combine data, to track yields and it’s also tied in with satellite weather data. John Deere will likely incorporate this in future, but hasn’t yet. I also now have SWAT [soil type, soil water level and topography] mapping for my entire farm, which is for variable rate fertilizer and seeding.”
2. Financial impact of data use
“The data from these systems helps with making choices for variable rate fertilizer application and also variable rate seeding based on soil type, moisture and nutrient levels. I had 200 acres under mapping two years ago, last year 2000 acres and this year, the full farm. So this fall will be the first time we’ll have full-farm yield mapping and next spring, I’ll be using that data for variable rate fertilizer and seeding over the whole farm. So, next year, I’ll be able to determine the total savings, but this spring, with the 2000 acres mapped last year for yield and everything else, I saved a lot in fertilizer costs. These savings paid for the year’s subscriptions for all three platforms. There is some funding under the 4R program for SWAT mapping.“
3. Obstacles in data processing
“Learning how to tie it all together has been the only challenge. The dealer and my agronomist and I all work together. In the first year, I was dipping the toe. Last year, it was basically at the end of the year over the winter when I learned it all. There were no obstacles. FieldView ties it together, it’s very user-friendly and ties in with John Deere and SWAT too.”
4. Future investments in data processing
“I am not planning to add any more platforms. What I have in place will help me stay ahead of the fertilizer regulations that are being discussed for Canada.”
5. Threats and opportunities in data processing
“I don’t see any threat to sharing data. We all learn from each other. If someone down the road is learning something, that can help me or vice versa, that’s a good thing.
The biggest opportunity for the data is to show a really good profit margin increase, in fertilizer savings or a yield bump or both. As mentioned, I’ve already seen fertilizer savings this spring and I’ll see about yield this fall. The proof will be in the pudding, whether applying variable rate fertilizer gives me an even bigger yield or the same yield this year compared to previous years.”
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