Trimble Ag Blog

Since the first auto-steer tractor was introduced in the 1990s, precision agriculture has only gained traction amongst farmers for its cost and time savings benefits—and it’s a trend that’s not likely to slow down anytime soon. Farms are growing in size, according to a 2018 USDA Economic Research Service (ERS) report, which found that in […]

The results are in! See what Trimble Ag Software customers had to say about the desktop, online, and mobile farm management solution in our recent customer survey.

If you’ve invested in or researched precision technology, you’ve likely heard of ISOBUS. But what is it? Also referred to as ISO, it is the industry-standard communication protocol for ag equipment manufacturers that allows computers, vehicles and implements — regardless of their brand — to “talk” to each other. It’s what makes “plug and play” possible […]

Lock in success for 2019 with these helpful farm accounting tips.

Precision ag keeps getting smarter. From hardware that can track and provide insights into your in-field processes to software that can help turn data into actionable information for year-over-year improvements, the modern farm looks much different than our parents’ farms. We released Precision-IQ with three main goals: Make upgrades and the adoption of new precision […]

Read how one college professor is helping students learn about the precision ag technology required to be successful in today’s increasingly complex agriculture industry.

Crop advisors working with farmers who manage their operations with Trimble Ag Software have reported big financial and time savings tied directly to their farm management software. We wanted to share three of our favorite ag software benefits seen by growers over the past year, including yield, environmental, and VRT gains.

With the end of the season fast approaching, you’re probably monitoring your crops and the weather for the ideal time to get into the field and begin harvesting. While you likely know the importance of conducting a thorough inspection of your equipment before you get the combine rolling, you should also ensure your precision technology […]

Learn how an Arizona-based vegetable and fruit operation, deployed a new software platform a year ago that has transformed clunky, time-consuming processes into streamlined, automated workflows that boosted productivity, improved decision-making, and empowered staff.

Learn how one farmer in Montana is leveraging Trimble’s online, mobile, and desktop software platform to turn farm data into actionable reports he uses on a daily and hourly basis to make quick decisions and adjustments that save time and drive farm profits.

Precision agriculture (PA) can be an intimidating topic of discussion. High-tech terms like drones, robots, sensors, geo-mapping and big data come up when discussing precision ag. Not only are those concepts misunderstood and complex, they all come with price tags—often large ones. All this complexity and expense has led to the relatively slow adoption of […]

Ever find yourself doing a bit of guesswork when it comes to making decisions on the farm? Are you following a gut feeling one day, or doing things the way they’ve always been done the next? Find out how to track and use farm data to drive profits.

Calculating the ROI of cloud-based farm management software is a crucial step of farm management. Farmers need a way to know how the decisions they make today will impact their farm’s bottom line tomorrow, and possibly for years to come. We’re here to help with this new blog.

How much money could you be saving per acre by using reference strips? How much money are you wasting today? A simple change in your farming practices could make a major impact on your bottom line, and those farming practices all come down to better nitrogen management.

Farmers notoriously love talking about the weather. And rightly so — it impacts their livelihood. In most instances, the relationship between farmers and the weather is very one-sided. Mother Nature is the boss; she levels the judgement and farmers find themselves either reaping the benefits or salvaging the remains. However, while growers can’t influence the […]

This is one of the busiest seasons for farmers. You’re looking for any and all opportunities to save time. Look no further than the mobile phone in your hand! Here are some quick tips for leveraging mobile farm management and getting some hours back in your day. We know this works because farm software users […]

Seed monitoring solutions have long been used by farmers in varying degrees of complexity. From the most basic of factory-installed seed monitoring technology to solutions that inform a farmer’s data management software—there are an array of systems on the market to help plant smarter.

Water is the scarcest nutrient in dry-land agriculture. Even if you aren’t growing in a semi-arid or sub-humid region, water is the most critical input that many farmers struggle to properly manage. All other input decisions should hinge on it.

After launching Trimble Ag Software two years ago, we have paid close attention to customer feedback. As today’s farms continue to grow in size and complexity, Trimble’s engineering and product development teams are working hard to continually enhance our software solution to add more value. That’s why we’re excited to announce two new features that […]

As farmers move further and further into precision management, getting a firm grasp on the areas of their fields that are underperforming becomes vital. Often, this variability involves water. According to Elston Solberg, a Senior Agri-Coach with the AGRI-TREND network, there are two sources of water: soil water and precipitation. These two sources are equally critical […]

The notion that precision agriculture is angling to be the next darling in the tech solution space was only validated by the 900+ ag leaders and innovators present at the World Agri-Tech Innovation Summit in San Francisco. With bright new startups from around the world vying for their chance to disrupt one of the most mature and established industries in our economy, there was a sense that continued change and progress is absolutely in our future.

Farming isn’t just a full-time job, it’s a lifestyle. And while technology has done a lot to transform this industry, today’s farmers need it to work simply… and to simply work. This hits especially hard as farmers are heading into planting season. To make the process easier, we’ve launched a new help video where growers […]

When I first began working in the ag software space in 1996, farmers were excited to use their desktop computers to track their field records, maps and accounting entries. Compared to a notepad and scattered pieces of paper tucked in drawers in their home office and the glove box of their pickup truck, desktop software […]

An ag retailer in southern Saskatchewan has established the Ultimate Yield Management Institute as a way of test-driving the performance of agricultural inputs so farmers can see the results. “The reason we started is that there’s a lot of frustration from customers who have nutrition questions and there’s just not a lot of good nutrition […]

Everyone is all hyped up over precision management, and there seems to be a sense that if you’re not variable rating some or all of your inputs, you’re somehow being left behind. But as Markus Braaten, AGRI-TREND Knowledge Team Lead and Senior Agri-Coach advocates, even the decision NOT to do precision management IS a precision […]

ST. LOUIS, Mo., July 25, 2017—Trimble (NASDAQ: TRMB) and CNH Industrial (NYSE: CNHI / MI: CNHI), a global leader in agricultural equipment, announced today that they are enabling wireless connectivity between Trimble® Ag Software and Case IH Advanced Farming Systems (AFS) Connect™ and New Holland Precision Land Management (PLM) Connect telematics platforms in North America. […]

For years, the inherent risk of running land-forming operations with GPS has been that drift is a possibility. However, the wasted time that happens with drift is far less likely than the more common delays that happen with laser technology due to factors like wind and dust. Still, downtime is still a big concern when using GPS-based systems, which have long been unable to overcome the increasing magnitude and repeated occurrence of drift.

An informal review of over 150 Agri-Trend’s farm clients covering 500,000 acres of VR over the past 7 years revealed an average net return of $35 per acre. Of that $35 – $7 were savings from reduced or eliminated inputs to low producing areas and $28 were earnings from improved yields in higher producing areas […]

There is no shortage of experts recommending new strategies on how farmers can negotiate a good deal on land rental. I’d like to offer a more specific approach, tailored to growers who may be dealing with retired landlords or out-of-state heirs who are managing the land. In most cases of land rental negotiation, flex rents […]

We had a great comment/question come across our agchat from Agri-Coach Andrew Clements, co-owner of Premium Ag Solutions in the Lethbridge AB area, referring to the interpolated yield map shown in Fig 1. “I see these all the time in the crop and you can also see them in Google Earth. Now I am seeing […]

Many of you are coming off a pretty tough year….either no rain when you needed it or too much rain. The first thing that likely comes to mind is “I am going to have to cut back on my expenses”. One of the first places many look is soil sampling. We would like to argue […]

Precision ag professionals such as Daniel Hedgecock, who runs a new Vantage dealership in North Carolina, is working hard to help growers scale their data so the system can quickly disseminate reports that will be increasingly required for compliance agencies. This means proper naming of fields, proper record keeping and proper input tracking all the way down […]

  Precision Ag Expertise: Essential Piece of the Puzzle Today’s growing popularity of objective agronomic experts are gaining among growers as the go-to resources for unbiased agronomic advice. And when it comes to good precision management, farmers are using these experts to help integrate all systems — in other words, how to use the intelligence […]

As farmers contemplate the upcoming planting season, many are wondering how to measure the value of on-farm technology investments — especially when it comes to adopting precision ag practices. The key? Good assessment. Check out these 4 tips that will act as a great measuring stick for guiding investment decisions this crop year. Markus Braaten, […]

Farmers today are under increasing pressure to produce higher yields, while soft commodity prices are forcing them to lower costs. In order to achieve this, farmers need a software platform that helps them leverage their farm data into timely decisions that save money and maximize profits on the farm. This is especially important as growers […]

Smart grain marketing can make or badly break your crop year. A farmer may have all the right agronomic strategies and technology tools to churn out impressive yields, but a lack of attention marketing that crop after harvest and into the winter months is what will ultimately guarantee success. To capture today’s best practices in […]

There are several options out there for farmers who need to access funds to finance a new project or assist with cashflow needs. The challenge is determining which option offers the best solution to fit your financing needs, your budget and your unique farming operation. First, let’s look at the situation from the point of […]

A 2014 survey of prairie farmers that looked at the Adoption Rate of Precision Farming Practices suggested that, “those who have actually adopted precision farming could be still termed early adopters, if not innovators.” I would argue that the survey’s creators were not asking the right questions. I believe that a large percentage of you […]

Farmers today are under increasing pressure to produce higher yields, while soft commodity prices are forcing them to lower costs. In order to achieve this, farmers need a software platform that helps them leverage their farm data into timely decisions that save money and maximize profits on the farm. This is especially important as growers […]

Recently released research results out of the agricultural economics department at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has found that adoption rates among farmers of precision ag technologies is stronger than ever. “With the availability of GPS and other technologies, growers can track yields, steer and control equipment, monitor field conditions and manage inputs at precise levels […]

Jordan Wallace spends the better part of every working day helping growers navigate their way to technology solutions. The co-owner of GPS Ontario helps growers with the planning, evaluation and execution necessary to make precision ag work. Wallace encounters many growers who have the tools, but lack the guidance to execute. “Using some of these […]