Mapping the future of farming: FarmServer program a scouting tool for farmers

LOUISVILLE, Ky. — A big part of agriculture today is the use of technology, as well as finding ways to continue to implement it into the future of the industry.

Nate Rottero, a precision farming field adviser with Beck’s Hybrids, said that the topic of why precision agriculture matters and how can one implement it on their own farm operation is a hot one amongst farmers.

“Common questions I get are: What do I do with yield maps? How can I make money with them?” Rottero said.

Rottero said that farmers can use the yield maps to find the fastest ways to increase return on investment on their farm by locating the red areas on the map, because they are a waste of time and money to farm.

“Stop farming acres that don’t make the grade,” Rottero said, adding that farmers will lose more money to plant those acres than they would get back in revenue.

Rottero said one way farmers can better utilize a field map is through Beck’s FarmServer program, which is a scouting tool that takes pictures, notes, drops pins and does stand counts.

FarmServer allows farmers to look at where they are plus or minus dollars in a field and where red areas are, so they can identify why they are that color and try to find a solution.

Rottero said farms can take data from a low-yielding field and figure out how to prevent another low yield in the future.