North Dakota Ag Connection - Research: Field Data Management Practices and Perceptions

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Research: Field Data Management Practices and Perceptions
North Dakota Ag Connection - 06/23/2017

Farmers in Canada and the United States are adopting the use of field data management software similarly. The most common shared trait is that farmers using the software are younger, run larger farms, and are investing for long-term profitability.

This is one finding from the latest market information about field data management practices revealed in the Field Data Management Practices Grower Survey. Conducted by Stratus Ag Research, the study examined farmers' attitudes about field data management; changes they plan to implement in the next three years; and attitudes about collecting, aggregating, and analyzing farm data.

"In the last 10 to 15 years, farmers have adopted emerging technologies to try and increase profitability, decrease input costs, and improve efficiencies," says Krista MacLean, Stratus project manager. "We examined rates of adoption of data management software. The increased use of precision ag technologies has created a huge volume of data. We wanted to understand what farmers were doing with it.

"For example, only 41 percent of farmers today are satisfied with current methods for analyzing and interpreting their agronomic data to make decisions."

Additional findings include:

- 89 percent of North American growers keep records of field activities. 45 percent use field data management software.

- 69 percent of farmers in North America have "Big Data" on-farm. 32 percent use software to further analyze it.

- Field data management software use is highest in the Midwestern U.S.

- Most farmers know little about software brands.

- Independent agronomists are the most trusted suppliers of agronomic data management services.

"There are many reasons farmers adopt new technology and reasons they don't," MacLean says. "Our survey sheds light on how growers plan to adopt data management technology and how quickly. The analysis, combined with the candidness of respondents, offer insights into opportunities that those who market software solutions to farmers can't ignore."

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