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While Crop Intelligence has a strong influence on in-season decision making, Rob Smith* – a grower out of Humboldt, SK – has found another huge benefit from using the app—planning.

Smith first installed Field Connect on his farm in 2015, and Crop Intelligence in 2016. Using the app has increased his confidence in planning for next year’s crop based on the current year’s soil moisture.

“I know how much moisture is in my land at the end of the year and it gives me a guide for what kind of moisture I have going forward into the next crop year,” says Smith. “Then I have that baseline for the start of the next crop year. It's just so much relevant information that it's a tool on my farm that's just as important as the tractor, air drill, sprayer or combine.”

In addition to planning his crop, the yield potential data interpreted by Crop Intelligence acts as an effective financial tool for Smith.

Smith borrows funds from a bank every year to put into his crop inputs. Last July, his bank approached him to see how his crop was doing. Smith was able to give them a sound snapshot of his farm’s yield potential.

“I showed them the Crop Intelligence app and I said, ‘this is where I am,’” tells Smith. “This is what my canola is going to yield. This is what my wheat is going to yield. This is what my flax is going to yield. And this is the kind of money I'm going to have kicking around.”

Smith’s bank was impressed with his data presentation. “After I got done my presentation, they looked at me and they said, ‘you are the only guy that told us exactly what you think your crop is going to yield right now when every farmer says they don't know.’”

With confidence in his planning, both in finances and in next year’s crop, Smith plans to add more weather stations and continue use Crop Intelligence as a vital tool on his farm. 

- An interview with a grower in Humboldt, SK

*names in this blog have been changed for privacy