Historically, agriculture has been a field that has constantly evolved. Whether it’s the cotton gin, steam engine, or tractor, new technology and the ideas that make them possible have always played a large role in this evolutionary process.
Today, the agriculture industry is in the midst of yet another evolution. This one is being driven by advances in data collection and analytics. Now, for the first time, farms of all sizes can easily access data and analytics that they can use to improve their operations. Applications — both web and mobile — are where this is happening.
In the past, crop management strategies were often not much more than simple guesswork. Even the most experienced farmers could only rely on their own experience and what they learned from other farmers to get the most out of their crops. Analytics is changing that.
Today’s analytics software can collect, track, and manipulate incredible amounts of data. Farmers are already using this to make more informed decisions about both when and where to plant various types of crops. This enables farmers to increase their yields and profitability to a degree that was simply impossible previously.
For example, a recent study found that of the farmers that use drones, 84% use drones daily or more than once a week. They do so because the data that drones collect provide better perspectives on fields and data that enables more timely detection of plant health, which, in turn, enables timelier interventions.
That’s why many agriculture apps offer drone integration. Farmers can fly drones over their fields to collect data and then plug that data into applications that process and analyze it. This process provides incredibly insightful analytics that are based on the farmer’s unique growing operation.
Agriculture apps today are also giving farmers better information about the risks associated with their operations. For example, AkerScout is a mobile app that uses a comprehensive database to identify pests, diseases, and other sources of plant damage to show farmers what they can do to reduce risk and improve their yields.
One of the most pressing challenges of today’s agricultural industry is safely delivering foods grown on farms where they need to go. Analytics are already making agricultural supply chains more efficient.
Both distributors and farmers can use data and analytics to identify supply chain inefficiencies. This can be used to create a food delivery system that is both much faster and more cost-effective than traditional supply chain models.
The future of agriculture is very clearly going to be defined by analytics and how successful farmers and companies in this industry are at using them. One of the best ways to harness the power of analytics for your agriculture business is to build your own application.
Doing so will enable you to create custom tools that are designed to meet the specific needs of your company. Onsharp is a company that knows the power of agriculture analytics well. We recently worked with the American Crystal Sugar Company to add a powerful calculator to their existing mobile application.
There’s never been a better time for your company to embrace analytics. If you’d like to learn more about what analytics can do for your business, consider reaching out to Onsharp. We’d love to help you design an app that uses analytics to empower your company. Get in touch with us to learn more.