The Importance of Precision Ag in Custom Operations Trindle Brueggen

Introduction  What are Custom Operations  Why use Precision  Technologies  Operations

What are Custom Operations?  Defined as machine operations performed for the customer with the custom operator furnishing machine, fuel, labor and other inputs associated with the machine.

Why Precision Ag is Important to Custom Operations  Increase Profits  Economies of Scale  USCHI Average per Combine in ,458 ac.  Provide Better Service  Stay Competitive in Market

Factors Influencing Adoption  Customers Preference  Acreage  Crops

Technologies  Guidance  Mapping  Variable Rate Application

Custom Operations  Grain Harvesting  Hay  Spraying  Planting

Grain Harvesting  According to U.S. Custom Harvesters, Inc. in % of harvesters had yield monitors, 76.1% of these had GPS, 50% of these provided yield maps to 22.9% of their customers.  According to an Iowa State Survey Custom Harvesters charged an average of $2.25/acre extra to provide yield maps to customers.

Grain Harvesting (Cont.)  Benefits to Harvester  Better Service (Mapping)= More Jobs  Improved Efficiency  Auto-Steer  JD Machine Sync = Less Worries  Benefits to Customer  Yield Mapping  Save on inputs in other operations  Higher Quality Service

Hay  Benefits to Custom Operator  More Accurate Numbers (Field Size, Yield)  Improved efficiency (JD Tractor/Baler automation on 569 premium round baler)  Benefits to Customer  More Accurate Numbers  Field Size  Yield  More Important in new fields (Pastures)  Higher Quality Service

Planting  Many different Technology options  Row Crop vs. Grain Drill  Variable Rate  In row Fertilizer  Similar Benefits to Harvesting  Input Savings – Additional benefit to Customer

Spraying  Precision Ag Common for Sprayers  Level of technology again depends on crops and customers  Similar Benefits to Planting

Questions?