Posted July 25, 2023 | By: Michaela Spangler
Providing in-depth data and new perspective with field scouting
Nutrien Digital Scout powered by Taranis combines drone scouting with AI to give growers an experience that is anything but cookie-cutter.
Nutrien Ag Solutions is teaming up with Taranis to provide Nutrien Digital Scout powered by Taranis to growers. Taranis is a crop intelligence company focused on helping advisors demonstrate value for growers and build better relationships through full-service, soil-level insights.
Currently, the technology is primarily offered to Nutrien Ag Solutions customers in the Corn Belt and Eastern US, but there is potential for Nutrien Digital Scout to expand to other regions.
“At Nutrien Ag Solutions, we pride ourselves on prioritizing the relationships we build with our customers and creating an experience that is effective, efficient, and beneficial for our growers and leaves them feeling valued and cared for,” says Brian Essinger, Sales Manager for Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Northern Ohio Division. “Having Nutrien Digital Scout gives us even more of a personal touch by giving our crop consultants and agronomists a more detailed look into a customer’s field, allowing us to ensure our recommendations aren’t cookie-cutter and truly tailored to each grower’s operation.”
Scouting from above
The first step in the Nutrien Digital Scout process is to use drones to fly above a grower’s field to gather high-resolution imagery and data. From there, Taranis’ AcreForward technology analyzes the imagery using algorithms that identify the successes and challenges growers and their advisors over the entirety of their field and farm. This information from the overhead imagery helps Nutrien Ag Solutions’ crop consultants provide custom solutions for growers to best fit the needs of the specific field.
“Having this technology doesn’t take eyes off the field – it makes it easier to help make decisions faster and more efficiently because we can look at a grower’s field from anywhere,” says Brian. The data from Nutrien Digital Scout uploads to Echelon and can be synced with farm machinery, allowing growers and crop consultants to have field data available to access at any point in the season.
The impact
There are several benefits to using scouting technologies for growers and for Nutrien Ag Solutions’ crop consultants. The first benefit is that it helps spot things in the field that may be hard to spot during a walk-through or may be missed if you’re not physically in that section of the field.
Another perk of using scouting? Getting to know your field better by learning the signs that the soil or crops need some extra attention.
“With the imagery collected, Nutrien Digital Scout tags plants. This gives growers an insight into what to look for in the future when they’re walking in the field,” says Brian. “Getting to see growers experience their farms from a new perspective has been exciting for me and has added a new level of depth to my ability to support the growers I work with.”
According to Brian, the technology also allows crop consultants to be more intimate and effective when working with their customers. Crop consultants can view the field from anywhere and provide recommendations when growers need it the most. The technology gives growers peace of mind and an action plan sooner rather than later because crop consultants don’t have to physically be in the field to identify potential issues and solutions.
“At the end of the day, the relationship with a grower all comes down to trust. It’s our goal to help each grower feel heard, to care about their fields as if they were our own, and help them have the most successful season possible,” says Brian. “Using this technology demonstrates that we care about our grower’s fields because we want to understand them better. Understanding the land better allows us to take better care of the field through our recommendations, and when we can take better care of our grower’s fields, we’re helping to secure the legacy of their land.”
To learn more about how Nutrien and Taranis are working together to provide Nutrien Digital Scout powered by Taranis, check out this website.
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