Big Data

Photos: How big data is changing the modern farm

By // May 9, 2014, 5:01 AM PST // lyndseygilpin

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  • The Jones family farm

    Farmers are rapidly adopting high-tech equipment, cloud services, and data analytics to increase cop yields. TechRepublic visited a large farm operation in Indiana to see the tech in action.

    The Jones family, who owns a farm in Palmyra, Indiana, is one of the leaders in the area for precision agriculture. Robert Jones said he wants to be proactive, rather than reactive, with this movement.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Working in the barn office

    Robert Jones and his son, Chris, look at the soil map of their field in Palmyra, Indiana.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Buying the Climate Corporation service

    Jeff McGee buys a Climate Corporation subscription to monitor his fields in Brandenburg, Kentucky.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Analyzing soil data

    Representatives from Helena Chemical perform soil test analysis for the Jones farm.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Analyzing nitrogen levels

    George Bercaw, a Climate Corporation representative and good friend of the Jones family, demonstrates how the platform analyzes soil nitrogen levels.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • The Climate Corporation website

    Climate Corporation is a weather monitoring service. The company was bought by Monsanto in October 2013.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • The Climate Corporation app

    The Climate Corporation app is available on mobile devices. The farms, soil, and weather can be monitored from anywhere.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • The barn office

    The barn office overlooks the main storage space for the machines used on Jones farm.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • An 80-foot combine

    This 80-foot wide combine is used on the Jones corn field in southern Indiana.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Precision technology in the combine

    Chris Jones sits in the cab of the family's combine and demonstrates how the precision technology works.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Ag Leader crop yield technology

    Chris Jones looks at the Ag Leader monitor, which shows the productivity of the family's main corn field in Palmyra, Indiana.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • A glimpse into modern farming

     recision technology is a farming management concept that measures and responds to field variability for crops, often using satellites and GPS tracking systems.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Ag Leader analytics

    The Jones family uses this Ag Leader monitor for guided steering, crop yield monitoring, and mapping.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • An iPad supplies the updated data

    In the Jones' main barn, an iPad sits on the tire of a tractor. iPads are used like monitors in the cabs of machines.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Precision Planting advertisements

    Precision Planting was bought by Monsanto in 2012 and was the seed giant's first hardware acquisition for field technologies.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • The Jones farm

    The Jones family, who are second-generation farmers, tend about 5,000 acres in Washington and Harrison counties in Indiana.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • A busy day on the farm

    After working in the office on a rainy day, Robert Jones and representatives from Helena Chemical head to lunch.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

  • Robbert Jones in his office

    Robert Jones looks out over his farm from his barn office window as he talks on the phone.

    Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

The Jones family farm

Farmers are rapidly adopting high-tech equipment, cloud services, and data analytics to increase cop yields. TechRepublic visited a large farm operation in Indiana to see the tech in action.

The Jones family, who owns a farm in Palmyra, Indiana, is one of the leaders in the area for precision agriculture. Robert Jones said he wants to be proactive, rather than reactive, with this movement.

Image: Lyndsey Gilpin/TechRepublic

Related Topics:

Big Data Digital Transformation Internet of Things CXO Artificial Intelligence Data Management

By Lyndsey Gilpin

Lyndsey Gilpin is a former Staff Writer for TechRepublic, covering sustainability and entrepreneurship. She's co-author of the book Follow the Geeks.