SureTrack Data gives Decision Support

Promised ease of use and data collection are value propositions offered by many technology companies, but only AGI SureTrack goes the extra-mile, coupling an easy to use system and the capture of data points on every part of the farm, with the decision support needed to manage for profitability.

In the latest CoffeeTalk webinar discussion, SureTrack General Manager, Adam Weiss and Senior Software Engineering Manager, David Duncan, dig into the features of the SureTrack platform and how every solution works in unison to paint a clear picture of management opportunity.

Beginning the discussion with the Seed module, Duncan shares that finding and selecting a seed variety that fits your specific growing purposes has never been easier…or less competitive.

“The real advantage of using the SureTrack Seed Selection tool over reaching out to a dealer that sells only one brand, is that we are non-bias; we truly don’t have a horse in the seed race,” he says. “We put all of the information…from over 1.5 million individual seed trials…into one engine that you can use to find what you are looking for. And at the end of the day, when you have made your decision, we give you the phone number of a dealer for that variety. We put the power with our customers when they are looking for new varieties to grow.”

And because SureTrack knows that farmers are always looking forward, so is the platform. The necessity to get into the field earlier, while protecting your seed investment, is an opportunity every farmer looks for. To calculate and communicate this advantage, SureTrack connects with weather stations and wireless soil probes to deliver the timely planting updates you need to get into the field. Building on this information, the system also sends out an email that includes the coming week’s weather temperature and wind speed information to allow you to make spraying decisions. The week-in-advance email also contains information about which fields need to be sprayed and GDUs.

“From seed selection, to knowing when to plant and spray, SureTrack is a powerful tool in the decision- making process,” says Duncan. “The system is responsive and pulls local National Weather Service information every hour to send out the most up-to-date, accurate weather alerts and changes.”

Continuing the conversation of managing the crop production cycle, Weiss shares the importance of being able to view data in multiple ways.

“There is an enormous amount of data that can be available to a grower,” he says, “and presenting that information in different ways helps give you a clearer picture of what is going on.”

Weiss shares that the SureTrack system allows a grower to see a cable by cable measurement of temperature and moisture within the bin, but the visuals that accompany that information provide more than an “eye-chart” of information.

“If we look at data graphically we can see what the moisture is, and that information gives us a good idea of how close we are to targets…generally it tells us when things are looking good. But when we view the same data in a 3-D visual what that image tells us may be a different story that could have a different ending for our profitability goals.”

And Weiss says that every aspect of the system and decision management opportunity is supported by an assigned Coach, noting that one customer will have the same Coach every time they call in.

The final component of decision support is centered on realizing the marketing opportunities available. “Having a bin allows you to take advantage of timing the markets, but there is so much to sort through to make a decision on where the best profitability opportunity exists.” Weiss says “In the SureTrack platform we always work to help you make those decisions. Our goal is always to help you make money.”