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“All of those things would not be available if Association, thinks over the next decade, grow-
you didn’t have GPS technology,” he said. He ers will be looking more at optimizing input use
emphasized the importance of rural broad- as opposed to simply increasing yields.
band, which he calls “critical to the future of “Optimization doesn’t necessarily mean yield,”
our country. It’s got to be wireless to the field to he said. “It could mean yield and profitability.”
really take full advantage of some of this great But that can mean taking a “multi-year, almost a
technology.”
decade-long approach. And that’s really hard to
Just using auto-steer and ensuring the machine’s do with cash rent. That’s really hard to do with the
computer systems are all working together prop- capital cycles that growers have to operate under.”
erly — or telematics — saves 6% on fuel, Blades New tools are coming down the pike all the
says. In addition, the new generation of farm time. Anticipating commercialization, AMVAC
equipment is about 20% more fuel-efficient than Chemical Corp. and Corteva Agriscience just
the previous one, causing some farmers to tell announced completion of testing on AMVAC’s
Blades they upgraded their combines based on proprietary SIMPAS prescriptive application
fuel efficiency alone.
equipment, which “allows farmers to prescrip-
Nathan Fields, vice president of production tively apply multiple at-plant solutions,” the
and sustainability at National Corn Growers companies said.

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