Posted August 27, 2024 | By: Nutrien Ag Solutions

Precision Ag Lead for Tennessee–Western Kentucky, Misha Sams, shares how Tennessee growers can start implementing precision agronomy with the support of their Crop Consultant.

Episode Transcript:

Hello, everyone, and thanks for joining us here for This Week in Agribusiness. I'm Mike Pearson. We've been tracking the Agronomy for your Acres over this growing season with our friends from Nutrien Ag Solutions.

This week we're investigating that precision ag component of that relationship with Misha Sams. She serves as the Precision Ag lead for Nutrien Ag Solutions for Western Kentucky and Tennessee. And Misha, thanks for talking with us this week. Yeah, of course, I'm excited. Fill us in a little bit on what precision means for Nutrien Ag Solutions. So I think we kind of see the precision side of things and agronomy as two totally separate components up until this point and still trying to tackle some of that.

When you think precision ag, we think technology, we think the platforms and tools that we have and then we have the boots on the ground, agronomy side of things. For me, it means trying to merge those two and change the term from precision ag maybe to precision agronomy. 

That's a great point, Misha. Can you talk a little bit more, how does that collaboration look between the precision ag side and the Crop Consultants and growers? So I have a handful of growers that I work directly with. It just depends on the situation. Majority of the time I'm just working through the Crop Consultants to make sure they have a good understanding of our tools and things that we have available that they can help their growers with.

So usually I'm working through them to get to the grower. Gotcha. And those tools, Misha. We're always seeing precision ag technology change. Looking ahead, are there any innovations or projects you're working on that you're excited about for next year? So for 2025, something that we are working on right now is a service bundle. It's a bundle of intangible services along that precision ag line that we're trying to throw all of that into a bag of our physical product.

So we're trying to tie our precision ag services to a physical bag of Dyna-Gro seed. So when that goes out the door, there's some stuff that they're going to get added into that. Fertility prescriptions, seed prescriptions and using some of our automation to get all of that done. That's something that we're looking to roll out for next season.

It's incredible. We can package this precision ag technology and bring it right to the grower’s front desk. Misha, let's talk about what it will be like working with growers next year. What's going to be, do you think, your primary focus in this next growing season? Commodity prices are in the garbage right now. I think everybody's aware of that.

Corn was like 3.74 yesterday morning, I believe. I think our focus has to be in line with what the focus of the growers is going to be. And so we're going to be looking to help them make their operations more efficient. There are products that that we can use to make stuff that they're already using more efficient.

Let's take nutrients in the soil that we've already got. Let's make them more readily available, stuff like that.

I don't want to necessarily ask them to spend more money. Maybe we're just reallocating our resources to where they're more needed in the field. That's a great point. This precision technology lets us, like you say, reallocate those resources to where they can make the most impact. Misha, before we let you go, if we've got viewers who want to learn more, where would be the best place to learn?

I would say for sure, talk to your local Nutrien Ag Solutions. If you already have a Crop Consultant that you're working with they can for sure get you the help that you need, they can get you in touch with the precision agronomist for your area. Misha Sams, Precision Ag lead for Western Kentucky there with Nutrien Ag Solutions. Thanks so much for talking with us this week.

Yes, thanks for having me. And folks, you can learn more at NutrienAgSolutions.ca