AutoProbe Technologies continues to grow its network of AutoProbe intensive sampling system providers and grower owners.

AutoProbe has added distributors in key market areas and will be announcing additional dealers and service providers in the weeks leading up and into the 2015 sampling season.

Jeff Burton, AutoProbe Technologies President, says, “Everything begins with the soil. Soil is second only to weather as the most variable factor in todays farming operations. AutoProbe intensive soil samples provide the highest quality samples while operating in adverse conditions while the operator manages the quality control process for the climate-conditioned cab.”

AutoProbe's core principles are based on Jim Burton’s vision of providing growers with the highest quality soil data to enable growers to make the best management decisions on an acre-by-acre basis. After a decade of development, AutoProbe has matured as a tool that can be deployed by any grower or consultant committed to gathering the highest quality soil information for their farm or clients.

The technology moved closer to the growers last year when it established it's relationship with Allen Lash and Harold Birch founders of Family Farms Group, Brighton, Ill., to provide to AutoProbe their network of top North American growers via their new company Agronomic Innovations. Casey Jackson, General Manager, Agronomic Innovations, says, “The AutoProbe automated soil sampler is becoming a key technology to assist Family Farms Group growers. They recognize more cores per sample provide better data on which to base their variable rate agronomic management programs. Why settle for as few as 4-6 cores per sample from a concentrated area when you can have up to 40 spread across your zone or grid?”

Cardinal Ag Services of Nashville, Ill., came on board this spring. “The growers are finally seeing a need to improve with the data that is gathered in a soil collection operation and the AutoProbe fills that need perfectly," says Ben Elliott with Cardinal Ag. "It becomes an easy sell because the opportunity to improve crops starts in the soil and growers are feeling like it is an area wide open for improvement because it has been so overlooked by the industry. All the while focus has been on other areas like crop genetics and practices that are designed to benefit the growing crop after it has begun to grow and not necessarily improving the soil medium for a much better start to support the crop throughout its life cycle.”

AutoProbe dealer David Butcher with NC Ag Services in Pantego, NC, says he is seeing the demand for higher quality soil data as the agricultural economy shifts. “Growers are not risking getting it wrong,” he says. “Growers know the AutoProbe removes any question mark of whether the sample was collected properly.”