Precision Farming Dealer editors encounter a variety of articles, social media posts, podcasts and videos that offer a unique look at various aspects of our great agricultural industry. Here is our favorite content from the past week:

Almost 25% of Farmers Using Drones in Iowa

Almost a quarter of farmers in Iowa are using drones according to the Iowa Farm and Rural Life Poll. Iowa State Extension digital ag specialist Doug Houser sits down with WQAD-8 in the Quad Cities to discuss the ins and outs of drones, and why he believes the drone adoption rate will continue to rapidly climb.

Precision Startup Leverages Tech Used on Mars

TerraBlaster, a startup using technology first deployed on the Mars rover to determine levels of key nutrients in the soil, is targeting a late 2026 commercial launch for its cutting-edge soil testing product. Led by precision ag veteran Jorge Heraud, TerraBlaster uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy in rugged sensors that can be dragged by a tractor or ATV through the soil at a depth of around 6 inches to provide detailed maps outlining pH, NPK levels and more. Elaine Watson has more on the technology and TerraBlaster’s vision in this Ag Funder News feature.

TerraBlaster

Source: Ag Funder News

Early Season Planting Tips from John Fulton

Ohio State Univ. precision ag expert John Fulton shares a #Plant26 update in this LinkedIn post. Fulton says now is the perfect time for growers to get out and evaluate emerged fields. “Using as-planted data, such as downforce maps, singulation and ride quality, can help target areas of the field to scout more efficiently. Once in the field, focus on stand counts, seed spacing and uniformity and seed depth consistency,” Fulton says.

Independent Dealer Shares Simple Pre-Planting Tip for Customers

Chad Baker, co-owner of Baker Precision Planter Works, was a busy man in April, hitting the road for on-farm visits and pre-season planter maintenance checks in the northwest corner of Illinois. Amidst the madness, Baker posted this simple tip for growers on Facebook — “Always clean your filters from last year. Makes things work smoother!”

Autonomous Tractor Software Creates “Farmville for Real”

This Farm Journal article explores how California-based autonomy startup Agtonomy is tapping into the gaming generation to solve the ag labor crisis. George Grote, a 30-year-old field engineer with Agtonomy, doesn’t have a farming background, but being able to process information on a screen while being fast with his hands is something he picked up from gaming. “I can tell you gaming 100% helped me, being able to toggle between different features in the app and being quick with technology,” he says. “If you can play a video game, then you’re more than capable of running 5, 6, 7 or 8 tractors at once while sitting in your truck and watching them run autonomously.”

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