The impact of "Big Data" and how it can best be used by professional ag consultants and their clients will be a primary discussion point at the annual conference of the American Society of Agricultural Consultants which will be held Oct. 19 - 21 in St. Louis.

Population growth and diminishing farmable land are forcing the agriculture industry to adopt high-tech IT and big data analytics solutions, according to John Deere global infrastructure services manager Larry Brewer.

Last year, growers across the Midwest utilized the innovative insect forecast tool at InsectForecast.com to help predict migration patterns of corn earworm, western bean cutworm and corn rootworms. This year, users additionally will be able to monitor soybean aphids, a pest that can significantly damage a crop and reduce yield if not dealt with effectively.

An innovative online grower ‘hub’ brings together three key functions – agri-business information, field recording and precision mapping – to deliver users time and costs savings, says its developer.

Reflecting the increasing importance of data usage and privacy issues to America’s farmers, the American Farm Bureau Federation has joined AgGateway, the non-profit organization dedicated to promoting, enabling and expanding eBusiness in agriculture.

Immigration reform and water regulations are typically among the most important matters in American agriculture, but during a recent meeting in Washington, a new, more shadowy issue emerged: growing unease about how the largest seed companies are gathering a vast amount of data from sensors on tractors, combines and other farm equipment.

Loran Steinlage could be considered one of the pioneers of precision farming.

Brent Wiesenburger, precision ag manager, with Wheat Growers, talks about the importance of moving to a cloud-based system for its data management solution platform and how improving logistics will lead to better and more efficient communication with customers.

With precision farming experience dating back to the mid-1990s, Chris Von Holten marvels at the progress it’s made. But he also laments the “Tower of Babel” approach the technology offers when sharing data.

iCropTrak Mobile Farm Management recently announced that it now supports Agsense's WagNet network for pivot irrigation and soil sensor monitoring.