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Experts identify the best high-tech gadgets to save time and money.
Not all site-specific farm equipment will pave the way to increased profits, but some high-tech instruments are almost a sure bet to boost efficiencies and add to the bottom line. That's the gist of advice gleaned from Dave Harms, owner of Crop Pro-Tech Crop Consulting Firm, Bloomington, IL, and Jess Lowenberg-DeBoer, Extension agricultural economist at Purdue University.
They have identified which precision farming tools show the most profit potential for corn and soybean production. Here's a list of their top five picks:
1) Computer queries. "You can save dollars in management decisions provided you keep good crop production records and have the right computer software," says Harms. "The query ability can be useful if you have enough years of data. For example, you can ask the computer which hybrids yielded best in high-fertility fields, in dry years or with a specific herbicide program....