Lance Myer, Region Precision Manager for Case IH, recently spoke with Intern Karleigh Erramouspe about the growing importance of precision technology, highlighting how it helps producers manage resources, increase efficiency, and prepare for a sustainable future.
Precision is the Priority for Producers
Myer emphasized that conversations around precision farming are now ubiquitous, driven by the need to maximize efficiency and minimize resource waste.
“Precision’s a topic that every producer, you know, talks about every day,” Myer said. At the root of it, precision farming is about “making farmers more efficient, so saving them time, saving them money in areas, and then also, saving them… on the resources side as well.”
This means ensuring that every dollar spent on inputs—like seed, chemical, and fertilizer—is utilized in the right place, leading to higher efficiency and better resource conservation.
The Power of the FieldOps Platform
Case IH’s comprehensive digital platform, FieldOps, is central to translating these precision goals into daily operations through remote support and data management.
Myer breaks down the platform’s role into two major areas: machine data and agronomic data. This constant flow of information is key for both the customer and the dealer network.
“FieldOps is is really big for us,” Myer stated. The platform enables remote support capabilities, constantly feeding data “for the customers to manage their own machines, and then for also the dealer support as well.”
He stressed that dealers are Case IH’s “biggest asset,” and having real-time data at both the customer’s and the dealer’s fingertips is “really important” for maximizing machine uptime.
Sustainability through Sensor Technology
The push for efficiency is strongly linked to sustainability, and Case IH is rolling out new features designed to optimize product application.
A key highlight is the Sense & Spray technology for sprayers, which uses mounted cameras to enable selective application, or spot-spraying.
“We’ve come out with a Sense & Spray technology for sprayers,” Myer noted. This allows for capabilities like “green on brown spraying, spot spraying in the field,” as well as “variable rate on-the-go capabilities.”
The ultimate goal of this sensor technology is precision product placement: “placing the product in the field where it needs to be placed.”
Advice for Adopting New Technology
For producers interested in adopting these advanced technologies, Myer offered reassurance that they don’t necessarily need to invest in a completely new fleet of equipment. Case IH provides opportunities for farms of all sizes.
“We have a lot of opportunities for every size producer,” he explained. For smaller and mid-sized farms, “we have a lot of aftermarket opportunities that we can retrofit their existing equipment today with.”
His final piece of advice for farmers looking to make the leap into precision technology is simple: “Go to your local Case IH dealer and ask what kind of opportunities we have to improve their operation.”
