Agronomy and Precision Technology Go Hand-in-Hand

On Thursday, March 24, 2011, Ag Leader hosted the Iowa State University Agronomy Club on the Ag Leader campus in Ames, Iowa.

Nearly thirty Iowa State students received an on-site tour of the Ag Leader facility and the opportunity to meet with Ag Leader Sales Manager Mike Olson and Machine Guidance Support Supervisor Matt Pifkin. The Ag Leader group discussed Ag Leader’s history and products, as well as customer support and sales.

Agronomy Club Programs Chair Christopher Flansburg explains why his group was interested in learning more about Ag Leader, “I have found that many of the individuals in the club are either being exposed to precision ag technology in their professions as field agronomists, or using the technology on the family farm.” Flansburg orchestrated the visit so that his group could have the opportunity to have an up close view of the company that founded precision technology and interact with the experts.

“Visiting local businesses helps our members recognize all the opportunities available for internships and future jobs,” Agronomy Club Historian Kelly Moore added.

Hot Topics
And Ag Leader welcomed the opportunity to meet with the club! Pifkin is a strong believer in introducing students to the world of precision technology and getting their insight about the industry and how it relates to agronomy.

“Growers look to agronomists to help them interpret the data our technology helps them collect,” Pifkin said. “By working together, we can help growers make more informed management decisions that can increase their profitability.”

Pifkin said the OptRx™ crop sensor, guidance and steering functionality were hot topics of conversation, as well general operation questions such as order management and production capacity.