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New MI Digital Farm Platform will map Michigan field profitability zones

Michigan farmers will soon be able to analyze harvest data with a new digital platform being developed at Michigan State University.

MSU Extension Field Crops Educator Richard Price provides free farm data advising to producers.

“Input costs are very expensive, the economic climate is changing, and to help focus on profitability is a really important component that I think resonates with every farm”

Price is part of the MI Digital Farm project, which uses field information to determine long-term profitability trends down to a fourth of an acre.

“These field edges and areas that are low productivity in their fields, if they’re low productive, they’re probably lower profit,” he says. “What are some of the things that we can implement? Can we implement variable rate seedings, variable rate fertilizers, or even straight land retirement from that?”

Profitability in fields included in the pilot has ranged from gains of more than $110 per acre to losses exceeding $210 per acre over the last five years.

Price tells Brownfield free enrollment is expected to open to Michigan farmers in the next six months.

Until then, he recommends growers use well-calibrated yield monitors during harvest and maintain consistent file-naming practices for fields.

The project is being funded by the Agricultural Resiliency Program from MSU AgBioResearch and MSU Extension, in partnership with the Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development.