There are more than 500,000 soybean farmers in the United States. Soybeans are the number one US agricultural export and account for close to 18 percent of US agricultural exports.

Polly Ruhland, CEO of the United Soybean Board, says that most of the country’s 515,000 soybean farmers are increasinlgy embracing digital transformation.

Ruhland says tools like moisture sensors, smart irrigation, autonomous and GPS-enabled tractors, drones and satellite imagery help produce more soy from the same amount of land.

“Farmers who I work with every day tell me how the use of precision agriculture allows them to improve the efficiency, quality and consistency of their crops,” said Ruhland. “This innovative technology can have an accuracy range better than one centimeter, and this allows farmers to make complex decisions for the crop and apply inputs at the right time in the right place to grow more food, fiber and fuel with fewer resources and an eye always toward improving quality."

Ruhland says that digital transformation on the soybean farm is good for the planet, our growing population, and farmers’ bottom lines...

CONTINUE READING

This article originally ran on Forbes.com.