NDSU Researchers Integrating Precision Management Technology Into Agriculture

Jun 05, 2025

Agricultural technology is quickly becoming more advanced and detailed, increasing the ability to gather data from various sources. One challenge facing researchers is gathering the data, finding ways to access it quickly and making valuable information available for growers, breeders and researchers alike.

NDSU ag technology program manager Aaron Reinholz sees the potential of such systems.

“Precision Agriculture technologies have been available and in use already for years, but advances in technology are enabling a far greater resolution in management practices,” Reinholz said. “Conceptually, one could envision managing each plant in a field individually. In practice, incremental steps are being made towards this concept through Internet of Things technologies and other precision management tools being developed for crop and livestock operations.”

“Integrating IoT technologies into agriculture is greatly enhancing efficiency and precision across the entire food production system,” said Frank Casey, North Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station associate director. “A growing array of connected devices — monitoring everything from plant health and soil conditions to livestock behavior — are becoming increasingly accessible and affordable. These tools range from simple solutions like tracking diesel fuel levels or monitoring remote cattle water tanks to advanced systems that detect subtle behavioral changes signaling animal health issues.

Source : ndsu.edu

Video: Why Invest in Canada’s Seed Future? | On The Brink: Episode 3

Darcy Unger just invested millions to build a brand-new seed plant on his farm in Stonewall, Manitoba so when it’s time for his sons to take over, they have the tools they need to succeed.

Right now, 95% of the genetics they’ll be growing come from Canadian plant breeders.

That number matters.

When fusarium hit Western Canada in the late 90s, it was Canadian breeders who responded, because they understood Canadian conditions. That ability to react quickly to what’s happening on Canadian farms is exactly what’s at risk when breeding programs lose funding.

For farmers like Darcy, who have made generational investments based on the assumption that better genetics will keep coming, the stakes are direct and personal.

We’re on the brink of decisions that will shape our agricultural future for not only our generation, but also the ones to come.

What direction will we choose?

On The Brink is a year-long video series traveling across Canada to meet the researchers, breeders, farmers, seed companies, and policymakers shaping the future of Canadian plant breeding. Each week, a new story. Each story, a piece of the bigger picture.

Episode 3 is above. Follow Seed World Canada to catch every episode, and tell us: Do you think the next generation will have the tools they need to success when they takeover? How is the future going to look?