The Expanding Role of Precision Specialists & How to Prevent Burnout

Feb 08, 2024

Precision specialists often wear many hats these days — technician, manager, salesperson, farmer. The long hours can lead to burnout. Several attendees at the 2024 Precision Farming Dealer Summit in Indianapolis, gathered for a roundtable discussion on ways to alleviate stress and lighten the load. Here are some top takeaways I jotted down in my notes app.

Training everybody — sales staff and customers — is the first big step to cutting down on burnout, one person suggested. "You need to manage the customer's expectations," he said.

"Everybody at our dealership is expected to know the technology," another person said. "Salespeople should be able to install retrofit kits. If you have the experience of doing it, you can help customers. You better be able to get the equipment set up in the field, or you won't be able to sell it."

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Video: Dicamba Returns for Georgia Farmers: What the New EPA Ruling Means for Cotton Growers

After being unavailable in 2024 due to registration issues, dicamba products are returning for Georgia farmers this growing season — but under strict new conditions.

In this report from Tifton, Extension Weed Specialist Stanley Culpepper explains the updated EPA ruling, including new application limits, mandatory training requirements, and the need for a restricted use pesticide license. Among the key changes: a cap of two ½-pound applications per year and the required use of an approved volatility reduction agent with every application.

For Georgia cotton producers, the ruling is significant. According to Taylor Sills with the Georgia Cotton Commission, the vast majority of cotton planted in the state carries the dicamba-tolerant trait — meaning farmers had been paying for technology they couldn’t use.

While environmental groups have expressed concerns over spray drift, Georgia growers have reduced off-target pesticide movement by more than 91% over the past decade. Still, this two-year registration period will come with increased scrutiny, making stewardship and compliance more important than ever.