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There is no doubt that technology has become an essential part of doing business for farmers, equipment retailers and agronomists. Since the 1990s, when GPS units and yield monitors became popular, technology on farms has improved data management, crop production and farm ROI. Because of this, precision agriculture is expected to become a $43.5 billion dollar industry by 2025.

This growing branch of agriculture prompted the Ohio Soybean Council (OSC) to launch Precision Ag Reviews (PAR). Founded in 2017, PAR is a non-biased, independent resource to help farmers and industry affiliates make decisions about precision ag equipment. Farmers and businesses nationwide can access this resource to share their real-world experience with precision technology, including hardware, software, apps and more. PAR is a great resource to reference before investing in new equipment and technology.

“Precision agriculture has and will continue to grow over the next decade. Farmers are always looking for new ways to increase efficiency in their farming operations,” said Barry McGraw, director of product development and commercialization. “Precision Ag Reviews was created by farmers for farmers to make informed decisions when investing in their operations.”

Over 50 percent of farmers are using precision ag technology on their farm. PAR is a space for farmers to find peer insights from others who have personally seen the benefits or felt the frustrations of new precision ag equipment. The website houses reviews for over 400 products and farmers can search the database by specific precision ag categories. Instead of only hearing the feedback from the other farmers at the parts counter, PAR has reviews from farmers all over the U.S.

“Everybody does something a little different, and that is where this comes in handy,” said Nathan Eckel, OSC board secretary and Wood County soybean farmer. “Precision Ag Reviews gives farmers a foundation to make their product decisions based solely on the effectiveness of the product,” Eckel added.

Farmers are not the only ones who can benefit from the database. PAR provides vendors with authentic insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the precision ag market and their products. Collecting your own market research isn’t an easy process. PAR shares the feedback from real customers and their real experiences.

In addition to their review database, PAR hosts a biweekly podcast named “Precision Points”, produces a biweekly blog and distributes e-newsletters. Precision Points explores and evaluates precision ag tools and technology from the soil to the sky while keeping listeners current on all the latest news. Precision Points has reached almost 6,000 downloads with more than 40 episodes. The podcast allows farmers access to all this information from anywhere and allows them to listen at any time they need. It can be accessed  on most listening platforms.

The best way to utilize Precision Ag Reviews’ resources is by visiting precisionagreviews.com or following their Facebook — @PrecisionAgReviews — and Twitter — @PAR_AgReviews — pages.