In farming, there are plenty of factors beyond a grower’s control – weather, pests, input costs, and commodity prices – BUT the grain in the bin should never be one of them.

The bin is the farm’s bank account. Growers work year-long to derive income from their carefully nurtured crops. So, managing stored grain by the climb-and-smell moisture test or generic aeration is risky (and potentially costly) business.

AGI (Ag Growth International) is on a mission to cut the guesswork with sensor technology and mobile software that puts 24/7 in-bin visibility, safety, control, and managed grain conditioning right into the palms of growers’ hands. Technology that delivers control is something that growers who store grain should consider this winter as they make purchase decisions for 2023 (and prior to 2022 farm tax deadlines). [Link: https://www.irs.gov/publications/p225]

"We are on a mission to help modernize on-farm grain processes to deliver more safety, visibility, remote control, and automation to benefit growers and their operations," says Jason Tatge, senior vice president of AGI’s digital division.

He says one of AGI’s flagship digital products — BinManager™ — is leading the way. An in-bin grain sensor system, BinManager is agnostic meaning the technology can be purchased with new AGI grain bin or installed in a pre-existing bin, regardless of brand.

BinManager’s rugged sensor technology allows growers to remotely monitor and control grain quality from their mobile and desktop devices, while avoiding the dangerous climb to the top of a bin for the smell test. Developed for optimization and safety, the technology has the power to automate fans and airflow, manage temperature and moisture for peak conditioning, set alerts and targets for quality, and protect and improve the grain’s economic value.

It is all about delivering peace of mind and data-based opportunity. "When you can tell the story of what happened with the grain in the bin, you have a whole new set of information that you can use in the marketplace to prove that the grain has been maintained at highest quality standards," says Tatge. "Ultimately, when growers have that kind of digital proof season-over-season, they can begin to advertise grain for a price that is far different (and more valuable) than commodity yellow #2 corn, for example."

As growers plan for 2023, here are 5 reasons why in-bin technology is budget-worthy:

Reason 1: Safety

Avoid making the dangerous climb onto grain bins. It takes only seconds to get caught in a grain bin engulfment, according to Purdue University’s Agricultural Safety and Health Program. Sensors in bins allow you to remotely monitor and control grain quality without getting into a bin.

Reason 2: Control

Bank on a bin with mobile access. Few growers would put their money in a bank account that does not have 24/7 mobile access. Why should they bank their grain in a bin without 24/7 visibility?

Reason 3: Economics

Higher quality grain means better market value. A bin sensor system protects grain’s economic value by automating aeration, moisture, and temperature. This enables growers to optimize grain, meet specific quality targets, continuously adjust to changing internal and external bin conditions, and gain energy (fan) efficiency.

Reason 4: Simplicity

With so many pressures, growers need agtech that is simple, passive, agnostic and works. BinManager is all of these, plus it saves time, reduces stress, and supplies visibility and control for peace of mind.

Reason 5. Transparency

In-bin tech creates an automatic, share-worthy digital record of how grain is stored and managed. As the world focuses on food and feed transparency, data-driven technology like BinManager puts growers in a position to take advantage of emerging markets.

"The value chain wants to know more about the products they are purchasing," says Tatge. "The ability to tell that story through digital control and visibility is something that is starting to reward the growers who invest in this type of technology."

For details, visit aggrowth.com/digital