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AI tool simplifies crop managementAI tool simplifies crop management

Taranis introduces Ag Assistant, powered by artificial intelligence.

Tom J. Bechman, Midwest Crops Editor

January 27, 2025

3 Min Read
a soybean field with a tree line in the background
WHAT’S ON THE OTHER SIDE? Does the whole field look like this? Probably not. Coupling Taranis Intelligence with Ag Assistant provides a full view and recommendations for the entire field. Tom J. Bechman

Tyler Tobald doesn’t have time to waste, especially during cropping season. You likely need to use every minute efficiently, too.

“That is where Taranis Intelligence and the reports I get after they fly drones over my fields helps,” says Tobald, who raises corn, soybeans, milo and forages near Glasco in north-central Kansas. He and his family operate JTAC Farms.

“I am pretty much a one-man band, so if something saves time and reduces labor needs, it makes me more efficient,” he says. “I started with getting reports on one field from Taranis three years ago, and we will be working with them again this year. If I don’t have to walk fields, sweating to boot, the time saved is valuable.”

New crop scouting service

This season, Taranis extends what growers and retailers can accomplish by introducing Ag Assistant, powered by artificial intelligence. Jason Minton, Taranis’ chief commercial officer, notes that the new feature, which is part of the dashboard display, offers a summary of each field, along with recommendations.

Ag Assistant started as a tool to summarize activities within the entire year. Minton explains that it now provides details and recommendations after each scouting mission.

“It is totally customizable, so a retailer, agronomist and farmer can set it up however works best,” he explains. “The technology itself is neat, but the best part is that it allows farmers, agronomists and retailers to develop deeper relationships.”

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Trevor Cox, advanced cropping systems manager for Central Valley Ag, responsible for Kansas, notes that the Ag Assistant feature saves time and labor for them as well. Central Valley Ag also services farmers in Iowa and Nebraska.

“Salesmen are swamped, too, and being able to hit a button and get a summary of what is going on in an entire field really helps,” Cox says. “The Ag Assistant feature does a great job of laying out a bird’s-eye view of an entire field.”

Tobald likes the ability to catch problems early afforded by Taranis Intelligence, now coupled with Taranis Ag Assistant. “We find out about potential problems early while we can still correct them,” he says. “And it makes communicating with your retail agronomist and getting them involved easier. The system has already proven its worth in helping catch these kinds of issues before a simple mistake becomes a nightmare.”

Big picture for entire field

Glen Franzluebbers heads up precision ag technology at Central Valley Ag. Previously, he was a crops consultant, giving him an appreciation for what crop scouts face in the field.

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One big plus of the services Taranis offers is knowing what is going on in the entire field, he notes. “Farmers often walk into a few areas of a field, but it is difficult to cover an entire field by walking,” he says. “This technology lets us see wat is happening everywhere.

“A big advantage is that Ag Assistant allows me to quickly see a summary for the whole year for an entire field. In the ‘old days,’ you had to flip back through your handwritten notes at the end of the season to get an idea for what really happened in that field.

“Now, Ag Assistant spits it out for you very quickly. That makes it so much faster and easier to figure out how you want to manage the field going forward.”

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Scouting

About the Author

Tom J. Bechman

Midwest Crops Editor, Farm Progress

Tom J. Bechman became the Midwest Crops editor at Farm Progress in 2024 after serving as editor of Indiana Prairie Farmer for 23 years. He joined Farm Progress in 1981 as a field editor, first writing stories to help farmers adjust to a difficult harvest after a tough weather year. His goal today is the same — writing stories that help farmers adjust to a changing environment in a profitable manner.

Bechman knows about Indiana agriculture because he grew up on a small dairy farm and worked with young farmers as a vocational agriculture teacher and FFA advisor before joining Farm Progress. He works closely with Purdue University specialists, Indiana Farm Bureau and commodity groups to cover cutting-edge issues affecting farmers. He specializes in writing crop stories with a focus on obtaining the highest and most economical yields possible.

Tom and his wife, Carla, have four children: Allison, Ashley, Daniel and Kayla, plus eight grandchildren. They raise produce for the food pantry and house 4-H animals for the grandkids on their small acreage near Franklin, Ind.

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