Precision agriculture: Collecting and cataloging yield data

Teresa Crook<crookter@msu.edu>, Michigan State University Extension - September 03, 2026

Harvest season is quickly approaching for row crops like corn, soybean, sugarbeets and dry beans. The MSU Extension Virtual Breakfast on September 10 will discuss precision agriculture and collecting accurate yield data.

Decorative image. — Yield monitors, like the AgLeader PF3000 (left) and JohnDeere 2630 (right), have been used since the late 1990s. They provide high-quality data for analysis to help inform future management decisions.

Yield data is the result of an entire growing season, shaped by management’s input decisions and environmental conditions. Soil sampling and planning fertilizer and pesticide applications, agronomic conditions such as sunlight and timely rainfall, are some of the factors contributing to your crops’ final yield. Therefore, collecting, organizing, and analyzing yield data is equally important for harvest success. Historical yield records can help guide future precision agriculture decisions, including variable-rate seeding and fertilizer applications across a field.

The Michigan State University Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast on Thursday, Sept. 10 will highlight the value of yield data and demonstrate how digital agriculture tools, such as the John Deere Operations Center and Climate FieldView platforms, can help producers make informed management decisions. Richard Price Jr., a conservation systems agronomy educator for MSU Extension, will demonstrate "MI Digital Farm," a digital platform, using data analytics to deliver precision farming and conservation, as well as soil prescriptions to growers across Michigan.

Immediately following the discussion on precision farming, Extension Agricultural Meteorologist Jeff Andresen will present a 15-minute weather summary and forecast. A question-and-answer period will follow. Other Michigan State University Extension specialists and educators will be available for discussion.

Join the Michigan State University Extension 2026 Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series on Thursday, Sept. 3, when Tor Tolhurst, Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural, Food, and Resource Economics at Michigan State University, discusses whether data centers and solar development are moving Michigan farmland values.

Participants will learn how Michigan land values have trended over time, how the scale of proposed data center and solar projects compares to the state's row crop acreage, and what factors could put real pressure on farmland values in the years ahead.

Following the farmland values presentation, Jeff Andresen, MSU climatologist, will provide a detailed weather outlook and climate update.

The Michigan State University (MSU) Extension Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series sessions are held every week during the growing season via Zoom video or phone conference. These virtual meetings take place every Thursday morning from 7–8 a.m. March through September. The Virtual Breakfast Series is flexible, fluid and able to adapt when issues arise due to unforeseen growing conditions. There will be an open 20-minute Q&A session following the presentations with MSU specialists and educators. Participants are encouraged to log into the Zoom meeting 5 minutes prior to the start time for a tech check and to receive announcements.

Restricted use pesticide (RUP) credits and certified crop adviser (CCA) continuing education units are available for participants who attend the live session.

Participating is easy and free! You can join the live meeting via Zoom using a computer, tablet, mobile device or regular phone line. If you are new to Zoom, simply download the Zoom app and you will be ready to join online every week to see visuals shared by presenters. A call-in by phone option is also available but you will only hear the audio portion.

Sign up for the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast Series

Participants must sign up to receive an email notification with instructions for joining the Virtual Breakfast. You only need to do this once and you will receive the Zoom link and call-in phone number, as well as weekly reminders every Wednesday and Thursday. Participants receiving emails can opt in or out at any time.

If you cannot participate in the live session at 7 a.m., you can view the recorded version at any time. However, participants who attend the live session only will be eligible for RUP and CCA credits. Recordings will be closed-captioned and available at the Field Crops Virtual Breakfast webpage and the MSU Extension Field Crops Team social media platforms: Facebook, Spotify, Mediaspace, YouTube, Apple Podcasts and Twitter/X.

If you are unable to sign up online, call the Montcalm County MSU Extension office at 989-831-7500.

This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).