When You Can’t Compete with Mother Nature, You Need FieldNET

We wish the outlook was better, but it appears much of North America will be dealing with drought conditions this year.

“It’s very concerning,” said Brian Magnusson, Vice President of the Americas at Lindsay. “From the Great Plains to the Pacific Coast, nearly half of the United States is already experiencing moderate to exceptional drought conditions, and the current long-range forecasts offer very little hope for relief.”

Magnusson grew up on a family farm - his father still runs the operation in Northeast Nebraska - so he understands the worry growers experience when they look at the prospect of planting into unseasonably dry fields combined with a forecast that includes very little moisture.

“Farming is never easy and, without some help from Mother Nature, it gets a lot harder,” he said. “That’s why, at Lindsay, we’re committed to providing growers with solutions that will help them make the most of every drop of water that’s available to them.”

For example, Magnusson pointed to a powerful new feature that’s now available to FieldNET™ subscribers with center pivot systems - FieldNET with WaterTrend℠.

“FieldNET with WaterTrend provides growers with the data they need to feel confident in their irrigation management decisions,” Magnusson said. “FieldNET with WaterTrend, shows growers how much water their crops will use during the upcoming week, along with a daily field-specific weather forecast including predicted rainfall amounts, giving them the ability to make better, data-driven irrigation decisions.”

For growers who want to take irrigation management to the next level, Magnusson said there’s FieldNET Advisor™ - the industry’s first irrigation scheduling tool.

“FieldNET Advisor delivers continuously updated, field-specific irrigation recommendations, including the date when your irrigation system will next need to be started and the amount of water to apply in order to avoid potential yield loss,” he said. “It takes into account your field’s soil variability, allows for multiple crop types and planting dates, generates daily VRI prescriptions, and provides satellite imagery to help growers decide precisely when, where and how much to irrigate.”

While growers and local Zimmatic dealers are working on the immediate needs of the upcoming growing season, Magnusson said Lindsay teams are also focused on the future.

“We know we can’t compete with Mother Nature, but we can find ways to work with her,” he said. “Our goal is to create a more profitable and a more sustainable future by equipping growers with the tools they need to operate more efficiently – getting more done today and protecting their land for the generations to come.”

For more information about FieldNET products and services, talk to your local Zimmatic dealer or visit www.lindsay.com.