BASF showcases data-driven farming with xarvio FIELD MANAGER at 2024 Science Behind event

BASF Agricultural Solutions hosted The Science Behind Digital Agriculture: Data-Driven Farming with xarvio^® FIELD MANAGER, showcasing xarvio FIELD MANAGER and its novel seed variety placement technology, xarvio SeedSelect. The event took place on February 27 in Houston, Texas, and marked the 17th annual Science Behind event.

Two of the most important decisions a grower can make in maximizing soybean yield are variety selection and seed placement. Using advanced data and analysis methods derived from plot trial field research and local topographic and soil attributes, xarvio SeedSelect delivers 20 years of experience and data at the click of a button to help retailers and growers with these two vital decisions.

Growers today are faced with the challenges of a growing population, rising demand and fewer farmable acres. Chris Conner, general manager of Waters Farm Supply, in Cumberland, Iowa, and Nick Christensen, a fourth-generation farmer from Windy Acres Farms in Cumberland, Iowa, were on hand at Science Behind to discuss the role digital farming has played in their decision making to overcome these challenges.

″Data is a huge tool for what I do as a retailer and also how I use it as a grower,″ Conner said. ″We don’t have to trial and error near as much in the field. xarvio SeedSelect speeds up the process of deciding what the right variety is on the farm. Anything we can do to expedite that process, as far as seed selection, is awesome.″

Despite today’s challenges, BASF is helping soybean growers on the path to increasing yield to 100 bushels per acre. Marc Hoobler, Northern Region Agronomy Lead at BASF, presented at the Science Behind event on the importance of seed selection and placement and detailed some of the data and research that went into the development of xarvio FIELD MANAGER and xarvio SeedSelect.

Justin Gayliard, Director, Head of North America Digital Farming at BASF, provided an overview of xarvio FIELD MANAGER and its features, demonstrating how digital farming combined with agronomic expertise maximizes yield potential.

Amy Pawlick, Digital Farming Marketing Manager at BASF, conducted an on-stage demonstration of SeedSelect by providing each attendee with an iPad and a login to xarvio FIELD MANAGER.

Attendees were able to access a variety of fields pre-loaded within xarvio FIELD MANAGER and were able to simulate the soybean seed decision-making process. Using the plot trial field research, local topographic information and soil attributes provided through xarvio SeedSelect, 20 years of experience and data were delivered to users with the click of a button and a Xitavo™ seed variety was recommended for each field selected by users.

″xarvio FIELD MANAGER and xarvio SeedSelect enhance and augment local agronomic expertise with advanced algorithms based on BASF trial data, and we are thrilled to have the opportunity to demonstrate the ease of these tools at Science Behind,″ said Gayliard. ″BASF is committed to helping farmers doing the Biggest Job on Earth by understanding and meeting farmers’ needs in partnership with their trusted agronomic advisor.″