Thaddeus Bates, senior manager of applied research at Nutrien Ag Solutions, discussed the importance of data in agriculture. He emphasized the need for data to drive decisions, especially with tight margins and high variability. Bates highlighted the role of precision agriculture in managing soil variability and optimizing fertility inputs. He noted that data helps in right-sizing rates and matching products to environments. For 2026, Bates advised growers to focus on maximizing ROI amidst tight budgets and high input costs. He also mentioned the importance of local agronomists in accessing innovation farm insights, which are available to all growers, not just Nutrien clients.
