Every year in agriculture, we’re introduced to another new technology that’s supposed to change everything. A new sensor. A new drone. A new software platform. A new piece of equipment. Some of it ends up being incredibly useful, and some of it ends up being an expensive toy that never really delivers. What’s different right now is the speed at which all of this is coming at us. AI, automation, drones, sensors and precision application are starting to come together, and I think crop consultants need to pay attention.
I’m not suggesting every PCA or CCA needs to become a technology expert. That’s not the job. But I do think growers are going to increasingly look to their crop consultants and ask a pretty simple question: Is this technology actually worth my money? That’s where I see a huge opportunity for consultants. If you can understand enough about what’s coming to separate the useful tools from the hype, you become even more valuable to your growers.
AI and Better Decision Support
The first technology I’d be watching closely is artificial intelligence and AI-powered decision support. AI has the potential to take weather information, historical pest pressure, soil and tissue data, imagery, irrigation information and previous applications and help make sense of all of it. Think about how much information an experienced PCA or CCA already carries around in their head. Now imagine combining that experience with technology capable of analyzing thousands of additional data points. I don’t see AI replacing a great crop consultant. I see a great crop consultant using AI potentially becoming much better at their job.
Drones, Satellites & Remote Crop Scouting
The second area is drones, satellites and remote crop scouting. We’re always going to need boots in the field, but technology can help determine where those boots should go first. Instead of spending hours covering every acre looking for a problem, imagery can potentially point you toward the areas that deserve a closer look. It may identify changes in crop vigor, irrigation issues, nutrient deficiencies or possible pest and disease pressure. The technology might tell you where something looks wrong, but an experienced consultant still has to figure out why.
To me, that’s the sweet spot: technology helping good people spend their time where it matters most.
Smart Irrigation & Plant Soil Sensors
Third is smart irrigation and plant and soil sensors. This is especially important in California. Water is too expensive and too important to manage based on guesswork. Soil moisture sensors, plant sensors, weather stations and increasingly AI-driven systems can help growers and consultants better understand when to irrigate, how much water to apply and whether different parts of a field actually need to be managed differently. But here’s the key: don’t buy technology just because it’s impressive. If it doesn’t solve a real problem or create measurable value for the grower, I’m not sure we need it.
Precision & Application
Fourth, I’d be paying attention to precision and variable-rate application. I think we’re going to continue moving away from treating every acre exactly the same. If one section of a field needs something different than another section, why wouldn’t we eventually manage it that way when the economics make sense? Better mapping, imagery, soil sampling and real-time sensors are making that increasingly possible. Instead of simply asking, “What should we apply to this field?” the better question may become, “What does this part of the field actually need?”
“Your value isn’t going to come from selling your grower every new technology that hits the market. Your value comes from being the trusted person who can say, ‘This one is worth looking at, ’or just as importantly, ‘I wouldn’t spend your money on that yet.’”
Automated Pest & Disease Monitoring
The fifth technology I think PCAs should be watching closely is automated pest and disease monitoring. Smart traps, cameras, weather stations, mobile scouting tools and predictive models can give consultants a much more continuous view of what’s happening between field visits. Imagine combining trap counts with weather, degree days, historical pest pressure and field imagery and having the system flag something that deserves your attention. Again, the technology isn’t making the recommendation. It’s helping the PCA know where to look and when to look.
There’s a common thread through all five of these technologies: more information, faster information and hopefully better decisions. That’s why I don’t believe technology makes the crop consultant less important. I think it could make the best crop consultants significantly more valuable. Growers may soon have more data than they know what to do with. Someone still has to understand the crop, walk the field, ground truth the information, understand the economics and ultimately make a recommendation they’re willing to stand behind. That’s the role I don’t see going away.
Put the Technology to the Test
So what should you actually do with all of this? I would start with three things. First, pick one technology and test it with one grower. Don’t try to tackle everything at once. Pick something practical, whether that’s imagery, automated trapping, soil moisture monitoring or an AI tool, and see whether it makes you better or saves the grower money.
Second, measure ROI instead of being impressed by the technology. Ask whether it saved labor, reduced an input, caught a problem earlier, protected yield, improved water use or helped make a better decision. If you can’t point to a meaningful agronomic or economic benefit, maybe it’s not ready for your operation yet.
Third, become your grower’s technology filter. Spend a little time every month learning about what’s new. Talk to researchers, manufacturers and other consultants. Test things. Ask hard questions. Your value isn’t going to come from selling your grower every new technology that hits the market. Your value comes from being the trusted person who can say, “This one is worth looking at,” or just as importantly, “I wouldn’t spend your money on that yet.”
I believe the crop consultants who win over the next decade will still have great agronomy skills and great relationships. The difference is they’ll also know how to use technology to make those skills even more powerful. And the time to start figuring that out isn’t five years from now. It’s today.
Jason Scott
