Precision specialists often wear many hats — service technician, salesperson, business owner, farmer. The list goes on and on. Bruce West barely has enough closet space for the number of hats (and capes) he wears as owner of West Enterprises, an independent precision ag hardware and software dealer in Erie, Ill.

Precision Farming Dealer editors were on the ground for the Farm Progress Show in Decatur, Ill, where the latest and greatest precision technology stole the show. Here are some of our top takeaways from Decatur.

Swiss Agtech company Ecorobotix recently introduced its spot-sprayer ARA in the U.S. Ecorobotix Americas Regional Manager Jose Marchetti goes over the nuts and bolts of ARA.

Drones took flight at the Precision Planting PTI Farm workshop. Precision Planting lead agronomist Jason Webster told the crowd of no-tillers and strip-tillers that he’s on board with the potential of these UAVs to provide a significant ROI.

We’re talking about drones this week, because they seem to be generating a lot of buzz amongst growers and dealers. Luke Schultes owns and operates Viola Drone Services in Audobon, Iowa.

"Farmers in Australia tend to embrace precision technology quickly because we need it in order to survive," says David McGavin, co-founder of Precision Seeding Solutions.

Versatile announced a partnership with Mojow Autonomous Solutions — the two companies are teaming up on the development of Mojow’s EYEBOX autonomous navigation controller.  Engineers from both companies have been working together over the past 6 months, to integrate the system on Versatile tractors.  

Veteran farmers Jim Leverich of Sparta, Wis., and Keith Wendte of Effingham, Ill., are two early adopters of precision technology.Leverich remembers using Ag Leader’s groundbreaking Yield Monitor 2000 in 1992, while Wendte recalls entering the precision arena around the same time with yield maps, GPS and grid soil sampling.

Precision specialists often wear many hats — technician, salesperson, business owner, farmer. Bruce West barely has enough closet space for all the hats he wears as owner of West Enterprises, an independent dealer in western Illinois.