Agriculture is the world’s largest industry, and it sustains the lives of seven billion plus and growing, human population. While industrialization and consequent urbanization did result in dwindling interest in pure farming, an agri-based industry focused on driving improvements in farming also took roots across the world.

Globally, agri-product companies have adopted an inter-disciplinary approach to their research and development initiatives. They have applied advancements in fields both inter-related and diverse such as genetics, tissue culture, hybridization and seed production, chemical technologies, meteorology and mechanical engineering to equip farmers  with farming tools and equipment, high quality disease resistant seeds  and fertilizers.

With significant R&D spends, these companies need to ensure that their products are having the desired impact on the field. This feedback is also a crucial input for setting the direction for future product development activities. The industry has however been hampered by lack of access to timely field information, owing largely to the highly distributed and fragmented nature of farming consumers and markets. So, how can companies stay in touch with the field and measure the receptivity towards and effectiveness of their products?

Today, technology can play a crucial role in bridging this gap. In fact, solutions that combine GIS, mobile and the cloud make real-time field insights for the management a reality.