CQ Ag Services were looking for a platform they could use to improve both internal and external communication. They wanted to be able to store their observations and recommendations in such a way that all agronomists and their clients have access. The daily operations at CQ Ag evolve around the individual growers’ needs at different times in the season and how they can be best serviced. Seasonality and rapidly changing demands are common in Central Queensland due to soil-moisture availability, irrigation-water availability and many other factors.

Warwick and Di Holding were searching for a system they could use to keep accurate records for their farming operation without creating a large additional burden of work. They also wanted to be able to see accurate financial cropping results for their operation, Pontara Grain, in order to guide them in making more profitable decisions in the future. They were looking for a cropping system that can minimize the effect of wet winters and waterlogging on shallow soils with low water holding capacity while not carrying a large yield penalty in dry years.

Nathan Soulsby, an agronomist with AGnVET, needed to provide integrated agronomy service to BettaCrop clients, which includes their planning, budgeting, scouting and record keeping. Rolf Malmo, a local grower and one of Nathan’s clients, was new to cropping and needed visibility into his financial performance that he could also take to his bank and other service providers. The soil around Henty tends to have a low pH, which forces growers like Rolf to be more creative. They also have a big ryegrass problem in the area. Mixed cropping and livestock operations tend to manage this quite well, but they needed a way to analyze and compare different strategies.

Daly Potato Co., a diversified potato growing operation in Tasmania, Australia, faced two main challenges. Firstly, they leased land to grow potatoes but were unsure of the exact returns from this leased land. Secondly, as producers of food products sold directly to consumers, they were required by auditors to maintain accurate records of inputs used in the growing process. The company needed a solution that could accurately track all inputs, labour costs, and machinery costs to provide an accurate cost of production per field and accurate reports of all chemicals and fertilisers applied.

Emerald Farms, a farming operation in Maxwell, CA, was struggling to keep track of all the information and tasks being performed on the farm. The farm's partner and general manager, Leon Etchepare, was trying to achieve more vertical integration of the farming operation, but he needed a centralized platform that would deliver him the information he needed, when he needed it. The farm comprises 3,500 acres of almond and walnut trees as well as 2,500 acres of irrigated row-cropping. After transitioning into the role of partner and general manager of Emerald Farms, Leon decided that the operation needed more technology in order to become more efficient.

Stuart Murdoch, a farmer based in Warooka, South Australia, used to manage his farming operation purely based on pen and paper records. However, he realised in 2010 that there are benefits to digitising his farm management operations. With the size of his operation, the rotation he uses and some farm-specific weed problems that he has, it is very important for him to be able to look back on data from previous years. He also needed to increase the accuracy of his operation to ensure profitability. With ever-tightening margins for farmers, he realised years ago that accuracy on every level is critical to ensuring profitability.

Payne Brothers Ranches, a farming operation in Northern California, was facing a challenge of managing an increasing amount of agricultural data. The data was coming from various sources such as independent PCA’s, soil reports, and tissue analysis. The Payne Brothers wanted a solution that could consolidate all their data in one place for better utilization. The transition to using independent PCA’s also meant that they had to start submitting their own chemical use reports to the counties and state, which they didn't want to turn into a lot of paperwork. The increasing flow of data was becoming overwhelming and the repercussions of not having the correct data available or interpreting data wrong could be significant.

Anna Binna Farms, a 6,500-hectare farming operation at Maitland on South Australia’s Yorke Peninsula, was struggling with their pen-and-paper system for farm records. The system was not user-friendly for all team members and did not provide a good way to track important information such as withholding periods, amount of fertilizer or chemicals that need to be purchased or any other spray-related information. The farm owner, Ben Wundersitz, was aware of the need to improve this part of their operation but was unsure of the best solution. The farm needed a system that required minimal data entry to reduce the risk of errors and inaccuracies. The system also needed to be well suited to both the size of the farm and the skills of the team.

Bruce Larcombe, an agronomist for 22 broadacre growers in the Dookie area of Victoria’s Goulburn Valley, faces extreme peaks and troughs in his workload throughout the season. All the farms he services grow winter crops, leading to similar planting and harvesting dates and resulting in seasonal peaks in demand for farm inputs, labour, and other services. Bruce's workload is particularly heavy during the 16-week period from crop emergence to harvest, during which he has to check over 450 paddocks and make numerous recommendations for his clients.

In his work as an agronomist, Ruaan Du Plessis realised that higher crop monitoring requirements combined with larger orchard sizes and an increased need for information by growers necessitated a new approach to data accessibility and transparency. Recent free trade agreements such as the one between Australia and China (ChAFTA) have changed the focus for fruit growers from traditional channels like canneries and other domestic buyers to fresh fruit exports. Stringent bio-security compliance laws for export to Asia mean that growers need to have their orchards monitored for a number of quarantine pests by a person approved by the Department of Agriculture. As exports become more important, the monitoring program is becoming bigger and more rigid; which is why we require the best recording and reporting tool available for our agronomy activities.