Jeremy Wilson takes logging data, and using it to make decisions, very seriously and has perfected it over the years.

As a no-tiller in Olney, Ill., and a technology specialist at Crop IMS, Wilson has learned how to effectively leverage technology in data collection and how important it is for his operation.

Importance of Data

Simply put, data “gives us the necessary information for analytics and reporting,” says Wilson. He started logging data with his dad, Wade, on their 1,200-acre grain farm when they began using their first yield monitor in 2001. Until that point, they logged bits and pieces of data but never had the solid foundation to make decisions based on it.

Building a history of data over time makes the data more useful, but building the foundation has to start somewhere. Reporting to crop insurance agents or the FSA, or tracking manure management plans, are just a few situations where Wilson says data is important.

He uses data he collects to understand the agronomic changes on his farm. While he says they don’t make a lot of major farm management changes, the data does help them look at many different things to make tweaks.

“It may be something as simple as a different post-applied product,” he says, noting…