How Artificial Intelligence can improve crop performance

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How Artificial Intelligence can improve crop performance

August 27, 2026 By Meghan Grebner Filed Under: Crops, Indiana, News

The director of research agronomy and Practical Farm Research for Beck’s says the future of farming will be more prescriptive.  Jim Schwartz says corn hybrids build yield in different ways. “How we manage those hybrids has a great impact on the success we experience on our farm,” he says.

He tells Brownfield technology, like Beck’s new AI tool SeedIQ, can encourage farmers to think outside the box. “In hybrid management today, we’re kind of feeling through the dark,” he says. “Now, instead of not understanding why something happened, if I can explain to you, it’s okay to apply that fungicide early in the year, but now let me match that hybrid. Now I’ve de-risked that decision.”

Schwartz says SeedIQ allows growers to hyper-focus on root architecture, kernel capture, and silk timing, and can help them improve productivity and profitability.

But he says, “I always recommend that you still start with people .”

AUDIO: Jim Schwartz, Beck’s