A lot of things can have an impact on your crop yields — from the sun and rain to pests and disease. But research shows that 30 to 70 percent of your yield is the result of proper fertilization. Sometimes the instinctual response to this knowledge would be to apply more fertilizer. After all, more nutrients in the soil should equate to a higher yield. However, not only is this not cost effective, but there is also a dynamic relationship between the fertilization efficiency and maximum crop production. Finding this balance can be a key to your success.

So, how do we get there? One way to start making smarter decisions with your fertilizer is by investing in a Business Intelligence (BI) solution. BI software allows you to track the data from your crops in a way that doesn’t just leave you with a pile of numbers. Instead, you can create real-time, visually engaging dashboards of information that allow you to make educated decisions about your crops. Here are five ways you could revolutionize your business with BI.

Could Less be More?
Data shows that there is a definitive point where more fertilizer is no longer helpful, but how do you determine that for your specific crop? BI can help. By measuring the amount of fertilizer you use on different crops in different areas over time, you can begin to spot distinct trends in your fertilizer to crop-yield ratio. And with BI tools’ predictive analysis, the software can utilize this data to make educated guesses about how much fertilizer would be effective in future applications.

Break it Down to the Nutrients
Not all fertilizers are the same, just like not all crops need the same amount of nutrients. Using the same philosophy as outlined in the first example, you can break down the type of fertilizer and its nutrient concentration and its effectiveness on each crop over time. You could be spending too much money on a type of fertilizer that is nutrient-rich in a mineral that your crops don’t actually need, cutting into your profits. This way, you can maximize your fertilizer investment with provable results.

Consider Your Method
Are you broadcasting your fertilizer? Using pellets? Is it localized, deep, in bands, hills, or rows? You know what has been working, but is it the best possible option? With data analysis, you can test different methods to find the ideal solution for your crop and region, ensuring that you’re getting the maximum yield for your fertilizer use.

Finding Your Optimum Economic Yield
In an ideal world, you would be able to grow unlimited crops with a minimum of fertilizer. But in reality, everything has limits. Including sales figures. Say you find a way to maximize your crop production using an economically viable amount of fertilizer, but then not enough buyers exist for your increase in yield and some of your product goes to waste. You’re more productive than ever, but losing money. Visualizing sales figures next to production data on your BI dashboards will allow you to find your optimal economic yield, so that you know just the right amount and type of fertilizer to use to get the exact number of crops to make this whole investment profitable for your business.

We all know that you reap what you sow, so it’s time to plant the seeds of your own success by investing in a BI solution that works for your organization. No matter your scale, you’ll want something cost-effective but still cutting-edge. Something that’s easy to use but comprehensive. That’s why Dyntell Bi is a smart tool. Schedule a demo today to learn more about how Dyntell Bi can help you do more with less when it comes to fertilizer, and more.