A John Deere Publication

Alfalfa yields are shown on a map in John Deere Operations Center

A yield map on the Operations Center™ shows where the best alfalfa yields are within a given field.

Ag Tech, Farm Operation December 01, 2023

Tech@Work

Growing alfalfa in the desert with the help of John Deere technology.

Growing alfalfa in Arizona is a little different than many other places in North America. Because of the climate, Arizona's alfalfa yields are among the highest in the world. But with that comes a lot of pressure—there's always something to do.

For Bill Perry, an Arizona farmer, John Deere precision ag takes some of the stress out of the process. "With alfalfa we are trying to plant, but we are also trying to harvest. You can be checking a baler but look on the phone to see if the planter is going. There is too much going on for me to do. I can't be at three or four places at once. So the use of [John Deere] Operations Center™ and other tools that precision ag has given us has made it much more of a manageable situation," Bill says.

Bill says that with alfalfa, he prefers boots on the ground and eyes on the crop but that's just not always possible. John Deere precision ag tools are making it more efficient.

Bale Documentation with John Deere Operations Center enables farmers to analyze yield trends and nutrient replenishment, helping to make more informed decisions. Farmers can track bale weight and moisture, and flow that data into the John Deere Operations Center for analysis and permanent record keeping.

"By using Bale Documentation and yield monitors on the balers, we are really able to make this more efficient on the alfalfa side. I definitely have noticed that having these technologies gives me a little more freedom to not be on the farm all the time," Bill adds.

For more information on Bale Documentation or John Deere Operations Center, see your local John Deere dealer. ‡