We have more agricultural data than ever, but this crucial piece is missing

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Soil sensors. Pest control platforms. Irrigation monitors. Satellite imagery. Workforce management. Yield forecasting tools. File sharing. And even the management of social networks. As agtech has proliferated over the past decade, the modern farm's tech stack has grown dizzying. For farmers tasked with growing crops and managing all that IT, it's becoming a bigger challenge.

These tools, by and large, don't talk to each other. Platforms are not compatible and information is stored in silos. In fact, a study found that 86% of agtech platforms fail to effectively share and analyze the data obtained.

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All of this lacks the ingredient that keeps our phones working seamlessly. The same tool that evolved from esoteric machines to devices that anyone can use with just a few clicks. In other words, desperately needs an operating system.

Industry analysts stopped trying to count agtech tools for years, but suffice it to say that modern has thousands of technologies at their disposal. And, increasingly, these technologies are table stakes rather than bells and whistles.

Extreme weather conditions make farming less predictable and ever more risky. Input prices have skyrocketed with supply chain gaps and inflation. More than ever, producers need to find ways to optimize their resources and save time while facing pressure from regulators and food retailers to justify their actions.

That's the promise of so many agtech today: do more with less. But with so much to do, farmers need streamlined, easy-to-use, integrated technology, and a farm operating system can help.

Related: What Matters Most When Going for Smart Farming Technology

So what is an operating system (OS)?

In technical terms, an operating system is one that "schedules tasks, allocates storage space, and presents a default interface to the user." Common examples include Windows, Android, and 's: without these technologies running in the background, other apps wouldn't work.

But what we need for agriculture is more conceptual. We lack a central hub - a place where data is pooled and digital tools are coordinated. That's what iOS does for users, after all. There are 3.6 million different apps that Apple users can use seamlessly on their phone, and it wouldn't be possible without the iPhone operating system. iOS is the key intermediary between user and hardware, providing a common framework for communication and data sharing.

Consider the iPhone Health app: it can collect data from any user-chosen app to track things like sleep quality, heart rate, and miles walked. day. It integrates this information and provides a simplified interface, revealing powerful new information.

This kind of data sharing, usability, and compatibility between software and hardware is down to the operating system - and it's the kind of integration that agtech desperately needs.

Related: Why Revolutionizing Agriculture Should Be The Next Space Race

What booting a farm OS might look like

Nowadays farmers are spoiled for choice with a variety of apps and devices. But for these tools to work to their full potential, there needs to be a foundation in place.

For users, an ideal farm operating system would be a one-stop shop for collecting and displaying farm vitals, from temperature to humidity levels and pest populations, and even the availability of the labor and equipment. Equi...