Agronomy and engineering play critical roles the in development and application of precision practices. But the two areas don’t always intersect in convenient or compatible ways. At this year’s Agricultural Equipment Technology Conference in Louisville, soil scientist Joshua McGrath and precision ag engineer Joe Luck dissected the advancements and imperfections of the current state of ag technology to include some of the missing pieces.

Sitting among training implements on the ag campus of Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, Wis., Zach Ward of Fox Valley Technical College and Joe Sinkula with 12-store John Deere dealership Riesterer & Schnell traded experiences — some shared — on preparing precision specialists for the rigors of an evolving industry.

More than 9,000 miles separate Jason McNeice with Wideland Group in Queensland, Australia, and Kevin Depies with Ritchie’s Implement in Cobb, Wis. While the physical distance between the two Case IH dealerships allows for some uniquely regional differences, the experienced precision farming specialists shared some common ground when it comes to getting into the business and billing out service.