As an Ag Tech company, Croptracker is keenly aware of the barriers that growers face in adopting new technologies. No matter the ‘ground-breaking’ features and promises from tech companies, the benefits and motivation to spend money and change processes is not clear for many growers. Not all ag tech advancements are created equal and not all are suited for every farm.

What is Ag-Tech? Clarifying the Terminology

The term ag tech itself is extremely broad-reaching and can create a lack of understanding. All farmers use ag tech – pruning shears, scales and sprayers are all technologies tailored to and used in agriculture, however, the term is often used in place of Digital Agriculture, Precision Agriculture or Smart Farming. All three of these terms refer to the use of digital, advanced and often interconnected technologies to optimize agricultural practices.

Another commonly used term is the Internet of Things (IoT), which describes connected technologies that share data between devices, such as weather stations, cameras on sprayers, and farm management systems. Despite stereotypes of farmers as being resistant to new tech, many already rely on things like satellite imagery, mapping and mobile data capture. In North America, roughly 61% of farmers are using some form of farm management software. This article will focus on the biggest challenges agriculture operations face when considering adopting new digital / precision technologies.

Varying Rates of Tech Adoption Among Growers

Despite having common problems that ag tech claims to solve, like labour scarcity, increasing regulation and input costs with decreasing profit margins – not all growers have the same rate of tech adoption. In a broad global survey of farmers, McKinsey & Company report:

It is easy to see these numbers and assume cost is the biggest limiting factor in tech adoption, but looking closer, more nuanced reasons for hesitant adoption are revealed.

Cost Considerations: More Than Just the Price Tag

The cost of ag tech is a consideration for growers of any size. According to a publication in the Canadian Farm Journal:

“The decline in crop commodity prices since the peak period between 2007 and 2014 has reduced the ability to finance capital-intensive investments, including some forms of precision agriculture.” (Adoption barriers for precision agriculture technologies in Canadian crop production)

Obviously, it is harder for small growers to justify, or indeed afford at all, large precision equipment like a laser weeder, but for generations, small farming communities have solved this issue through co-ownership and equipment rental agreements with neighbours.

In order to justify the expense of buying (or the complications of co-ownership, the value of the technology needs to be clear. It is easier enough to theorize the benefits of tech by providing real numbers about the rate of return on investment. It is vital to build trust with growers facing diminishing profit margins generally. Being able to point to use cases where a solution was successful goes a long way in convincing others it will work for them too.

For example,

“In 2024, I was able to, in one field, save 10% on pruning with Croptracker” (Garrett Dolan, Columbia Fruit Farm Manager, Croptracker user since 2018).

This type of user quote not only points to a quantitative value – money saved, it also provides social proof. For broad adoption, growers need to be able to see themselves in the group benefitting from using a given ag tech solution. Case studies that detail the customer profile, the problem they are facing, and the way tech can solve it are key to convincing many growers to adopt new technology.

Ag tech that can remove the need to buy new and specialty equipment at all is appealing as well. A recurring service fee is oftentimes easier to incorporate into budgets than a big one-time expense. Many farm management software and digital QC solutions, including Croptracker, operate on a Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) model, allowing growers to take advantage of the mobile devices and computers they already own.

The Hidden Costs of Tech Adoption: Time and Communication

Especially in ag, tech developers need to understand that the true cost of adopting a technology includes not only purchasing the equipment or service but also the time spent training workers, adjusting existing systems and troubleshooting. Immediate benefits are hard to achieve when introducing new technology to already complicated and fragile systems, like farming. Croptracker developers and support staff are intimately aware that what is fast in the lab is not fast in the field.

For example, our recently launched update of the Field Pack module allows for rapid inventory and linked employee records to be generated in seconds without an internet connection. Troubleshooting this module required consultation and testing not only in our development lab but also out in the field with our users. Long-time original field pack users gave feedback along the development process to ensure the system was fast and accurate enough to keep pace with their pickers. Ag tech cannot slow processes down when every second counts to maintain competitive advantage.

Launching any new tech in the agriculture space requires a real understanding of the realities on the farm or in the pack house. Many potential ag tech buyers cite a lack of understanding of the regulation and market realities of agriculture as a limiting factor in tech adoption. Ag tech developers and vendors must be able to display an understanding of the real needs and demands and limitations of their tech in use to develop trust with growers. There is no extra time on the farm, so growers will often prioritize tech that does not require configuration and workaround for their specific needs. Ag tech companies that are able to report back to various stakeholders in the company in formats that are actually useful to them gain much more trust with growers than companies that produce unformatted and untailored data.

A related concern and barrier to adopting new ag tech is also how this tech will impact and communicate with other systems already in place. Is the information and reporting produced from new tech available in interoperable formats? Is there an available API so information can be gathered and moved automatically? Solutions that require less disruption to existing systems are easier for growers and packers to adopt as many operations rarely have a true downtime.

Croptracker has worked hard over the last 20 years to format many reports, tags and workflows according to industry standards and offers API endpoints for users to integrate our data with their other information systems. We have also maintained our modular pricing model so growers can adopt features without overwhelm, at their own pace. Additionally, through feedback and years of working with growers, we have updated our pricing to ensure all accounts come with 10 users so training more staff and integrating more workflows is easier.

The Need for Support & Training

Growers have consistently highlighted the need for support and training as a key part of decision-making when adopting new ag tech. A statewide survey by the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln found that 63-65% of Nebraska farmers cite a lack of time and qualified labor as barriers to adopting digital ag tech, while 53% point to insufficient training as a key challenge. If ag tech software or hardware is too complicated for the end user in the field, then it offers little value, even if the farm manager or owner can operate it and see the value in theory.

Croptracker works hard to address this user entry and training barrier through a variety of ways:

  • Ensuring our product is available in the language of the end user ensures ag workers understand the processes they are enacting.
  • Having a robust and consistently updated Knowledge base for users to access on demand.
  • Creating video instructions as well as in-app prompts to make sure more learning styles are accommodated.
  • Developing custom SOPs and detailed instruction documents for our customers during the onboarding process so end users know exactly which processes in Croptracker align with the job including how to share and move information through to co-workers, suppliers and buyers.

It is not always possible to uncomplicate the needs and information demands of farm record keeping, but the processes for gathering information and formatting it for sharing can be simplified.

Privacy & Data Security: An Emerging Concern

Another emerging concern from growers looking to adopt new ag tech is privacy and data security. Maintaining a competitive advantage for farmers often comes with years of hard-learned processes and management practices, choosing tech that will not share processes with competitors is essential. Increasing concern over ag information being used to train AI systems without clear consent has also emerged as many tech start-ups and big players compete to make AI agronomic recommendations. In the spray management software ag tech space right now, for example, several companies are announcing new AI spray rec tools that often promote the use of chemicals sold by the parent company of the spray software. It is important for growers to know when the ag tech solutions they are being sold consider them a product as well. Will they sell your data and will they try to sell inputs to you?

Conclusion: Trust is Key to Ag Tech Adoption

The adoption of ag tech is not just about cost or innovation—it’s about trust, usability, and real-world impact. While digital and precision technologies offer promising solutions to industry challenges, growers need more than just theoretical benefits. They require proof of value, seamless integration with existing systems, and support to ensure smooth implementation.

For ag tech companies, success lies in understanding the realities of farming, minimizing disruption, and prioritizing user experience. Farmers are willing to adopt new technology, but only when it is practical, reliable, and enhances—not complicates—their operations. By offering a clear return on investment, robust training, and transparent data practices, ag tech providers can build the trust necessary for long-term adoption.

At Croptracker, we recognize these challenges and continuously work to develop solutions that meet the needs of modern agriculture. By focusing on interoperability, ease of use, and customer support, we strive to empower growers with the tools they need—without adding unnecessary complexity. In a crowded ag tech space, trust isn’t just a selling point—it’s the foundation for meaningful innovation.