Bayer debuts FieldView Drive 2.0 farm-management device

Bayer has launched FieldView Drive 2.0, a small plug-and-play device that farmers can use to connect, monitor, and record activities across different farm equipment types and brands. The next-generation device provides more processing power, data storage, and in-field connection stability in an effort to improve how farmers connect with digital solutions and gather data during planting, spraying, and harvest activities.

The FieldView Drive 2.0 has already been tested by hundreds of farmers, and this product is being showcased this week at the 2024 Farm Progress Show and available for order while supplies last. Bayer anticipates shipping the new hardware starting early next year, pending applicable regulatory approvals.

Akin to upgrading an old smartphone, the new device improves the data-driven Climate FieldView experience and allows farmers to do more with precision equipment. It streamlines how seed prescriptions and other “scripts” transfer from FieldView directly to precision farming equipment. When factors like soil type and elevation cause some parts of a crop field to perform better than others, many farmers create management zones and assign different application rates for seed, fertilizer, and pesticides based on the needs of each zone. Then they use their precision equipment to execute those scripts across their fields.

“I tested Drive 2.0 last spring, and the upgraded technology significantly improved the connection and reliability to my iPad,” said Russ Kavan, who farms in eastern Nebraska. “I also appreciated that it could read serial data without needing a separate converter. In our operation, we use equipment from multiple companies and move the [FieldView] Drive around from planter to sprayer. Having the ability to do that without needing another piece of hardware has simplified the process.”

FieldView Drive 2.0 serves as a link between farm inputs, digital solutions, and precision equipment. According to a Bayer news release, the new prescription delivery feature supports global expansion of new crop systems like the Preceon Smart Corn System, which incorporates digital prescriptions and recommendations — including seeding rate — as part of the system.

“Bayer is in the business of innovation, and as we work to de-risk farming operations and deliver new profit opportunities to our farmer customers, FieldView Drive 2.0 is a foundational tool that will broaden our reach and deepen our impact,” said Jeremy Williams, Head of Climate LLC, Digital Farming and Commercial Ecosystems for the Crop Science division of Bayer. “With its improved performance and simplified setup, more farmers will benefit from digital farming technology, and as tailored solutions like the Preceon Smart Corn System and outcome-based business models expand, more farmers will be able to send data-driven recommendations directly to their equipment with simplified prescription delivery through the device.”

An upgrade from its predecessor that launched in 2016, FieldView Drive 2.0 adds equipment compatibility while continuing to work with all makes and models of equipment.