Purdue Joins Ag Data Effort

The USDA launched the SET program in 2009.

Purdue University has joined the newly-formed Agricultural Data Coalition. The national organization aims to create a database for farm production information.

The ADC says the data will help growers increase efficiency in their operations. The organization says, while farmers collect information every time they pass through their fields, there are currently hurdles in place to house and share than information in a usable way. The goal is to build a national repository of data, with farmers being able to access the data or transmit it to researchers, insurance agents, government officials or advisers.

Purdue Department of Agronomy Chair Joe Anderson says the effort is "transforming how data is captured, analyzed and utilized to make decisions or recommendations." He says the ADC will give farmers "the tools needed to maximize their asset’s value."

Purdue joins other ADC participants including the American Farm Bureau Federation, Ohio State University, Auburn University and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.