About Us
OUR HISTORY
When it comes to inputs, seeding rates and other in-field crop management practices, each acre may need more than one agronomic prescription. While working with farmers as part of the FieldScripts initiative, W. Kess Berg, Jon Fridgen and Aaron Gault saw there was a gap in the agricultural industry that could be filled by prescribing tailored solutions for individual acres.
Focused on hybrid seed, when customers began expressing interest in variable seed rate seeding space, the three men took it upon themselves to write more customized recommendations – a hobby that quickly turned into them becoming “field physicians.” They soon discovered data important to optimal field productivity either wasn’t being collected or was underutilized, and crop management recommendations were typically more generalized for a large farm audience, focusing on only one or two variables.
Seeing an opportunity to generate more value from the information they had – and expand that data to mine additional value for the grower – in 2015 Berg, Fridgen and Gault pooled their expertise in soil analysis, data science, statistics and precision agriculture, bought a building in Huntington, Indiana, and founded Advanced Agrilytics.
As systems evolved and customers realized the potential of the methodology on their operations, the Advanced Agrilytics team began to grow, and now has divisions extending into three segments: direct-to-farm agronomic consulting, a team of researchers and industry partners unlocking product potential through the Ag Ingenuity Partners (AIP) division, and the combination of data, technology and software development through Research Realized.
Using cutting-edge precision ag technology and knowledge gained from years in the field, company agronomists test, monitor and evaluate soil conditions, assess field practices and analyze water movement and environmental factors on customers’ farms. Their customized field analysis approach has become wildly popular with growers – customers regularly attest to how Advanced Agrilytics has helped them successfully navigate what would have been challenging seasons if not for working with trained agronomists and deep, informative data about the sub-acres in their fields.
In 2019, Paine Schwartz Partners made an equity investment, allowing the rapid expansion of the team of agronomists, data scientists, Geographic Information System support and more, which contributed to the impact and influence of Advanced Agrilytics — which now supports customers on more than 1 million acres across their 11-state territory.
Berg, Fridgen and Gault have since relocated the main office to Indianapolis, but maintain the company’s controlled-environment research hub in Huntington. A team of 150+ professionals are engaged in operations, continuing to unlock the potential of every acre.
2015
Advanced Agrilytics founded in Huntington, Indiana.
2019
Paine Schwartz Partners makes Equity Investment.
2020
Headquarters relocated and expanded to Indianapolis, Indiana.
2023
More than 60 agronomists now serve customers on 1 million+ acres across 11 states.
2024
Kenny Avery appointed CEO in May.
We believe in delivering on the promise of precision agriculture by unlocking the potential of every acre. As such, Advanced Agrilytics recommends a program of data collection, analysis and presciption over 3 growing seasons (this time may be shorter or longer, depending on your land’s baseline assessment result).
This includes recommendations for:
- Lime, Phosphorus, and Potassium
- Nitrogen
- Nitrogen Stabilizer
- Starter Fertilizer
- Corn Seeding
- Soybean Seeding
HOW WE DO IT
The collaboration doesn’t stop after the recommendations are made. Agronomists stay connected throughout the growing season, providing data management support, in-season observations and operational as well as field-by-field analysis. We meet you where you are in your operation’s growth and will work together to build a plan to unlock potential, even on your most challenging acres.
You can see the difference our approach makes after just one year, and significant improvement after three. Layering data analysis offers real insights and practical agronomic recommendations aligned to management decisions. After all, year-over-year consistency of yield outcomes are driven by a deeper sub-acre understanding.
Our interdisciplinary team has the education and experience to test products, question results and deliver insights. We combine our environmental understanding with core agronomic fundamentals and apply those basic principles to everything we do.
Our ability to consistently deliver unique and practical solutions to help each of our customers in a timely and direct manner is at the core of our scaled-customization business model. We are continuously learning, working to uncover the truth by challenging assumptions, growing in our individual knowledge and capabilities and pursuing unbiased research.
CAREERS
Just as we believe in unlocking the potential of every acre our customers plant, Advanced Agrilytics is looking for team members interested in realizing their own purpose and ambition. Our company offers growth potential and opportunities for professional advancement in the areas of: Agronomy, Research, Data/Analytics/Engineering, Sales and Business Development.
We are problem-solvers by design, interested in continuous learning, getting the right stuff done the right way and focusing on the greater good for our customers and for each other. If you have a “customer-first” mentality, strong listening and problem-solving skills, passion for team and individual success and are dedicated to achieving goals, send us your resume.
SUSTAINABILITY
The Advanced Agrilytics service offering enhances productivity of growers, consolidating multiple services and relationships by offering one complete and unbiased experience. Guiding efficient, sustainable nutrient application helps growers optimize crop and soil inputs, as well as enhance both production and overall climate resilience. These techniques are critical within a food supply chain and consumer environment that is demanding sustainable and regenerative farming practices. They also help progressive growers mitigate risk and improve sustainable, more resilient production.
At Advanced Agrilytics, we are constantly evaluating our business operations, the tools we use to analyze customers’ acres and the prescriptive recommendations we offer, through the lens of sustainable best practices that are environmentally and economically sound.
SOIL FERTILITY
Effective nutrient management to improve fertility is vital for maximizing crop health, yield potential, and minimizing environmental impact. Adopting sustainable practices such as soil testing, variable rate application, and balanced nutrient management strategies showcases a farmer’s commitment to nutrient stewardship and sustainable agriculture.
WATER
Well-designed nutrient management plans focus on efficient fertilizer use, reduction of runoff, and protection of water quality.
SUNLIGHT
Because sunlight is finite and varies depending on cloud cover, and because crop canopy needs sunlight to properly develop, our tailored solutions maximize kernel fill during critical growing days and ensure the crop receives only those inputs necessary to maintain sustainability. Through proper field prep and use of starter fertilizers, crops can establish canopy earlier, to absorb more sunlight and aid in photosynthesis at critical points in the growing season.
ONGOING SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH
Advanced Agrilytics conducts sustainability-related research at our Huntington Research Facility in Indiana, and through customer field data across our entire footprint. In seasons ahead we plan to embark on research to quantify agronomic and environmental impacts of nitrogen use efficiency based on grain and yield unit nitrogen maps, as well as carton-related tracking and reporting.
SUSTAINABLE AGRONOMICS FOR SUSTAINABLE ECONOMICS
We provide critical, customized recommendations that support every acre including lime, phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen and nitrogen stabilizers, corn hybrid and soybean variety placement, and seeding recommendations. Management support across every acre maximizes your inputs and unlocks unrealized potential – including performance metrics like Nutrient Use Efficiency (NUE) and yield gains.
NUTRIENT USE EFFICIENCY AND YIELD GAINS
Grower partnering with Advanced Agrilytics generally use 18+% less nitrogen per bushel of corn produced.
We are dedicated to making a positive impact through regenerative agriculture practices. Learn more about these impacts in the Paine Schwartz Sustainability Report. The new 2025 Sustainability Report is now available!
4R NUTRIENT STEWARDSHIP
Advancing Sustainable Farming Through 4R Nutrient Stewardship
At Advanced Agrilytics, our spatial analysis technology is rooted in the principles of 4R Nutrient Stewardship: applying the Right Source of nutrients at the Right Rate, Right Time, and in the Right Place. Our science-based methodology drives the implementation of agronomic practices that not only enhance productivity but also reduce environmental impact and protect natural resources more effectively.
We’re proud of the recognition we’ve received from key states in the Corn Belt for our commitment to 4Rs best management practices:
Certified for Year Two in Indiana
Advanced Agrilytics has achieved Year Two certified status in the Indiana 4R Nutrient Stewardship Certification Program, a voluntary program led by the Agribusiness Council of Indiana. The certification affirms our continued commitment to nutrient practices that help protect soil and water resources throughout the state.
Partnering for Stewardship in Missouri
Advanced Agrilytics is now a proud Show-Me Nutrient Stewardship Partner in Missouri. This statewide initiative, led by the Missouri Fertilizer Control Board, promotes sustainable nutrient management and conservation practices to protect water quality and soil health throughout the state. In addition, our precision agronomists are 4R Certified Advisors.
A Science-Based Path to Sustainability
The 4R approach is not just a certification—it’s a commitment. Across all states where we operate, Advanced Agrilytics applies our science-based methodology that helps growers:
- Improve nutrient use efficiency
- Minimize runoff and leaching
- Protect biodiversity and aquatic ecosystems
- Build healthier soils for long-term resilience
By making stewardship a central part of every agronomic decision, we’re helping growers preserve the resources their operations—and future generations—depend on.