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.