Technology, Sustainability, and the Season Ahead: What's New for Kansas Growers?
Dec 1
2 min read
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The contents of this blog post come from my interview with Brad Gibson of Bayer, conducted at Trade Talk at the NAFB conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
As we look toward the coming growing season, Kansas producers continue to adapt to a rapidly changing agricultural landscape. Brad Gibson of Bayer, shared his perspective on what farmers should be paying attention to as they prepare for 2025.
Sticking to the Basics — With Smarter Tools
Gibson emphasized that while farming practices continue evolving, the core principles remain the same.
“My role at Bayer is a sales agronomist, and one of the things I like to talk to guys about is just doing your normal work practices,” he said.
That includes choosing the right hybrids and placing them correctly, selecting soybean varieties suited to specific fields, and taking full advantage of emerging technologies such as variable-rate fertilizer applications and variable-rate planting. According to Gibson, these tools allow producers to make more precise, efficient decisions that ultimately help them maximize yield potential.
A Decade of Rapid Change
While agriculture has always adapted to new tools and information, the pace of change in recent years has been extraordinary.
Gibson, who has been with Bayer for 26 years, noted a dramatic shift:
“The first 15 years, hardly anything changed. But in the last 5–8 years, it’s been a tremendous amount of change from year to year.”
From advancements in seed technology to digital tools and data-driven decision-making, farmers now have access to more resources than ever before. Gibson says he sees growers changing the way they operate in an effort to stay profitable, efficient, and sustainable.
Sustainability Through Maximizing Bushels
For many Kansas farmers, sustainability doesn't just mean conservation—it means staying economically viable.
“They’ve got to be sustainable,” Gibson said. “And the only way to do that is to maximize the bushels and do the right things.”
With margins tightening and input costs rising, producers are increasingly focused on getting the most out of every acre. Today’s technologies—from precise seed placement to smarter application tools—are helping them do exactly that.
