Stop Spraying Blindly: The Case for Real-Time Plant Analysis in Modern Farming

Farming today looks very different than it did even a decade ago. Growers have more tools, technology, and data at their fingertips than ever before. Yet, one challenge has remained the same: knowing exactly what the crop needs at the right time. Too often, decisions about spraying and nutrient management are made with limited information, leaving growers to guess at what’s really happening inside their plants. That’s where real-time plant analysis changes everything.

The Problem with Guesswork and Traditional Methods

Traditionally, growers have had to rely on visual scouting, lab tests, and general recommendations to make important crop management decisions. While these methods have value, they come with drawbacks. Visual scouting can only catch issues once they become visible, which is often too late. Lab tests provide accurate data, but results can take days to come back. By then, conditions may have already changed. General recommendations are broad guidelines that don’t always reflect the specific needs of each field.

This means many farmers are left spraying blindly, applying inputs based on what they think the crop needs rather than what it truly requires.

The Case for Real-Time Insights

Real-time plant analysis gives growers the clarity they’ve been missing. By measuring nutrient levels directly from the plant in minutes, growers can understand exactly what the crop needs while making important decisions. This approach doesn’t just reduce the guesswork, it helps target inputs precisely where and when they’ll have the most impact.

The benefits are clear:

• Better nutrient use: Apply only what’s needed, reducing waste and cost.

• Healthier crops: Address deficiencies before they show up visually.

• Higher yields: Ensure plants have the right nutrition at critical growth stages.

• Sustainable practices: Minimize unnecessary applications that impact both the environment and the bottom line.

How to Bring Real-time Analysis to Your Fields

Picketa Systems’ LENS is designed to bring real-time plant analysis to every grower’s field. Using the LENS, agronomists and crop scouts can scan plant tissue samples and receive immediate insights into 13 macro and micronutrients and easily track these trends over time. This means decisions on fertilization, nutrient adjustments, and spraying can be made instantly, improving efficiency, productivity, and profitability. The LENS makes plant analysis simple: map your fields, collect your leaf samples, and scan them with the handheld probe. In minutes, results appear in the Fieldbook web app, giving you real-time insights into nutrient levels and crop health so you can make confident, timely decisions. The LENS is currently calibrated for corn, potatoes, and canola, with more crops on the way.

The LENS helps growers farm smarter by providing accurate, actionable data that eliminates guesswork. With this technology, you can pinpoint exactly what your crops need, where they need it, and when they need it—transforming nutrient management into a precise, data-driven process.

Farming Smarter, Not Harder

At the end of the day, farming will always come with unpredictability. Weather, markets, and countless other variables are outside of anyone’s control. But nutrient management doesn’t have to be a guessing game anymore. Real-time plant analysis with the LENS provides growers with the confidence to know they’re making the best possible decision for their crops in that moment.

Stop spraying blindly. Start farming with clarity. With real-time plant analysis using the LENS, every decision becomes smarter—and every acre more productive.

Get a LENS for Next Season

Want to make nutrient management simpler and smarter next season? Now’s a great time to reserve your LENS. We only have a limited number of units, and they tend to go quickly, so getting in early is a smart move. Visit http://www.picketa.com/secureyourlens to learn more and reserve your LENS for the next growing season. We’re excited to help you see your fields in a whole new way!