Variable rate used to mean
a month of friction.
Weist Farms, W02: 10-zone phosphorus prescription loaded to the Topcon terminal and applied May 6, 2026, the day it arrived.
The challenge
Variable rate has existed for decades. So has the friction: soil test, GIS consultant, prescription software, and a console file that might not load.
FarmTech has written variable-rate prescriptions for Montana growers since the early 2000s. It worked, but every prescription was a project.
The solution
SoilOptix has scanned since 2019 and FarmIQ holds the field record. What changed: prescriptions now go from FarmIQ Soil RX straight to the console.
W02 produced 10 zones, an 8x phosphorus range in one field. On May 6, 2026 the seeder applied what each zone needed, no file conversion.
Soil sample → prescription → console → applied.
Zero manual GIS work.
- FarmTech samples the field — GPS-referenced grid, NAPT-certified lab
- FarmTech builds the prescription — agronomist-set zones, target P for 45 bu/ac
- Loaded to the console; the seeder applies what each zone needs
- As-applied data flows back into FarmIQ
Every step is one FarmTech has done for years. W02, spring 2026, was the first field to run the chain with no manual GIS step.
"We've known the northwest corner of W02 runs light for years. Now the seeder actually applies less phosphorus there — because that's what the soil says it needs. The prescription ran day one. No fuss."
What the W02 prescription delivered
10-zone variable-rate prescription
Each zone gets what it needs to hit 45 bu/ac, not what the worst acre requires.
Topcon terminal, no conversion
Loads straight to the operator's console, in the format it already reads.
As-applied record in FarmIQ
Run data flows back beside the prescription. Year over year, it shows whether the soil is responding.
This is the service, not a prototype
W02 ran on a production seeder in the 2026 spring window, not a trial.
SoilOptix is booking fields now.
What you need to run it
- Any variable-rate console; we export to its format.
- A variable-rate seeder or spreader (most modern equipment qualifies).
- A FarmIQ account. The free tier covers prescription tracking.
- FarmTech handles sampling, lab, prescription and delivery.
What is uniform application costing you?
Your fields vary, and acting on it is now simple. Tell us about them.