In-Season Nitrogen Monitoring.
No Scouting Required.
FarmTech integrates Messium satellite intelligence into FarmIQ — so you can see your crop's nitrogen status, field by field, without leaving the cab. Catch deficiencies before they cost you yield.
How It Works
Satellite imaging monitors your crop canopy throughout the growing season — tracking biomass, nitrogen uptake, and anomalies at the field level. FarmTech delivers those insights inside FarmIQ, alongside your soil maps and machine data. One login. Full picture.
The satellite passes every few days from green-up through grain fill. You see your nitrogen status update in real time — no tissue samples, no consultant visit, no waiting until harvest to find out which fields underperformed.
What the satellite detects
- Nitrogen Nutrition Index (NNI) — your crop's actual N status versus the optimal curve, per field
- Biomass tracking — in-season growth rate versus historical and neighboring fields
- Anomaly detection — fields falling behind before it's visible on the ground
- Protein prediction — milling wheat contract projections based on season trajectory
Same yield. Half the nitrogen. $57/acre saved.
We ran a Montana winter wheat field side-by-side. Standard practice: 160 lbs N/acre applied upfront. Satellite-guided strips: 80 lbs N/acre, timed by monitoring data.
Both treatments yielded comparable grain. Standard practice came in at 13.6% protein; satellite-guided at 12.2%. Both well above the 11.5% discount threshold. 80 lbs of nitrogen saved per acre at $0.75/lb = $60/acre savings. Subtract the $3/acre monitoring cost: $57/acre net.
On a 1,000-acre winter wheat operation, that's $57,000 back in your pocket from one season of monitoring.
What You See in FarmIQ
Field-by-field nitrogen status
Updated through the season as satellite passes come in. See which fields are running optimal, which are deficient, and which need a closer look — all in the same platform where your soil maps and spray records live.
Anomaly alerts
Know which fields are falling behind before it's visible on the ground. Catch the problem in week 6, not at harvest. The difference between a management correction and a yield loss.
NNI scores per field
Nitrogen Nutrition Index — where your crop is relative to optimal at every growth stage. Not a guess. Derived from satellite canopy readings calibrated to your crop type and season conditions.
Soil + satellite overlay
Your phosphorus and pH maps from soil scanning sit alongside your nitrogen monitoring in FarmIQ. When a field shows N deficiency, you can cross-reference soil limitations on the same screen.
Protein predictions
For milling wheat contracts — season-trajectory protein projections so you know whether you're on track for the premium before you're standing at the elevator. Adjust while you still can.
Who This Is For
Good fit
- Small grains operations: wheat, barley, canola
- Running yield targets and milling contracts — protein premiums matter
- Applying 75+ lbs/acre of nitrogen and want to know if you're over or under
- Variable fields where some areas consistently need more or less N than others
- You want to reduce risk by holding back N until you see what the season delivers
The core problem it solves
If you're chasing protein premiums, you need to know your nitrogen status mid-season — not at harvest. By the time the combine tells you a field came in at 11.3% protein, you've already missed the premium and it's too late to fix it.
In-season monitoring gives you the window to act. Top-dress the fields that need it. Hold back on the ones that don't. The $57/acre savings in the 2025 trial came entirely from knowing which was which.
2026 program: $3.00/acre. Includes all-season monitoring, 5-meter nitrogen status maps, and FarmIQ integration.
Want satellite eyes on your crop this season?
We ran the 2025 Montana trials. We've seen the data. We know this works. Talk to our team about whether it makes sense for your operation and how to get enrolled for the 2026 season.