Integrated Crop Management Services Selling Advice for Profit

Some progressive Iowa dealers are developing comprehensive, fee-based integrated crop management (ICM) services that increase profitability for their own businesses as well as for their customers\u27 operations. More commonly, dealers provide crop management services free in support of product sales, but these services are limited in scope and generally involve diagnosing and reacting to problems. In contrast, the principal focus of fee-based ICM services is on field-by-field planning from a systems perspective (Brown et al, 1995). ICM aims to manage (avoid or control) nutrient and pest problems, if possible, not just rescue the crop once a problem has occurred. ICM services also provide recommendations on manure management, timing, varieties, equipment and other aspects of the client\u27s operation where profit-limiting variables can be identified and refined