How Nutrien Ag Solutions’ Paul Bonnett Plans to Accelerate Ag Tech Adoption
Paul Bonnett (right), Senior Director of Digital Agronomy & Data Science at Nutrien Ag Solutions, joined CropLife Editor Eric Sfiligoj for a Fireside Chat at this year’s Tech Hub LIVE in Des Moines, IA.
At this year’s Tech Hub LIVE in Des Moines, IA, ag technology took center stage in a candid Fireside Chat between CropLife Editor Eric Sfiligoj and Paul Bonnett, Senior Director of Digital Agronomy & Data Science at Nutrien Ag Solutions. With decades of experience at the intersection of agronomy, innovation, and retail, Bonnett offered a detailed roadmap for the future of ag tech adoption — what’s driving it, what’s slowing it down, and how the industry can close the gap between invention and impact.
“The energy around ag technology right now feels like the early days of GMO adoption,” Bonnett said. “We’re seeing technologies that could truly redefine how we produce food at scale.”
From short stature corn to AI-driven weed control and next-generation soil testing, Bonnett highlighted a series of transformative trends beginning to break through the noise.
The New Frontiers of Agronomy
Bonnett identified three major drivers fueling today’s ag tech acceleration. First, innovative seed traits such as short stature corn, which he believes will improve weather resilience and offer new flexibility in in-season crop management. “This isn’t just about plant height,” he said. “It opens doors for new ways to manage inputs throughout the growing season.”
Second, machine-enabled agronomy — a broad category that includes everything from vision-based weed spraying to drone applications — is rapidly advancing. Bonnett noted that recent policy shifts, including a U.S. executive order aimed at expanding the domestic drone industry, could serve as a catalyst. “We see this as a big opportunity, especially in specialty crops, but it’s coming to row crops, too.”
Third is artificial intelligence, particularly its potential in agronomic decision-making and trait stacking. “We’re entering an era where managing weed resistance or nutrient efficiency will involve AI just as much as chemistry or genetics,” Bonnett explained.
From Innovation to Implementation
Despite these promising developments, Bonnett was quick to acknowledge that adoption isn’t guaranteed. “It’s not about just having great technology. It’s about making it usable, scalable, and economically viable at the farm gate.”
Drawing from historical patterns — including how hybrid corn adoption varied regionally in the early 20th century — Bonnett pointed out that farm size and infrastructure still play pivotal roles. “Larger growers — those over 5,000 acres — are more inclined to test and adopt. But our sweet spot, especially for retail engagement, is in that 2,000 to 5,000-acre range,” he said.
He emphasized three critical elements to unlocking faster adoption:
- Desirability and ROI: “Tech has to make sense on the farm, and increasingly, at the retail level too.”
- Practical implementation: “It’s not just about agronomy. If you can’t service it — logistics, supply, pricing — then agronomy takes a back seat.”
- Local support and partnerships: “No company, not even Nutrien or John Deere, covers every acre. We need collaboration to truly scale.”
Overcoming Hurdles Through Real-World Testing
To that end, Nutrien has invested heavily in a network of Innovation Farms across the U.S., including a new 200-acre site near Champaign, IL. These farms serve as full-scale, working operations designed to test new technologies under real farming conditions.
“It’s one thing to trial a product in isolation,” Bonnett said. “It’s another to see how it works when you integrate it with the planter, with new liquid systems, with actual field logistics. That’s what these Innovation Farms let us do.”
Through these hubs, Nutrien collaborates with startups, equipment manufacturers, and R&D giants to accelerate the time from lab to field. “Our goal is to shorten the adoption cycle. Show ROI. Train our people. Demonstrate value to the grower,” he said.
Looking Ahead: Region Matters
When asked about regional differences in adoption, Bonnett returned to his earlier point about the historical lag between Midwestern and Southern hybrid corn adoption. “The Midwest — with its larger farms and deeper infrastructure — is still leading. But that doesn’t mean other regions won’t catch up.”
He stressed that reaching smaller growers requires a more intentional support model. “Retail is key here. The last mile of tech delivery, where you actually show up for the farmer, makes all the difference,” he said.
As the industry stands at the cusp of yet another technological leap, Bonnett’s message was clear: success won’t be driven solely by innovation — it will depend on integration, scalability, and a deeply rooted understanding of what growers actually need.
“There’s incredible potential in front of us,” he said. “But to get there, we need to stop thinking of ag tech as a shiny add-on and start treating it as core to how agriculture works.”
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