Ag Tech Talk Podcast: PTx on Precision Ag Retrofits, Targeted Spraying, and Autonomy

Lauren Milligan By Lauren Milligan|8 October 2026

In this episode of Ag Tech Talk by AgriBusiness Global, Bryce Baker, North America Tactical Marketing Lead, PTx, discusses the company’s “retrofit first” approach to global expansion, the growing potential of targeted spraying, and the challenges of scaling autonomy.

Baker explains how retrofits help growers adopt new technology without waiting for their next equipment trade cycle, while OEM partnerships complement that strategy. He also explores how autonomy, data management, and fleet logistics will shape the future of precision agriculture — and shares advice for companies entering new markets: Understand who the farmer is.

Ag Tech Talk Podcast

Podcast Transcript:

*This is an edited and partial transcript.

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AgriBusiness Global: When you look around the world, where do you see the most exciting opportunities in precision ag?

Bryce Baker: I see two categories of easy adoption opportunities: input savings and operator convenience. Section and swath control are great examples of the first, preventing overlaps, recording boundaries, and automatically shutting off. The savings are tangible and repeat every year. Auto-steer and in-cab adjustments for planter row cleaners, closing wheels, and combines offer convenience by saving time without a significant price tag. Looking ahead, those opportunities will continue, but data and fleet management are becoming increasingly important. As farms grow and fleets expand, farmers need better ways to manage logistics, prescriptions, guidance lines, and machine data. Precision-ag technologies can help turn that information into more actionable insights and more efficient operations.

Targeted spraying brings input savings and convenience together. Using AI and machine learning, it applies contact herbicides only where weeds are present, reducing inputs and improving efficiency. If half a field has weeds, for example, a contact-only pass can cover twice as many acres without refilling, reducing tender fills. There is some setup involved, but as farmers learn to integrate the technology, I expect targeted spraying to really take off.

Lauren Milligan is Content Specialist for the Agribusiness Group, including AgriBusiness Global, CropLife, and Women in Ag Tech. Before joining Meister Media Worldwide in 2022, she received a bachelor’s degree in English from Kent State University in 2017 and has worked on newspapers local to Portage and Summit Counties in Ohio.  See all author stories here.