Failure is a costly proposition in any industry – and agriculture is certainly no exception. The New York Times reported earlier this year that the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated total losses of $15.8 billion from crops harvested in 2012, thanks to a nasty drought. That’s up from $9.4 billion in 2011.

Farmers can’t control the weather, of course, but they’ve come to trust companies to design machinery using components such as hydraulic pressure sensors. These small pieces of hardware precisely meter the performance of automated equipment. This precision gives farmers the ability to improve the outcome of those things that can be controlled. Read More.