A TELEMATICS CHECKLIST FOR PRECISION AGRICULTURE

Precision agriculture has moved well past the promise of simply knowing where a tractor is in a field. Farmers today expect their management platforms to explain what happened during an operation, whether inputs were applied correctly, and whether machinery is running as it should.

For telematics integrators building these platforms, that shift raises a fair question: does your current solution actually deliver the depth of data that precision farming demands, or does it stop at basic location tracking?  To help answer that, Teltonika hosted a webinar, showcasing its latest ISOBUS data-reading solution with FMC650 trackers.

With this functionality, businesses can track a tractor with centimetre-level accuracy, see where products were applied in the field, and access machine diagnostic data. Based on these results and questions from webinar attendees, we compiled a practical checklist below covering the key features of a complete agricultural telematics solution.

WHAT SHOULD IOT DO TO IMPROVE CROP YIELD?

FIELD MAPPING AND CROP MONITORING

Yield monitoring is the largest application segment in the precision farming market, accounting for a 43.1% revenue share in 2025. That leadership position isn't surprising: yield data connects directly to farm revenue, so it is usually the first thing farmers and platforms choose to track. Agricultural platforms typically rely on one or more of the following methods to assess field performance, each with different trade-offs in precision, cost, and effort:

• Satellite imagery – useful for spotting broad historical trends across a field, though resolution and update frequency limit how much fine detail it can capture.

• Drone footage – offers a closer, more detailed view than satellite imagery and can support tasks such as variable-rate irrigation planning, but requires more investment in equipment, flight time, and data processing.

• In-field sensors – provide continuous, automated monitoring of conditions such as soil moisture, pest activity, and water use, delivering high precision at the cost of hardware installation and maintenance.

• Soil sampling – A manual technique in which physical samples are tested to determine nutrient composition and other soil properties, guiding decisions like fertiliser application.

For an agricultural management platform to be useful, it should support at least one of these methods, giving farmers a historical record of field performance and the ability to generate heatmaps showing where inputs (water, fertilizer, pesticides) should be applied based on crop needs.

That data only delivers its full value, though, if the platform can also verify how machinery moved through the field and what operations it performed there. Without that layer, farmers end up comparing a precise heatmap against an unverified account of machinery work — which limits the value of the monitoring investment they have already made. So, what kind of machinery data helps confirm proper fieldwork?

ACCURATE POSITIONING, EVEN AT LOW SPEEDS

A consistent and precise track of machinery is crucial for determining whether the right volume of inputs was applied at the right location. 

Tractors are notoriously difficult to track accurately, since they move slowly, turn sharply, and follow repetitive patterns across a field. In these conditions, GNSS position drift and signal reflections can create visible jumps or deviations in the track, especially when the vehicle is moving at very low speeds.

REAL-LIFE RESULTS

Teltonika's FMC650 and FMM650 devices are designed to address these challenges through a combination of advanced GNSS technology and tracking logic:

• Dual-band GNSS (L1 + L5) improves positioning accuracy and helps mitigate multipath effects caused by signal reflections.

• An external GNSS antenna enables installation in locations with better satellite visibility and lower signal interference.

• A dedicated Slow-Moving Mode automatically activates below 10 km/h, helping to reduce low-speed GNSS noise and maintain a cleaner, more reliable track during field operations.

However, GNSS data is not the only method to track machinery.

CENTIMETER-LEVEL PRECISION WITH RTK DATA

More and more farmers are investing in real-time kinematic (RTK) guidance systems to improve navigation accuracy for drivers. Typically, this involves purchasing an RTK base station, receiver, and task management platform either directly from the tractor manufacturer or through aftermarket auto-steering solutions.

The reason is simple: standard GNSS accuracy of one to three metres is often not enough to prevent overlaps and gaps between passes. Even small deviations can lead to wasted seed and fertiliser. RTK technology solves this problem by providing centimetre-level positioning accuracy.

However, RTK data is not always available outside the guidance system itself. Accessing RTK corrections usually requires a dedicated licence or API from the RTK provider, meaning the data remains locked within the tractor's navigation ecosystem and visible only to the operator in real time.

FMC650 devices solve this challenge by reading RTK data directly from the tractor's communication network, commonly referred to in the industry as ISOBUS network.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

The tracking device connects to the ISOBUS network through the 9-pin diagnostic socket, reading the information that is constantly exchanged between the tractor’s onboard systems, such as implements, RTK receivers, and various mechanical parts.

REAL-LIFE RESULTS

A real-life example of FMC650 tracking accuracy by reading RTK coordinates through ISOBUS

In this way, FMC650 can transfer coordinates and ground speed from the installed RTK system, regardless of if it was installed by the original equipment manufacturer or added later through an aftermarket solution.

The results speak for themselves: telematics platforms can display the same centimetre-level precision track that drivers use for navigation in the cab. This is critical for confirming the fieldwork done using parameters discussed further.

TRACTOR SYSTEM HEALTH

Location alone will not tell you if a tractor is overheating, losing fuel, or tilling the soil at an improper depth. That’s why agricultural tracking solutions should monitor tractor system and implement data.

A tractor's engine transfers power to implements through three systems in particular: the hitch, the hydraulics, and the power take-off (PTO) system.  

IMPLEMENT PERFORMANCE DURING APPLICATION

Application data is one of the most valuable inputs in precision agriculture. Knowing exactly how much product was applied per hectare helps verify field operations, track input costs, and evaluate the performance of each field and driver.

Here are the key implement parameters to monitor:

This data helps ensure field operations are carried out as planned and provides a reliable basis for cost analysis, reporting, and precision farming decisions.

SCALE BEYOND THE TRACTOR AND ACROSS THE DEPOT

A tractor rarely works alone, so your platform also needs to confirm that a truck was present at the right time and place during harvest handover.

For that, you can install an FMC650 tracker in the truck and monitor trailer weight and axle load in real time. This eliminated the need to dedicate additional development time to integrating a new device into the platform, while also solving two problems at once: first, the tracker helps to see how much grain was collected, and then, makes sure none of it was stolen while the truck travels to the silo.

Beyond machinery data reading, telematic service providers can build systems to prevent issues like fuel theft, unauthorised driving, while also providing visibility into non-motorised assets. For that, agricultural trackers need to be equipped with various inputs, outputs, and serial communication ports to connect other IoT accessories.

Read our latest use case, following a typical day of an agricultural operator, to get implementation examples for overseeing depot operations, monitoring implement location, and scaling across different types of machinery.

Q&A

At the end of each webinar, we host a live Q&A session. Below, you will find some of the participants’ questions along with answers from our technical experts.

Does reading ISOBUS data risk the tractor's warranty? No. Connecting through the tractor's existing diagnostic socket, using the standard 9-pin cable, does not require cutting wires or modifying the vehicle, so the warranty stays intact. The 9-pin cable is commonly found in tractor models manufactured from 2012 onwards.

However, if the socket is not available, we recommend using ECAN02 adapter, which provides contactless access to CAN bus data.

If my tractor has a limited number of ISOBUS sockets, can Teltonika provide me with any cable splitter? Currently Teltonika does not offer a dedicated ISOBUS extension or splitter. If connector expansion is needed, we recommend using a suitable OEM- or third party-approved ISOBUS splitter/extension compatible with the tractor's network.

What happens if a tractor has no RTK antenna fitted? FMC650 devices designed for heavy machinery can still improve accuracy through external antenna placement, wider satellite frequency coverage, and slow-speed tracking modes, so RTK is a significant upgrade rather than a strict requirement.

Does Teltonika sell RTK bases, antennas, or receivers? No, we do not sell RTK technology. FMC650 devices are designed to work with existing RTK solutions and can receive RTK information via CAN or RS232, depending on the installation.

Is there a supported vehicle or parameter list? FMC650 can read ISOBUS data from any tractor or heavy machinery that is using J1939. If some parameters are not supported by the main firmware, integrators can use Manual CAN requests functionality to read 70 additional parameters. To do this, you also need a vehicle’s CAN protocol.

WHAT THIS MEANS FOR YOUR PLATFORM

Building a precision agriculture solution is ultimately about closing the gap between what farmers plan and what happens in the field. Positioning accuracy, tractor diagnostics, and implement data each answer a different part of that question, and it is the combination of all three, delivered through a single device, that lets a fleet manager understand true input costs, prove regulatory compliance, and catch maintenance issues before they become expensive. Reviewing your current stack against this checklist is a useful place to start.