BASF has introduced the next generation of its xarvio CONNECT device in North America, giving farmers a simpler way to move data between xarvio FIELD MANAGER and compatible agricultural machinery while reducing the manual work involved in managing field operations.
The portable xarvio CONNECT 2.0 is designed to address one of the persistent challenges facing digital agriculture: connecting farm-management software with machinery operating in the field. By creating a direct data link between xarvio FIELD MANAGER and machine terminals, the device enables farmers to transfer application maps and retrieve operational data without relying on a smartphone or tablet.
The device connects to machinery through USB and incorporates an integrated SIM card connected to a secure mobile network. This creates a closed communication pathway between the digital farming platform and machinery terminal. The system is also designed to continue operating in areas where network connectivity is intermittent, allowing data to be captured and transferred when a connection becomes available.
xarvio CONNECT 2.0 supports commonly used agricultural data formats, including ISOXML and Shapefile, and can work with machinery capable of implementing flat-rate and variable-rate application maps. This includes equipment used for seeding, crop protection and nutrient applications.
For farmers, the process is designed to be straightforward. Once the device is connected to the USB port of a compatible terminal inside the machinery cab, application maps from xarvio FIELD MANAGER can be transferred automatically, with files typically moved within minutes. Compatibility with ISOBUS and CAN-bus systems allows the device to operate across a broad range of machinery without requiring complex equipment integration.
Beyond transferring maps, the system captures data generated during field activities. Information such as harvesting operations, moisture measurements and actual application rates can be fed back into xarvio FIELD MANAGER, allowing farmers to review field performance and improve operational control.
The resulting data can also help farmers estimate input costs, yields and potential revenue closer to real time. By reducing manual data entry and bringing field information into a central digital environment, the technology is designed to help farmers make faster decisions while improving planning and quality control.
“Our aim is to help make agriculture in the United States more productive, profitable and sustainable with digital tools,” said Kyle King, Head of Digital Farming, North America at BASF Agricultural Solutions. He said the expanded connectivity offered by xarvio FIELD MANAGER is intended to help farmers make better use of existing machinery while improving crop-production decisions.
The new device builds on an earlier version of xarvio CONNECT that has been used in Europe for the past three years. Developed with input from farmers, the upgraded system underwent North American testing during the 2024 and 2025 growing seasons across planters, sprayers and fertiliser spreaders manufactured by different equipment companies.
Testing also included agricultural machinery more than a decade old, with the device successfully operating across the equipment evaluated. The broad compatibility is intended to make the technology relevant not only to farms operating the latest connected machinery but also to producers relying on existing equipment fleets.
An integrated GPS capability adds another layer of functionality. By tracking machine locations, xarvio CONNECT 2.0 can help farmers improve field logistics, coordinate equipment movements and reduce unnecessary consumption of fuel and agricultural inputs. Better visibility of machine activity can also help operators complete fieldwork more efficiently.
The data generated through the platform has applications beyond day-to-day farm management. For corn producers, field-level operational records collected through xarvio FIELD MANAGER can feed into xarvio BIOENERGY, BASF's digital solution connecting growers, retail agronomists and biorefineries around lower-carbon-intensity agricultural production.
Through xarvio BIOENERGY, season-long farming practices can be documented and used to assess changes in the carbon intensity of corn production. BASF says US participants may, subject to final government guidance and implementation, be eligible to benefit from the Clean Fuel Production Credit under Section 45Z where independently verified results meet the relevant requirements.
The launch reflects BASF's broader effort to make digital farming tools more practical by connecting software, machinery and field-level data. Rather than requiring farmers to replace existing equipment, xarvio CONNECT 2.0 is designed as a portable connectivity layer that can work across a diverse machinery fleet.
As agricultural operations become increasingly data-driven, the ability to move information seamlessly between farm-management platforms and equipment is becoming a critical part of precision agriculture. BASF's latest xarvio offering is positioned to address that gap while helping farmers extract greater value from the machinery and digital tools they already use.
