Field Monitoring

A New Eye In The Sky: High Frequency, Multispectral Satellite Constellation Approaches 2026 Debut

Thu, 11 Sep 2025 19:40:17 GMT

The 2025 crop season has been a solid proving ground for the value and utility of satellite and aerial imagery in farming.

That’s because corn and soybean fields this summer appeared incredibly healthy and high-yielding from the drive-by scouting pass in the pick-up truck, but then crop scouts marched into those same fields , uncovering widespread yield variability and a high level of foliar disease pressure .

EarthDaily (formerly Geosys) says it will soon leverage a new satellite constellation to beat USDA yield forecasts by capturing daily calibrated images of crops and feeding those images through artificial intelligence (AI) tools.

The news

Satellite imagery of a corn field in the U.S. with corresponding NDVI (plant health) and precipitation data all the way back to 2017.

(EarthDaily)

EarthDaily says it intends to provide daily, high-quality aerial data that agronomists, grain traders and commodity brokers can use to get snapshots-in-time for farm fields, without ever having to launch a camera drone or upload thousands of images to stitch together an orthomosaic. Farmers also stand to benefit because the data will be available within many popular farm management information software systems.

The company is in the process of launching a new 10-satellite constellation that will be fully operational by the 2026 cropping season. This constellation is different from other ag-monitoring satellites orbiting the earth in that it will feature a yellow-band index among its impressive 22 spectral bands.

How is it different from other ag satellites?

EarthDaily satellite data showing the crop progress of China’s corn production regions for the last five growing seasons. The 2025 trend line (black) shows higher than historical average crop health.

(EarthDaily)

“Most [ag] satellites do not have an imager to collect the yellow band,” says Nick Ohrtman, key accounts success lead, EarthDaily. “We have a yellow band imager on ours that we’re pretty excited about moving forward, because obviously yellowing is a key indicator of a lot of plant stresses.”

Ohrtman adds the company has yet to get out and ground-truth the yellow-band imagery in the field, but the potential to catch more yield-robbing agronomic issues on the front-end and alert retail agronomists before crops really take a hit is intriguing.

Intriguing, yes. But Ohrtman, a former Iowa farm kid himself who still helps with the family farm when he’s not working in Minneapolis, says it still serves as just a complement to the traditional scouting pass. Nothing will ever replace farmer and/or agronomist boots-on-the-ground, he adds.

“You can’t be in every field every day, walking crops,” Ohrtman says. “But if you are in the field, you’re probably going to know better than I am from a satellite.”

Main takeaways, per EarthDaily:

The EarthDaily Constellation is purpose-built for broad area change detection, with 16 imagers on each bus capturing 22 spectral bands at the same time each day.
The system will be able to deliver AI-ready data that brings speed and accuracy of insights to today’s EO analytics market.
The full constellation will be operational in 2026, though the robustness of the data will not fully align with the crop season until then.
Among its 22 spectral bands, the yellow band, unique to EarthDaily, is valuable for detecting early signs of crop stress.
EarthDaily’s offering begins with data capture, which is then transformed into downstream analytics purpose-built for agriculture.
For farmers, the technology pinpoints when and where attention is needed in the field, predicting crop health and providing actionable insight without constant boots-on-the-ground monitoring.

Your next read: Could USDA Raise Corn Yields in the Report? Is China Buying U.S. Soybeans?

Farm Drone News: AgEagle Multispectral Sensor, GPS Satellite Launched and Rantizo Spins Off Software

Tue, 12 Aug 2025 18:08:05 GMT

AgEagle Aerial Systems Unveils New RedEdge-P Green Camera

(AgEagle Aerial Systems)

AgEagle Aerial Systems announces the launch of its new RedEdge-P Green, a multispectral camera designed to enable precision agriculture from planting to harvest.

AgEagle says farmers that use the new sensor payload can achieve higher yields through quicker interventions both early on and late in the crop cycle. Operators can reduce fertilizer and irrigation inputs and engage in smart harvesting techniques using optimized indices and targeted indices like the Plant Senescence Reflectance Index (PSRI).

Available as a standalone camera or in paired configurations with the original RedEdge-P and the RedEdge-P Blue, users can leverage up to 15 noise-resistant, data-rich spectral bands essential for large-area precision agriculture.

The RedEdge-P Green camera is NDAA-compliant and integrates with multiple drone platforms. Each camera kit includes a Calibrated Reflectance Panel (CRP) and a Downwelling Light Sensor (DLS2) for radiometric calibration.

Production of the RedEdge-P Green camera is underway, and the first units are expected to ship this week. For more information about the RedEdge-P Green visit ageagle.com.

Dutch Startup Launches Largest GPS Network for Drones, Tractors

(Lindsey Pound, iStock)

FreshMiners, a Netherlands-based IOT firm, launched a GPS service that enables accurate positioning for agriculture, construction and drone navigation, according to AgriMarketing.com.

AgriMarketing.com writes that the Dutch company is launching a service for extra-accurate GPS. It is intended for drone pilots, farmers and others. With this new technology, users can correct their GPS positions down to the centimeter. Real-time correction signals are sent to the user’s GPS receiver via a global network of base stations. This correction is essential for applications in agriculture, land surveying and drone navigation, among other things.

A subscription gives users access to the GEODNET network, which, with more than 19,000 base stations in over 140 countries, is now reportedly the largest RTK network in the world.

Read more at AgriMarketing.com.

Missouri Doctoral Student Says Drones Are Fine Tool for Crop Scouting

(Photo by Abbie Lankitus)

Researchers at the University of Missouri have discovered a mix of drones and AI can help farmers measure the health of their corn more efficiently.

Instead of relying on handheld devices, which are slow and impractical for larger fields, the researchers surveyed corn fields in mid-Missouri using drones equipped with special cameras to capture images and data.

After combining the drone images with soil data, the Mizzou researchers used a type of AI known as machine learning to quickly predict the chlorophyll content in the corn leaves of the entire field with great accuracy.

The study was led by Fengkai Tian (pictured above), a Mizzou doctoral student who works in the lab of Jianfeng Zhou, an associate professor in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources.

Read more from the University of Missouri here.

Rantizo Spin-Off American Autonomy Inc. Says It Can Close the Spray Drone Data Loop

Rantizo is now connected with the John Deere Operations Center through John Deere API services.

(Rantizo)

Ground rig as-applied data has been around for decades, and it comes in handy when you’re tabulating your end of year scorecard to find out which treatments boosted yields and where a spray might have fallen short.

Yet even though spray drones treated over 10 million crop acres in 2024 alone, there’s still a gap that exists in capturing that data and integrating it into your farm management software.

Former Rantizo CEO Mariah Scott, who is now the CEO of a spinoff operation dubbed American Autonomy Inc., says her new outfit’s AcreConnect platform can help close that gap with API connections into John Deere’s Operations Center and more major FMIS platforms.

“We talk to farmers about getting that complete view of your field management, by closing the loop so you understand what’s effective or what’s not,” Scott says. “Most of the farmers we talk to use spray drones and a ground sprayer, and that (as-applied) data from the sprayer goes right into their FMIS account, but with the spray drone it doesn’t always work like that.”

The deal to divest the spray drone operations side of the business was quietly announced on Aug. 1. The Rantizo name, the startup is a pioneering spray drone service provider, still lives on, but now there’s a clean break between the spraying operations and the software on the back end that enables it.

Learn more about the Rantizo-American Autonomy Spinoff over at PRNewswire.

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Meet The Forge: Kelly Hills Unmanned Puts New Spin on Ag Tech Field Testing

Wed, 02 Jul 2025 11:53:55 GMT

Over the weekend, Kelly Hills Unmanned, a company that says it is dedicated to accelerating multimodal technologies in agriculture and autonomy, announced the launch of The Forge.

It’s being described as a deployment-centered program designed to meld best-in-class ag technologies into new tools that farmers, ranchers and service providers can trust and use for decades to come, according to a press release from the group.

The Forge’s inaugural cohort hopes to bring together a “powerhouse group” of innovators and operators from across the ag technology landscape into a coordinated, systems approach to help growers identify and overcome agronomic issues before they become yield robbers.

The cohort members, or pillars, are:

Precision AI: Developers of real-time drone-based precision spraying systems that reduce chemical inputs and deliver hyper-targeted agronomic action.
Pyka: Builders of autonomous electric aircraft designed for aerial applications, logistics and mission-critical crop operations.
ScanIt Technologies: Experts in using early detection of airborne pathogens to maximize yields and minimize costs.
Heinen Brothers Agra Services: One of the nation’s largest aerial applicators and ag services companies, offering deployment scale and deep field expertise.
Yamaha Precision Agriculture: Pioneers of robotic and aerial technology for small scale, high-efficiency farming.
Drop Flight: Providers of droplet characterization and aircraft calibration tools to optimize spray accuracy and compliance in real-world operations.
Taranis: Global leaders in ultra-high-resolution aerial scouting, delivering precise field-level insights to boost agronomic decision-making.

For more information, head to www.kellyhills.us/the-forge .

Farm Journal reached out to Lukas Koch to pick his brain about this new, novel entrant to the ag tech ecosystem. We first met Koch last year during the Kelly Hills Unmanned summer field day near Seneca, Kan., where his group unveiled the Pyka Pelican Spray drone — at the time the largest, highest-capacity ag spray drone on the market (280-liter capacity). This year Kelly Hills is integrating the Pelican 2 (300-liter capacity, up to 222 acres per hour at 60-foot swath rate) into its aerial application arsenal.

Farm Journal: Would you call this an ag tech incubator or accelerator type of program, and if not, what’s makes The Forge different?

Lukas Koch (LK): “(The Forge) is neither of those, because we’re not taking a cash influx to create an R&D program. What we’re doing is creating new tools with existing technology — if they’re part of plug and play that’s fine, but we don’t care about that. We want to know if the tech has merit and does it fit on the acre, but maybe something with it is not fully there just yet? So, what are we supposed to do with it then? You have a technology and, for example, it can take high-res pictures and identify areas of your fields that need attention, but today the most likely options are using a ground rig or hiring an airplane to manage that in a meaningful way. For that example, we think there’s an opportunity to do that with a small spray drone, but then again the logistics are tough; you have to come back and land and swap out a battery or refill the tank so often. We’re going to take a bunch of existing technologies that already exist, ask them to change nothing and put them to the test — and we’ll push the bounds of what they can do, to make these all work together in a system.”

FJ: How will this all kind of come together and take shape this summer as the program rolls out?

LK: “We have a few drone companies (in the cohort), and there’s a droplet analysis program involved — I thought that was an important piece in analyzing the spray coverage we get. Right now, we have the in-field sensors out in the field to help us ground truth the data we get from overhead. And then the remote sensing piece gives us situational awareness; it tells us where we should be focusing our efforts. And overall, I think, OK, that’s great, but now you still have to make a treatment with either a ground rig or hire an airplane.

(www.KellyHills.us)

“But with our FAA test range (pictured above) that we were approved for last summer within Kelly Hills, now we can autonomously fly to those spots with a drone, either in line of sight or Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS), and we can make those treatments autonomously. This year, the tool we’re focusing on is true spot spraying BVLOS in corn and soybeans, and then next year hopefully we can make more tools or take that technology that already exists and make it into a tool for a grower, who can sign up for this subscription and buy one of these drones, and now I have a full encompassing suite of tools and I can know for sure what works and what does not work.”

FJ: How can farmers in Kansas learn more and possibly sign up to work with you guys?

LK: “There’s really two ways right now. For anything specific they might want to do, maybe there are some projects they are thinking about, go ahead and ping us on the website , and we’ll get back to you. And the other way is, once we’re done with a set tool or we wrap up our summer series of projects, we plan to make the results and findings available online, kind of like Beck’s Hybrids does with its farm applied research studies. We want people to see what we’re doing and to reach out with their ideas on how we can make better tools inside of The Forge and showcase some of these technologies together in one new product, and growers are very interested in this and would love to understand if they can package these technologies together and make an ROI.”

FJ: You already have this inaugural cohort in place, but are you already thinking about what’s next?

LK: “I have a couple companies that I need to further engage with now that they can see what The Forge is all about. A couple of those are involved in year-over-year (data) modeling technology that can say, OK, help me start to determine this is my pattern, and this is what I did last year; now can you tell me what to do next year and how to create more ROI? And then I think soil is a huge key right now, too. I don’t have any any soil type products in there, and soil sampling is great, but there are some neat companies that are focusing on soil-sensing technology that I think would be interesting to package in there, too. You know, in due time I think we’ll get there.”

Koch says the plan is to unveil many of the insights and results from The Forge at this summer’s Kelly Hills Unmanned Field Day. That event is set for Aug. 19, and you can get registered for it here.

And, just for fun, here’s a video breakdown of the Pyka Pelican 2:

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John Deere-Sentera Tie Up: Here’s What We Know So Far

Fri, 23 May 2025 21:07:32 GMT

John Deere has announced its acquisition of Minnesota-based aerial optics innovator Sentera. Although specific details are few and far between this early in the process, here’s what we know so far:

The two companies have a long history. John Deere was the first enterprise customer Sentera signed onto its system over a decade ago, and the two companies have had an API link in place between Sentera’s drone management software and John Deere’s Operations Center since 2016.
Financial details are not being disclosed. We do know the deal is not subject to any further regulatory or shareholder approvals.
In a similar fashion to the Blue River Technologies and Bear Flag Robotics acquisitions, Sentera will maintain its independence as a free-standing business unit. Once fully integrated into the Deere family, Sentera will operate under the John Deere Intelligent Solutions Group (ISG) framework. Sentera leadership will remain at its St. Paul, Minn., headquarters.
For the time being, no major changes are planned for either company as we head into the heart of the summer crop scouting and spraying season. The two companies anticipate having more details to share about the nuts and bolts of the acquisition this fall.
The two groups are a natural fit. Sentera is aggressively marketing its SmartScripts drone weed mapping program, and the technology is complimentary to John Deere’s Operations Center and its See & Spray and ExactApply application technologies. One driving force behind this deal, Farm Journal is told, is Deere’s motivation to integrate more real-time agronomic data into its Operations Center platform, and Sentera’s aerial data capture capabilities can help make that happen.

(John Deere)

A deal to lift both boats. John Deere has built up a deep bench of artificial intelligence, machine learning and autonomous technology expertise within ISG, and Sentera has a long track record of aerial sensing and camera payload innovation. Considering how many cameras and sensors are included from the factory on new John Deere machines and within its Precision Upgrades retrofit kits, there should be a healthy cross pollination of sensor and camera innovation between Urbandale, Iowa, (where ISG is based) and St. Paul, Minn.
Sentera can help make See & Spray even better. SmartScripts uses drone-based imaging to scan a field and build a weed pressure map which is then loaded onto the sprayer’s in-cab computer. Now the sprayer operator can see exactly where weeds are in the field and focus their spraying efforts there first. There’s also a logistical and planning aspect to SmartScripts: by knowing exactly how many weeds are present in the field, and even what type of weeds are there, an adept operator can have the right active ingredients premixed and the exact amount needed loaded into the tank or staged nearby in a tender truck to keep that sprayer running all day long.

“Farming is becoming a very sensor and data-centric business, and in our opinion, there isn’t anyone doing it at broad scale today better than John Deere,” says Eric Taipale, chief technology officer, Sentera. “The way we can bring these data-driven insights and improve grower outcomes — it’s just what we’ve always been about. It’s what John Deere is all about. There’s such a great mesh between the two cultures, the objectives and the mission of the two organizations.”

Joseph Liefer, global technology marketing lead at John Deere, adds, “We’re excited about how this complements our existing portfolio with See & Spray, and then not just that (product). Now a farmer with an individual nozzle-controlled sprayer from any manufacturer can also leverage this technology. A drone can fly their field, generate a weed map, turn it into a prescription in Operations Center and the machine can go execute the plan. From an ag retailer standpoint, that might have a mixed fleet, and this gives them more tools in the toolbox to do targeted application for growers and help them save on herbicide. We view this deal as complementary to our overall tech strategy.”

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Add 75+ Bushels Of Corn Per Acre With Better Closing Wheel Performance

Tue, 13 May 2025 11:33:20 GMT

A single oversight at planting often costs corn growers 75 to 100 bu. per acre, yet many don’t even know they have a problem that needs solving. The problem? It’s poor planter closing wheel performance.

Closing wheels are supposed to deliver good seed-to-soil contact by eliminating air pockets, gently firming the soil around the seed corn and closing the furrow.

When those final steps in the planting process are done poorly, corn germinates unevenly and there’s no way to go back and undo the damage. For the rest of the growing season, you’re left with a crop that can’t perform up to its potential.

Corn yield champions David Hula and Randy Dowdy say they see the issue routinely when they check corn emergence and do stand counts with farmers.

Simple Calculations Help Pinpoint Losses
“Each row is an individual and producing income for you, and when you took and did the math, I remember seeing 190-bu. swings across the planter,” Dowdy tells Hula. “But just how many times do we see 100 bu. swings?”

Hula agrees that he has seen 190-bu. yield losses occur in extreme cases. He adds that even the best farmers incur some losses from poor closing wheel performance.

“I would say the average [has been] closer to 75 to 100 bushels,” he says. “The best one I saw was a farmer we worked with in Iowa, and they had spent a lot of time on his 12-row planter, and he still had a 27-bu. loss per acre,” adds Hula in the latest episode of the Breaking Barriers podcast.

You can also watch the podcast at Farm Journal TV - Agriculture video on demand.

Centered Over The Row
Closing wheels need time and attention to bring them into alignment just like any other part of the planter. Dowdy says even new planters with all the latest technology still need to have their closing systems checked.

“I was vetting a new 24-row planter in Michigan this spring, and on five of the rows the V-press wheel on one side was running in the furrow. That’s 20% of the rows, a problem perpetuating itself across every field,” he says.

“Those V-press wheels have a tendency to walk left and right because the bolt design that manufacturers use just won’t keep them centered,” adds Dowdy, who’s based near Valdosta, Ga. “It doesn’t seem to matter which manufacturer’s V-press wheels we’re using, either.”

If V-press wheels are set correctly over the row, Dowdy says they will leave a slight ridge or berm of soil above the planted seed to help ensure good seed-to-soil contact.

“But if you’re not centered that little ridge will not be directly over the seed and that’s problematic,” he says. “That will change your seed planting depth and impact emergence. No way will those corn plants all emerge at the same time and they won’t yield the same.”

Do The Job Other Farmers Won’t Do
Hula, a five-time world champion corn grower, suggests that farmers “trust but verify” their closing wheel system is performing well as they plant every field.

“I know that takes time, but think of how much revenue you’d gain by being willing to check and make some adjustments during the planting process,” says Hula, who farms near Charles City, Va.

The best way to check closing wheel performance is to do some digging behind the planter, notes Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal Field Agronomist.

“We dig a cross-section of the row and work until we can find the seed and observe how it was placed in the soil,” Ferrie explains. “In ideal conditions, you want to see the seed at the bottom with enough firm soil over the top of it to keep the seed area from drying out.”

Do You Have The Right Closing System?
Another consideration, Hula says, is farmers need to determine whether they are using the best closing wheels for their situation. In the evaluation process, he says to look at your tillage system, soil texture, field conditions and weather.

“We can’t just throw dollars around at these market prices, but if you can get a better closing system that adds more revenue to your bottom line, that will pay for itself quickly,” he says.

Hula has been using a two-stage closing wheel system for the past six years and believes it significantly improves corn planting performance compared to traditional closing wheel designs.

“We have seen our emergence uniformity improve significantly these past few years,” he says.

Hear more from Hula and Dowdy on a recent episode of “AgriTalk.”

Your Next Read: Master The Use of Growing Degree Units to Boost Corn Yield Potential

Master The Use of Growing Degree Units to Boost Corn Yield Potential

Mon, 28 Apr 2025 16:11:15 GMT

The calendar used to play a significant role in David Hula’s decision on when he would head to the field and start planting corn. That’s not the case anymore.

“I’m not so hung up on the date now as I am on the temperature at which we’re putting seed in the ground,” says Hula, owner of Renwood Farms near Charles City, Va.

That doesn’t mean he pays no attention to the calendar, though. Sometime during the last week of April through the first week of May is usually the sweet spot to start planting corn, Hula says.

But that’s not always true. Experience has taught him that it’s more important to focus on the extended weather forecast than the date, making sure he has a soil temperature above 55°F at planting time and growing degree units (GDUs) that are accumulating quickly.

“Fifteen or so years ago, we used to talk about wanting to get 40 GDUs in a five-day forecast after planting,” he recalls. “Now, as we’re getting into these higher-yield environments, I want an even higher GDU accumulation in those first five days after planting.”

That kind of attention to detail has helped Hula achieve top honors in the National Corn Yield Contest 12 times over the years. His 623.8439 bu.-per-acre yield in 2023 marked the fifth time he set the record for U.S. corn yields.

The More GDUs, The Better For Emergence
While the required amount can vary somewhat by hybrid, a common range of GDUs needed for corn to emerge is between 100 to 150 GDUs, according to Ken Ferrie, Farm Journal field agronomist.

Ferrie says referencing GDUs offer growers a more reliable method to predict corn emergence as well as key development stages during the season than the use of calendar days.

“The amount of GDUs a specific corn hybrid requires to reach each development stage during the growing season remains constant from year to year,” he says. “However, the amount of time a specific hybrid needs to accumulate those heat units can vary considerably each year due to planting date, field conditions, soil temperature and weather conditions.”

Those factors, which can be highly variable, are why Hula focuses so much on having a good extended forecast at planting. “We want that corn to come up out of the ground fast,” he says. “In our best yielding years, that’s one of the things we’ve had.”

Hula defines fast as seeing the crop spike at between six and (not quite) seven days, emerging in a uniform, picket-fence stand across the field.

Scrutinizing management and agronomic details and tweaking them as Mother Nature dictates instead of just relying on a calendar date makes fast, uniform emergence achievable, he tells fellow corn yield champion and Total Acre business partner Randy Dowdy, who’s based near Valdosta, Ga.

Planting Practices Impact Corn Development
Something Dowdy and Hula say other corn growers could benefit from is paying more attention to planting depth and germination depth. Ideally, they end up being one and the same.

“I want my seed to be planted at 2”, and I want it to germinate at 2” and stay there,” Hula says. “I don’t want a scenario where all of a sudden we get some rain, and the soil is compressed, so now that seed germinates at 1.5”.”

Planting corn at a depth of 2” when soil moisture is adequate is ideal for nodal root development , according to Paul Yoder, Pioneer field agronomist. Nodal roots are vital for structural support and are responsible for most of the water and nutrients the plant needs. Five sets of nodal roots are optimal for maximizing potential.

The Mystery of Shifting Soils Explained
Dowdy tells Hula that corn growers are often puzzled by how their corn roots have developed when they check fields a month or so after planting. The growers are certain they planted their corn at 2”, but the evidence says otherwise.

“We’ll be digging some plants, and we’ll see a lot of brace roots above the ground,” Dowdy says. “That initially makes me wonder if the farmer had a wind event or some type of stress, because there’s a lot of issues with the root development.”

More often than not, Dowdy says the issue is the soil above the seed settled – either because of poor attention to detail while the farmer planted or from a significant rain event. If the ground settled, then the corn likely germinated and emerged at a soil depth shallower than desired.

“It often depends on what type of tillage you’re using, if you’re running trash sweeps, or a no-till coulter, and then what kind of closing system you have,” Hula explains. “A lot of times people don’t want to believe that, but it happens.”

Dowdy adds that it’s not just the conventional growers who experience the problem of the ground settling.

“It happens in all scenarios, whether in vertical till, strip-till or even in a stale seedbed,” Dowdy says. “Year to year, we just don’t know how much that ground is going to settle.”

A Pro Tip For Checking Planting and Germination Depth
Corn growers can simulate ground settling with a practice Dowdy and Hula use for that purpose: they smack the soil.

“Take your hand and use the bottom of your palm to hit the soil just above where you planted the seed. That’s going to simulate a rain event and give you a good indication of how that ground would or did settle, and what your emergence depth is,” Dowdy explains.

For growers in the process of planting corn, Hula encourages them to get off the tractor and check the quality of their planting practices.

“Check every corn row, not just one of them,” Hula advises. “Every row is an individual, so take time to check each one and make sure they’re all the same. Adjust as necessary for uniform planting.”

More Insights Available In Breaking Barriers Podcast
Dowdy and Hula are sharing their agronomic insights in their Breaking Barriers podcast to challenge growers to think differently to farm better and maximize profits.

In this week’s discussion, they address a variety of timely topics, including:

reasons to plant three or four different populations of corn in a field
how to use a flag test to evaluate emergence and development
the value of setting yield goals to reach higher yield levels
using tissue sampling in-season to add more yield

Watch the podcast at Farm Journal TV - Agriculture video on demand

For more insights on Hula and Dowdy’s planting progress and agronomic insights, check out their discussion with Chip Flory on Breaking Barriers - AgriTalk

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Why Reliable Connectivity is the Key to Smart Farming Success

Thu, 13 Mar 2025 18:29:00 GMT

For smart farming technologies to have an on-farm impact, machine connectivity must be robust.

“What farmers need most are tools or systems that will help them avoid one of their staunchest enemies: downtime,” says Alex Ngu, product marketing, Trimble. “If there’s been rain for two weeks, the skies clear and you have one day to take off the crop, downtime due to shoddy signals can cut deeply.

Current estimates show roughly 20% to 30% of rural areas in the U.S. do not have sufficient cellular network coverage. Equipment manufacturers are partnering with satellite connectivity providers to ensure you don’t have to stop and wait for a strong connection. Or worse yet, forge ahead without capturing the data needed.

Enhanced Options

Case IH announced a collaboration with international satellite provider Intelsat in spring 2024. Intelsat offers the world’s largest satellite network alongside terrestrial (cellular) to increase connectivity. Its best known for providing in-flight Wi-Fi to many well-known commercial airline brands. Kendal Quandahl, precision segment lead, says Case IH plans to expand the beta testing for its new satellite terminals with farmers in South America as well as other regions. The service is currently being tested in North America, but is not yet available.

For Quandahl, who still farms with her family, it’s all about offering options so farmers can choose the service that works best for them.

“If you think about it, there are areas where Verizon is really strong and AT&T isn’t, and then you might go somewhere else where Verizon doesn’t have good coverage,” Quandahl says. “Previously, in our equipment we have had farmers choose one cell provider. Now we’ve enhanced our hardware, so it can talk to multiple providers. Very soon, we’ll offer satellite as another option.”

Quandahl says the connectivity module will come in a small box that’s installed into a tractor or combine cab by mounting a receiver and plugging in a cable or two. When paired alongside a receiver that can pull in cellular signals, the pair can offer peace of mind to a farmer due to the redundancy of having both signals available at the same time.

Quandahl is seeing a lot of farmer interest in satellite connectivity, and she has heard from several Case IH dealers that are also excited about being able to use the signal to remote into machines and help growers troubleshoot their issues.

Coverage Boost

John Deere made big waves in 2024 when the manufacturer announced its partnership with Elon Musk’s low earth orbit satellite service Starlink. The two companies joined forces to develop satellite receivers that farmers can install on their John Deere machines to keep them connected. The service,
called JDLink Boost, is available through John Deere dealers, though pricing has not been publicly released as of press time.

Mike Kool, senior product manager for connected fleets, shares the beta test phase for JDLink Boost provided some really good feedback from test farmers in the U.S. and Brazil.

“Generally, they told us how well it works switching between satellite and cellular, and that’s really our goal,” he says. “It’s giving customers the ability to augment satellite where they cannot connect to cell, and vice versa.”

With John Deere taking another step forward in the autonomy market with the release of its Next Generation Perception System for autonomous tillage on the 8R and 9R series tractors in January, Kool says it’s absolutely critical to maintain high connectivity when a machine is in autonomous mode.

“Our goal with this is to drive value, and connectivity is just so foundational to our technology stack,” Kool says. “Now we can do that in a multitude of flavors and give our customers the ability to get their data back into their operations however they see fit.

“That data is key for our customers because it generates a scorecard at the end of the year — how did I perform, and what tweaks do I need to make for next year to be more productive?”

While generally viewed as rivals in the heavy ag equipment space, there’s one thing Case IH and John Deere can both find common ground around when it comes to connectivity.

“I’d say the benefit of adopting satellite through an OEM is we’ve focused on integrating it directly into our equipment,” Quandahl says. “We don’t have to interrupt the operator’s day-to-day to install or change connectivity providers, and they appreciate that.”

Did You Know?

Kansas State University associate professor Terry Griffin analyzed the financial impact to farmers from the May 10, 2024, GPS outage, which was caused by solar weather and sun flares in outer space. Many farmers around the Midwest were right in the middle of planting during the outage.

Griffin found that (assuming a minimum of 200 bu. per acre yield and $4.50 crop price) Illinois farmers who were delayed by the outage and forced to plant corn later in the month experienced losses of up to $90 per acre.

Your Next Read: 7 Expert Tips To Maximize Spray Drone Efficiency

Drone Wars: Agriculture Caught In The Middle Of Global Tension

Tue, 26 Nov 2024 12:00:00 GMT

If you are in agriculture and the latest high-tech drone is on your Christmas list, then you might want to ask Santa for something else before it’s too late. One of the largest consumer drone manufacturers is on the naughty list.

No, it is not Santa’s naughty list, but instead, it’s the U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) naughty list.

The company in question is Chinese drone maker DJI. In 2022, the DoD added DJI to its list of Chinese military companies (CMCs). After a delisting petition from DJI in July 2023, DoD ultimately responded by redesignating the drone company as a CMC in January 2024.

This growing crackdown on Chinese technology companies stems from U.S. government agencies implementing key provisions of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which Congress passed to help fight espionage enabled by foreign technology companies. The U.S. Treasury and Commerce departments also have DJI on their own blacklists.

The news got much worse for DJI in September as the House of Representatives passed the Countering CCP Drones Act. The legislation would essentially place a domestic ban on DJI devices by prohibiting them from operating on U.S. communications infrastructure. It is doubtful a final verdict on DJI’s fate in the U.S. will be rendered until a new Congress and administration begin work in 2025, but if passed, then it could ground all DJI drones within the U.S.

Caught in the Middle
Due to the immense market share DJI has in the U.S., the impact could be quite disruptive, especially in the short term. Several U.S. agriculture drone service companies that have been built on the backs of DJI’s technology could soon have their wings clipped if the ban becomes reality.

It has been more than a decade since commercially affordable drone technology landed on farms all across this country. The initial value proposition drones brought to the table was both intriguing and mesmerizing. Finally, you could visualize and analyze your crops, land and assets in ways that were more in-depth and instantaneous than ever before. Plus, you’ve got to admit that flying a drone around your corn field is a lot more fun than cleaning out a grain bin or bucking hay bales.

As it relates to agriculture, the drone industry has seen incredible advancements in technology and application since drones first took flight. In the early days, a modified pocket camera from Best Buy and suspect Russian imaging software were needed to make the whole process work. Today’s drones are available with all kinds of bells and whistles ranging from standard 4K resolution to thermal imaging and even lidar mapping sensors. Thousands of images from hundreds of drones are now processed in the cloud by companies such as Pix4D and DroneDeploy. Meanwhile, companies such as Rantizo and Guardian Agriculture offer specialized drone spraying services for ag retailers and producers. Progress for sure. Game-changing? Not quite.

Last Year’s Forgotten Toy
After more than a decade, it seems agricultural adoption of drone technology has hit a virtual ceiling and is stuck in a holding pattern over some corn field in Iowa. The acceptance and integration just haven’t happened at the same pace compared with how agriculture has responded to other innovations such as auto-steer, yield monitoring or variable-rate spraying.

The obvious question is: “Why aren’t drones and drone-related services further along by now?”

When answering that question, one could quickly run out of fingers to point the blame. It is easy to point first at the government, specifically the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Given its rules, you still cannot fly a drone higher than 400', it still can’t weigh more than 55 lb., and you still can’t let it out of your sight.

Foreign drone companies, especially DJI, have exploited FAA’s 55-lb. weight limit to the detriment of the industry’s advancement. By flooding the market with cheap technology, DJI was able to push out much of the manufacturing competition in this arena. In turn, and probably by design, that meant any complementary technology and software that U.S.-based companies wanted to develop had to be done with DJI setting the rules and protocols. This alone should give one pause as China isn’t afraid of simply coopting such ideas and calling them its own.

Data from Purdue University’s annual precision agriculture dealership survey lays out a damning verdict when it comes to the adoption and economic sustainability of current drone tech. The 2024 study showed only 27% of ag retailers currently offer drone services. Another 25% of retailers are “farming” this work out to other companies. Of the ag retailers that do offer such services, only 9% say the services are profitable.

Unprofitable, Impractical
The problem is this: expecting today’s class of drones to operate effectively and efficiently is like asking a 2,500-acre-farmer to go out and harvest his crop with a John Deere 45 combine from the 1950s.

The FAA needs to get out of the way and allow drones to get bigger, smarter and more capable in the field of agriculture. The agency is starting to show it can do this for other industries, such as air transportation. In October, the FAA published 880 pages of special regulations, which will allow drone transportation companies to start flying people in their “air taxis” around city skylines.

It’s time our industry recognizes drones as serious tools in the agronomic toolbox instead of just “cool” toys for farmers. And if our government is so concerned about our national security that it needs to take away our Chinese toys, then it needs to open doors to better alternatives by clearing the regulatory and economic paths to allow for bigger, faster “Made in the USA” drones and services to rule our skies and fly over our farmland.

EarthOptics, Pattern Ag Combine Forces On Next-Level Soil Data Analytics

Thu, 29 Aug 2024 14:26:47 GMT

EarthOptics is merging with data analytics and predictive modeling firm Pattern Ag. Executives at the newly-formed venture feel the combined company will be better positioned to offer enhanced soil testing and data analysis services.

Todd Martin is one of the founders of EarthOptics and he will assume the chief growth officer role at the merged company. Martin helped launch the startup in 2018 with the aim of providing farmers with better, faster, and more economical field-level soil data than traditional grid soil sampling programs.

The experienced ag industry vet pulls zero punches in stating that precision ag thus far has largely failed farmers with overwhelmingly complex and costly-to-collect data sets siloed in walled off platforms devoid of revenue-generating insights. It is his belief that combining with Pattern Ag positions EarthOptics to rise up and deliver more ROI for its farmers.

“The newly merged EarthOptics, when it’s EarthOptics plus Pattern Ag, is going to be able to deliver for farmers like never before,” Martin states. “We can replace their current soil testing regime and - for about the same price as two and a half acre grid sampling for variable-rate fertilizer - give them a prescriptive tillage recommendation and variable-rate fertilization data down to the best resolution that is currently possible. And now we can combine that with the biological and soil DNA data from Pattern Ag and tell them all about disease expectations in their soil, and about pest expectations.”

EarthOptics’ technology includes two and soon-to-be-released three spectrum analyzing sensor systems - deployed via tech-outfitted side-by-side UTVs that local service providers run across acres throughout the Midwest - all with the aim of providing farmers with detailed soil maps and actionable variable rate fertility insights. Martin says this boots-on-the-ground approach is what defines EarthOptics. The data provided includes soil type, moisture, disease and pest predictions, and more.

EarthOptics also says it can help farmers with climate-related programs by measuring carbon in the soil and providing tools to assess and report data that measures carbon intensity and field emissions.

“We’ll help farmers that want to enroll in climate programs and look at their carbon intensity scores or their field emissions, and sometimes we’ll be able to utilize satellites for some of that,” Martin explains. “But when it comes to soil, we believe you’ve got to get your hands dirty. You’re going to have to be in the field. You cannot use satellite technology, no matter what anybody says, it just does not exist to do the type of analysis and data gathering that we can do in the field.”

The two companies plan to unify under the EarthOptics brand name. Other considerations like branding colors and a logo to represent the newly combined company will be worked out soon as executives from both groups come together and pencil out the venture’s go-forward strategy.

Want to learn more about this new soil data partnership? Study up on all of the publicly released details here.

Your Next Read: Three Final Destinations For Mineral’s Tech And Patents Named

Inside InnerPlant’s Farmer-Led Investment Run and Why It’s Better Than Traditional VC

Wed, 07 Aug 2024 13:12:58 GMT

InnerPlant, a seed technology startup with a transgenic, early stress alerting seed trait in soybeans, recently raised $30 million in Series B funding. About half of the funds came from a group of farmer-investors headed by Coutts Agro. Saskatchewan grain farmer Matt Coutts is Coutts Agro’s Chief Investment Officer.

How did InnerPlant set itself apart?

Coutts’ experience with InnerPlant thus far has been unique and a refreshing departure from the typical venture capital funding cycle, he says.

The company was not the least bit shy about trekking up to Canada’s vast western plains and putting boots-on-the-ground to breath the fresh prairie air and take in his operation to gather how the two could potentially work together. And, funny enough, it all literally got off the ground by Coutts filling out one of those online “Contact Us” forms.

That’s one lesson Coutts has picked up from his relationship with InnerPlant that he wants to share with other farmers: don’t be shy about going online, filling out those forms and throwing your hat in the ring if it seems like something that would be a good fit. It might seem like a futile exercise at the time, and that nobody will respond, but you’ll never truly know until you give it a go.

“We’ve trialed so many different products and met with so many different companies,” Coutts adds. “InnerPlant has shown us a much different level of dedication to farmers, at least that I see. Shelly and her entire team were engaged right from the start, coming up to the farm and delivering the pitch right here in one of our barns. It’s hard to find companies as farmer committed as InnerPlant.”

What did InnerPlant learn from working with farmer-investors?

For InnerPlant CEO Shely Aronov, her journey with Coutts and his group cemented a strong conviction in working with farmer-led investment groups over traditional venture capital firms. She believes the shift helped accelerate InnerPlant’s journey from startup to a “real company with customer-centric values.”

“We have the retailers and growers engaged, and we have a technology that is meaningful and moves the needle. Now we must work with farmers to get the point price right, because this is not the time for expensive products,” Aronov says.

Over the last handful of months, InnerPlant has undertaken a pilot program with Illinois-based retailer Growmark FS’ Sentinel Plots to ground truth its technology. Soon you will start to notice the company launching its futuristic seeds with select farms in Illinois and Iowa as it fires up its technology and starts to “scale up”.

“We’re building a team of agronomists and crop specialists in the Midwest right now to support the rollout,” Aronov says, noting its technology remains most effective “with the help of an agronomist.”

Another thing she has learned is if you want to be successful with ag tech, you need to be on the ground and connected to your potential customers.

“We have to train the trainers, and they have to train the farmers, and in order to make that happen, we need to be there alongside them,” Aronov adds.

Why are farmers attracted to InnerPlant?

InnerPlant soybeans emit different wavelengths of light if they are stressed, hinting at possible disease pressure in the field.

(InnerPlant)

“It gets us a data layer into our crops that we don’t have today,” Coutts says. “Being able to manage stress days and weeks ahead is a game changer. If you’re reacting to plant disease you can already see, you’re too late. Of course, you’re hoping that it’s not that bad, but at that point you are probably way behind the ball.”

Coutts and his family oversee 120,000-plus acres of productive, cereal-producing cropland in Saskatchewan, Canada. The group grows lentils, canola, and wheat.

Once a farmer hits that type of acreage level, technology must return profits rather quickly to be valuable, he says. The other side of the coin is, that type of acreage also paints a big, shiny red target on your back at many technology companies. They see that acreage and the little dollar signs start dancing around in their heads before they’ve even pulled up to the farmgate.

According to Ag Funder News, the rest of the funding outside of what Coutts Agro put in came from climate investor Systemiq Capital as well as Deere and Company and Bison Ventures.

What is InnerPlant technology?

InnerPlant’s seed traits signal plant stress – the signals will be able to be picked up optically by satellites once the seeds are widely distributed. For now, the company is using stationary detection towers to scan the invisibly fluorescing plants.

To get there a transgenic gene is edited, or inserted, into the soybean plant’s genome – like inserting a new line of code into a computer program. This enables optic scanners to see what our human eyes cannot: where stress is taking hold in a farmer’s field at a plant-by-plant level.

The plant data is then correlated to areas of the field via the companies’ new CropVoice software program and can pick up stressed plants within one or two days of the initial infection, Aronov adds.

Previous InnerPlant coverage:

InnerPlant - Tech That Visualizes Plant Stress - Names Germplasm Partner

GrowMark To Pilot InnerPlant’s Fluorescent Soybeans

Plants That Talk: Coming Soon To A Field Near You

Landus’ Secret Weapon: Military Grade AI Tech Connects Farm Data Dots

Wed, 24 Jul 2024 19:15:13 GMT

Farmers and agronomists today are virtually drowning in data, but one Midwest cooperative has a new secret weapon up its sleeve.

Landus (Des Moines, Iowa) has seemingly struck digital farm data gold and, as with all things Landus of late, farmers themselves look to be the big winners here.

Landus and American invention company Tesseract Ventures have joined forces to bring military-grade, predictive data analysis straight from the high-tech battlefield of today to a new digital decision support platform for farmers and Landus agronomists. The cooperative is calling its new software offering Synthesis.

What is Synthesis?

Synthesis automates the collection and combination of data across an incredibly wide swath of sources – everything from satellites and drones to on-farm sensors, weather stations, and even disparate farm machinery brands.

The Synthesis system leverages algorithms originally designed for advanced military intelligence applications to literally synthesize all the relevant available data for a select field or operation into three different modules (Plan, Perform, and Prove) that farmers and their agronomists can use to make digital twins, or virtual simulations, of their fields.

By using these digital twins of their real-life fields, the farm management process goes from an inexact, multiple-variable guessing game to a laser-sharp predictive level. There is no more guessing, for example, what would happen to yield and the farmer’s bottom line if Farmer Joe were to put on this generic fungicide at V5. The platform is able to wormhole its way into the future, visualizing in real-time the impact of various management decisions for the farmer before any action is taken.

“It’s a radical way to reimagine information exchange and how to action it,” says John Boucard, Tesseract CEO. “We are creating and deploying 21st century human machine interfaces that can navigate the past, present, and future – today, we now can visualize the past and the present with real-time and edge data, and then envision future events and their impact before they happen.”

In developing and releasing Synthesis to the greater farm universe, Landus and Tesseract have essentially unlocked one of ag tech’s previously unsolvable quandaries: how to take all these different data layers and previously incompatible file formats, and combine them in a single platform where the farmer can have a complete 360-degree view of everything that is happening as well as everything that could happen in the field?

“Agriculture has great data,” says Matt Carstens, CEO of Landus. “But we have never been able to get it into one spot and then let the farmer analyze the data in real-time to create a digital twin that can visualize virtually any scenario. Now they can go out on the farm and be confident.”

Data visualization details

Having viewed a pilot version of Synthesis during our visit to Landus’ Innovation Connector, the platform’s data visualization capability leaps through the screen and grabs your attention. Many digital platforms lay out data in a two-dimensional, color-coded view across a field, but Synthesis has a unique three-dimensional approach to displaying different areas of the field.

Bear with me, as it’s tough to describe it here in words, but it’s a tiered, graphical representation of your real-time and future yield potential: vertically climbing spikes in green are healthy, high-performing areas of the field, while lower-lying, red colored bars show areas in the field with lower yield potential. The software doesn’t break down fields into management zones, it actually visualizes the entire field as one entity.

Farmers and their Landus agronomists can run endless scenarios through the digital twins of their various fields to benchmark management practices and what effect they will have on the crop, kind of like how a high-ranking general in the United States Military would use Tesseract technology to wargame various battlefield scenarios before finalizing a mission plan.

The digital platform today remains in development, but the partners are getting very close to releasing the first iteration, and several Landus farmers have been involved in field tests. Illinois farmer Kevin Kennedy is one of a handful that have been granted early access to the Synthesis. He is convinced Synthesis will be a seismic leap forward in farm management information system innovation.

“Having a platform that I can bring all of the different types of data sources into one centralized location, it gives me the foundation I need to use AI toolsets to build these really detailed analyses around so many different scenarios in production,” he says. “We’ve never been able to have enough of our data in one location and have it in a format that we can access and do this type of predictive analysis.”

Leveling the data playing field for farmers

Landus’ SkyScout drone-enabled scouting service is one such data platform that smoothly integrates into the Synthesis platform. Instead of having to log in and run analysis in both platforms, or export huge data sets from one platform into another, all of the data that comes from SkyScout’s flights flows automatically into a linked Synthesis dashboard. The rubber really meets the road where fresh scouting data is combined with the historic field level data that Synthesis also pulls in automatically.

“In Iowa right now a lot of the fields don’t have an average stand, so you’re probably looking at an average crop at best,” Kennedy explains. “This just allows me to have more confidence in my real-time decision-making process.”

According to Boucard, that is exactly what Tesseract set out to do when it started ideating what could happen if it placed its AI-based military wargaming technology in the hands of Midwestern farmers: provide an instant common operating picture for farmers and agronomists to use to immerse themselves in the data and make critical decisions really fast, and really accurately.

“To be able to unlock the power of that farmer-agronomist collaboration and let the farmer share that data intelligently with whomever it makes sense to share it with – the farmer should own all their own data, so we’re giving them the power now,” he says. “That will force multiply and create a market that’s truly competitive rather than dominated.”

To learn more about how Synthesis can help you harness the power of past data, current data, and future outlook data and apply an analytical approach to your farm, get in touch with Landus.

Google’s Parent Company Alphabet Disperses Its Ag Tech Subsidiary

Wed, 03 Jul 2024 20:49:05 GMT

Announced earlier today, Mineral, Alphabet’s ag company, will wind down its operations.

“Mineral will no longer be an Alphabet company, and our technology will live on inside of leading agribusinesses where they can have maximum impact,” said Mineral CEO Elliott Grant in a blog post.

Mineral was founded in 2018 as part of X, the moonshot factory of Alphabet, and it had about 100 team members.

What did Mineral develop and build:

• an image database of more than 17 crops in every stage of growth in multiple environments.

• A four-wheeled semi-autonomous rover platform with multiple configurations and the core functionality as a data collection machine.

• in-field harvest analysis and post-harvest crop condition ratings for berry crops in partnership with Driscoll’s

• a geospatial analysis platform that has collected more than 450 million acres of farmland.

• Phenotyping databases and analysis

• And additional machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies.

Here’s a link to previous coverage about Mineral.

Driscoll’s has confirmed it will license the tech it partnered with Mineral to develop.

“Mineral had partnered closely with Driscoll’s - the world’s leading berry company - to develop AI tools to improve crop phenotyping, better forecast yields, optimize quality inspections, and reduce food waste in the supply chain. Some of the technologies we developed have now been transferred to Driscoll’s and will be integrated into their systems to help achieve their sustainability ambitions. Driscoll’s is the first agribusiness to receive Mineral technology, and is a first step towards ensuring that our breakthrough technologies achieve the greatest impact,” Grant said.

In closing he gave an analogy of the company’s name to the how it can be applied as a verb in the agricultural context:

“In soil science, mineralization is the process by which the nutrients in organic matter are released in a form that makes them available to the plants around them. I think this is a fitting metaphor for the new chapter of Mineral - as our technologies will be mobilized into the agriculture ecosystem, with the goal of making it more sustainable, and more resilient.”

Plants That Talk: Coming Soon To A Field Near You

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 22:45:53 GMT

As part of our effort to bring you the latest information on cutting-edge technology and machinery we’re featuring regular Q&A discussions with several ag tech startups.

Today we’re chatting with Dan Garblik, InnerPlant’s Senior VP of Operations and Finance, about the startup’s early warning seed trait technology and how it can help farmers make proactive management decisions. InnerPlant is based in California’s ag-rich Central Valley and has received notable investment support from John Deere, MS&AD Ventures and UpWest. The venture was founded by Shelly Aronov and Rob Kumimoto. Aronov currently serves as CEO and Kumimoto is Chief Science Officer.

The companies’ seed trait technology portends a future where farmers take zone management to the next level by managing individual plants versus managing in blocks or groups.

Farm Journal: Explain how InnerSoy works and how it provides an advantage over scouting with Normative Difference Vegetative Index (NDVI) and/or more mainstream sensors?

Dan Garblik: InnerPlant’s technology starts with the seed that contains our trait. Farmers plant the seed and conduct their operations as they normally would with no need for extra steps. Once the plants are established, the trait lays dormant (unlike always-on resistance traits such as RoundUp Ready) until the plant is attacked by the target stress. Our trait is tied to a plant’s immune system, so when it’s attacked by a fungus, the plant activates its immune system and simultaneously makes our signaling protein. The light emitted by our protein is not visible to the unaided eye but is detectable using satellites, drones, tractors, etc. Once the signal is detected the agronomist and/or farmer knows exactly which plant or plants are being attacked by fungus and can take whatever action they decide is appropriate.

NDVI and other existing tools are not actually “real-time” but lagging indicators that show damage already suffered in a field. It’s like the fire department calling you to tell you your house has burned down. Our technology provides much earlier warning, such as a smoke detector in your kitchen that alerts you to smoke so you can take action to prevent your house from catching fire in the first place.

The InnerPlant signal is detectable about 48 to 72 hours after the onset of infection when the plant’s immune system is activated. That’s weeks before an agronomist or farmer would be able to see symptoms while walking the field. It provides enough of an early warning the farmer can prevent the damage to the crop that’s eventually detected by NDVI.

FJ: John Deere leading a $16 million funding round was big news for InnerPlant, and then the recent news GROWMARK is signing on to pilot the InnerSoy trait in 2024 was another step toward mainstream acceptance. Do you view those developments as somewhat of an affirmation the technology will indeed prove useful to farmers?

DG: Yes, our company directly benefitted from one of the few times that Deere has led a funding round in addition to their partnership in developing an integrated precision farming platform - along with fellow partner in the precision platform, Syngenta. This is absolutely an affirmation of the value of InnerPlant’s technology. And, having a large customer like GROWMARK piloting InnerSoy in their sentinel fields this spring is an important first step toward widespread farmer adoption of our technology.

FJ: Regarding the GROWMARK pilot, what is the goal of this partnership and what needs to take place for InnerPlant to feel like the partnership was a successful venture?

DG: We expect to see positive steps across our three goals:

Demonstrate the value of our fungal-detection trait as an early-warning system against fungal attacks.
Collaboratively educate both the GROWMARK and InnerPlant teams about how the system works in commercial fields.
Introduce GROWMARK’s member farmers to our technology and gather feedback on the system.

FJ: What’s next for InnerPlant as we head into a new row crop farming season?

DG: We’re laser-focused on commercializing our InnerSoy fungal sensor over the next few years. Concurrently, we’ll add additional traits to InnerSoy with insects next in line. We also plan to begin work on InnerCorn next year (we’ve done some very preliminary work in the last six months) and then will consider new crops. We’re working with soy and corn first because they’re the largest row crops and so hold the greatest impact both economically and environmentally.

FJ: Tell us how InnerPlant came to be.

DG: InnerPlant started when Shely Aronov’s (our founder) father-in-law introduced her to the concept of biosensors that have been used in the lab for decades. She suspected the concept would have considerable value if it could work outside the lab. She spent time speaking to a lot of farmers to validate her idea and understand what they would require from a system based on technology. They made it clear any useful system would have to be inexpensive, scalable to work on the vast size of row-crop fields and require no changes to current operations.

Shely was also introduced to plant molecular biologist Rod Kumimoto (our co-founder), who agreed biosensors would be very useful in the field, but he pointed out that no one had figured out how to detect the signal at scale, in daylight. The two co-founders dug a little deeper and found a lab at Stanford that helped pioneer the detection of plant signals from space.

The physicists at the lab were convinced they could detect a signal in the field in daylight but doubted Rod and the biologists would be able to create a viable biosensor. While the biologists were confident, they could create a viable biosensor, they doubted the physicists would be able to detect the signal in the field in daylight.

The interesting part of the story is for the first year or so, the biggest challenge was for the biologists to convince the physicists they could build the biosensor, and for the physicists to convince the biologists they could detect the signal. Field tests in late 2019/early 2020 settled the question and work started on creating InnerSoy.

To learn more about InnerSoy, head over to the startup’s website.

Swarm To The Future? Mini Farm Robots With Big Plans

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 22:07:34 GMT

As part of our renewed effort to bring you the latest information on cutting edge technology and machinery we’re featuring regular Q&A discussions with several handpicked ag tech startups.

For this iteration, we’re connecting with GreenField Incorporated CEO Clint Brauer, a farm kid himself spawning innovations and ag tech jobs in his hometown of Cheney, Kansas. Brauer’s startup recently secured an undisclosed investment from Chipotle. Mid-Kansas Cooperative has also signed on to test out the swarmed, AI-powered mini-weeding and imaging robots.

The startup advocates chemical-free food production, at scale.

Farm Journal (FJ): How are herbicides eliminated by robots?

Clint Brauer (CB): Our robots eliminate most post-plant herbicides. Farmers still “burn down” and apply residual treatment pre-plant, but after that our robots handle the rest. The exception would be a grass infestation, but we have something coming for that. We typically run fields 1-3 times during a growing season. As we say to farmers, it’s a race to crop canopy. The bots don’t require a lot of power and more importantly, the weeds don’t develop genetic resistance to being cut down as they would to an herbicide.

FJ: Artificial Intelligence (AI) is cited as one of the technologies in play here. How or where does AI come into play specifically?

CB: AI can mean a lot of things. We use machine vision to recognize rows and objects in our field maps. Decisions are then made without human interference on how to path the robots around those fields and objects. Objects might be intersecting rows like concrete bunkers or telephone poles, etc. What’s going to be very interesting is the data we are gathering at near-ground level with these smaller machines…and what we can do with that data in the future to train various models.

FJ: Traditional row crop agriculture relies on large format/high horsepower machinery for field work, yet the Greenfield concept deploys small, connected fleets of robots that operate in concert to accomplish work at scale. Has this concept been proven yet or is there still work to do in convincing farmers?

CB: Traditional large format / high-horsepower machinery can only go over the tops of crops to spray herbicide while their tires crush 3% of the crop – or more. We are targeting 1% or less. So, it starts with that simple premise when we speak with farmers.

Beyond that, all farms face labor challenges. Just finding people can be difficult, but its even more difficult to trust someone in the cab of a $500,000-$1.5M machine both in the field…and sharing roads next to passenger vehicles. There’s no cab on our robots, hence they can work twenty hours a day.

FJ: What is the companies’ origin story?

CB: I am a third-generation farmer who established GreenField with a mission deeply rooted in personal experience. My father battled Parkinson’s disease which we attribute to his long-term exposure to farm chemicals.

I wanted to come up with a solution that would prevent even one more person from going through that ordeal. This ignited my passion to explore many methods of farming including indoor growing, organic methods, tilled and no-till farming. I settled on regenerative farming without chemicals. But I realized that the technology required to implement this approach on a large scale was not available in the market. This gap in the agricultural sector led to the inception of GreenField, marking the beginning of our journey to revolutionize farming practices and eliminate chemicals in agriculture through swarms of small robots.

FJ: What made GreenField an ideal fit for Chipotle to invest in?

CB: I believe Chipotle appreciated GreenField’s vision for making regenerative farming more cost effective, efficient, and sustainable. Like Chipotle’s commitment to cultivating a better world, we also believe in a future of real, responsible and sustainably-raised food. In partnership with Chipotle, we’ll continue to create innovative solutions in farming robotics to address some of the biggest challenges facing farmers across the United States.

FJ: What’s next at GreenField?

CB: One of our next goals is to eliminate the need for herbicide in broadacre agriculture completely. For years we have been developing something that eliminates all burn down and residual in the context of a regenerative, no-till farm. We think that will be almost all farms over the coming years. It’s just part of our continuous mission to create chemical-free food at scale and cultivate a better world, one robot at a time.

Learn more about GreenField and Brauer here , and be sure to check out Margy Eckelkamp’s story on its partner Mid-Kansas Cooperative over at TheScoop.

Pattern Ag Expands Its Analytics to Include Foliar Diseases

Thu, 21 Sep 2023 19:30:51 GMT

Pattern Ag applies its technology to produce predictive agronomy with the goal of helping farmers match their input decisions to yield threats. This fall, the company announced its analytics for corn and soybeans includes below-ground pests and pathogens and now expanded to foliar diseases.
This includes:

For corn: Tar Spot, Gray Leaf Spot, Northern Corn Leaf Blight, Goss’s Wilt, Bacterial Leaf Streak and Diplodia Ear Rot.
For soybeans: Charcoal Rot, Cercospora Blight, Frogeye Leaf Spot, and Anthracnose

These newest analytics are available for all past and future Complete Bio orders in the U.S. at no extra charge.

“No other company can offer such integrated testing to predict what risks farmers face in the coming growing season,” Danielle Watts, vice president of data, said. “This data can positively impact their in-season crop scouting plans and narrow their focus when selecting hybrids, varieties, and fungicides.”

The company says its expanding profile gives better insights for farmers to use proactive measures, mitigate risks, and protect crops against pests. For example, farmers can select disease-resistant hybrids. Retailers can help prioritize scouting activities and fungicide applications.

“Pattern Ag is the leader in understanding field biology and using those insights to help farmers boost yield and maximize profits,” said Cam Norgate, Co-founder and Vice President of Product. “Our scientific breakthroughs are transforming agriculture by helping farmers address the unknown risks they face every season. Adding these damaging foliar diseases to our Complete Bio Panel highlights our dedication to helping farmers predict and plan for their most important decisions.”

What The Soil Has to Say

3 New Technologies to Increase Insights and Reduce Costs

Mon, 28 Aug 2023 15:14:55 GMT

Ag cooperative Ceres Solutions recently held a technology field day at their Crops 63 location. Here are three technologies they’re testing that can help farmers increase their field insights while saving money on input and operating costs.

See & Spray

John Deere’s See & Spray Ultimate could save growers 60% on post-emergence herbicides. The technology uses 36 cameras to target and spray weeds, instead of the entire field.

“If there are 100 acres, we may only be spraying 40 acres worth of chemicals because that’s where the technology is seeing weeds,” says Doug Galloway of AHW, an Indiana and Illinois John Deere dealership.

See & Spray Ultimate came into full production in 2023 and is being updated as improvements are made. It is currently used in corn, soybean and cotton fields and available both directly to growers and through retailers.

The technology is registered to spray pre-canopy in up to 30-inch corn and soybeans, and the cameras on the machine are proven to spot weeds ranging from ¼ inch to full size at 12.5 mph.

While See & Spray Ultimate will only come on a new sprayer, See & Spray Premium can be added to certain existing sprayers through a precision improvement plan.

To learn more, visit John Deere’s website or check out one of The Scoop’s previous stories on See & Spray:

What Can Ag Retailers Charge For Latest Spraying Technology?

Texas Grower Puts John Deere’s See and Spray Technology to the Test

On Target: John Deere’s Latest Green-On-Green Spraying Innovation

Soiltech

Soiltech is offering a mobile, easy-to-install and cost-effective way to monitor your crops.

Their device, called a “beacon”, is a handheld sensor that is planted, harvested, transported and stored with your crops. It collects data such as temperature, humidity, moisture, and other factors that could impact crop quality. An app and web dashboard allow growers and retailers to view and analyze the data.

The device is 6.5 in. tall by 4.75 in. wide and its battery has a 12–16-month lifespan before needing to be recharged. Soiltech is exploring solar-powered and plug-in options to further avoid disturbing the soil.

The company began selling these devices in 2020 and currently has over 3,000 in use. The devices work in any crop – including potatoes, corn, soybeans, fruits, tree crops, etc.

In addition to convenience, the device is also considerably less expensive than other sensors on the market: $500. An optional antenna is $60 and the subscription to the app and web dashboard is $99 annually.

This product is available both directly to growers and through retailers. To learn more, visit Soiltech’s website .

EarthOptics

EarthOptics is a new way to sample soil that reduces cost and increases accuracy.

“Folks are paying for the soil sampling they can afford as opposed to soil sampling they may want or need to make the best agronomic decisions year after year,” Brittany Buchanan of EarthOptics says. “This technology advancement can move the industry in a direction of more regular soil sampling and more accurate, more precise soil sampling.”

The company’s soil sensor is called GroundOwl, which mounts to an ATV, tractor or side-by-side to measure soil compaction, changes in soil texture, carbon content, conductivity and nutrient properties.

GroundOwl collects over 16 data points every second, making the data more specific than traditional sampling. This allows users to make targeted decisions to small regions for seed, fertilizer or lime placements.

EarthOptics measures and maps the soil and looks to farm advisors to leverage the data and make recommendations. For more information, visit their website .

John Deere Introduces Its First Add-On See & Spray Kit

Fri, 03 Mar 2023 18:15:43 GMT

Whereas See & Spray Select and See & Spray Ultimate are factory-options, for the first time, John Deere is introducing a selective spray system as an upgrade kit.

See & Spray Premium is available for John Deere model year 2018 and newer self-propelled sprayers in the U.S., which have factory-installed an ExactApply System or an ExactApply Performance Upgrade Kit and are on 15” or 20” spacings with a steel boom.

Built on the See & Spray technology, the kit uses a vision system powered by artificial intelligence to precisely apply crop protection products by spraying the weeds and not the entire field.

In milliseconds, multiple images captured by the cameras and with a machine learning model areas are diferentiated to be weed or crop. Detected weeds send a command to the John Deere ExactApply nozzle, and then the weed is sprayed.

“Farmers continue to face rising input costs,” said Jordan Lang, marketing manager for John Deere. “Once a See & Spray Premium performance upgrade kit is installed on their sprayer, farmers can cover more acres than before on a single tank – while using targeted spray – making fewer stops to fill and using less chemical. Only weeds are sprayed, so less chemical is used, making it possible to decrease input costs. When activated, See & Spray generates an as-applied map that shows exactly where product was applied in the field.”

See & Spray Premium is a single tank system (so not dual-product such as See & Spray Ultimate.)

“See & Spray Premium provides farmers who are happy with their current sprayer, or who recently traded into a sprayer, a way to take advantage of the latest John Deere technology that can help them reduce chemical use and lower their input costs,” Lang said. “See & Spray Premium makes it possible to use less herbicide and water to treat a field and greatly reduces the potential for product drift.”

Boom stability is provided by the John Deere BoomTrac Pro 2.0 so spray integrity is maintained and cameras mounted on the boom capture clear images.

See & Spray Premium generates a weed pressure map in the John Deere Operations Center.

Steve Cubbage: Billionaire Space Cowboys Drive Ag Tech

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:17:28 GMT

The coming year marks 50 years since mankind’s greatest achievement. The space race of the 1960s catapulted Neil Armstrong and the U.S. to the surface of the moon.

The technological innovation that accomplished such a Herculean feat literally changed the world in ways still hard to comprehend. Jokingly, the space race’s two greatest contributions to mankind were the Dustbuster cordless vacuum and Tang orange powdered drink.

In all seriousness, if you have to point to an industry and an individual that probably benefited the most from man’s desire to explore and exploit space, then production agriculture and the farmer would be near the top of the list.

Think about it. Precision agriculture owes its existence to the technology that now orbits the Earth and pretty much runs everything down below. Autosteer, drones, imagery and don’t forget the iPhone in your pocket—in some small or large way, these technologies owe their very existence to those who labored on mankind’s greatest adventure to date.

Given that the advancement of agricultural technologies has been inherently joined at the hip to continued advancements in space, it may come as a surprise that the future of space tech didn’t look too good just a few years ago. Dwindling government budgets for out-of-this-world endeavors seriously handicapped NASA’s ability to do almost anything big in space. It is sobering to acknowledge the last U.S. manned spaceflight occurred in July 2011—the final mission of the space shuttle Atlantis. It is an even harder pill to swallow knowing the country that put a man on the moon in the 1960s cannot even get one off the ground in the 21st century. U.S. astronauts have had to hitch rides on Russian rockets for $75 million per ride.

When NASA mothballed the remaining space shuttle fleet, the ability to deliver military, research and commercial payloads into space was seriously compromised. That meant GPS, communication, weather and imagery satellites that needed to get into orbit had to get in a much longer and expensive line to get their shot into space. The problem was NASA was woefully behind in bringing a next-generation space launch delivery system to the table to pick up where the shuttle fleet left off.

NASA’s recent space delivery dilemma may just turn out in the long run to be the best thing to ever happen to the American space program and, in turn, American agriculture as well. That’s because the coolest thing you can do now if you’re a billionaire is build your own rockets and spaceships. Case in point—SpaceX founded by tech mogul Elon Musk is launching its reusable rockets with payloads at a rate and at an attractive price point the industry has never before seen. But Musk now has competition. Amazon’s Jeff Bezos has also joined the fray with his Blue Origin company, which has rockets named New Shepard and New Glenn. Then, don’t forget English moneyman Richard Branson and his Virgin Galactic company that’s set to commercialize civilian space travel. And finally, there’s a Turkish immigrant woman named Eren Ozmen who heads the Sierra Nevada Corporation, which has designed a super sleek space plane dubbed “Dream Chaser.”

Affordable ways to get “electronic eyes and ears” into orbit drive innovation and investments and directly benefit industries such as agriculture. A perfect example is a company such as Planet, a startup microsatellite company that is quickly becoming a key player in the ag imagery space. It regularly hitches rides for flocks of its satellites on SpaceX rockets. What Planet and its growing list of competitors have done for today’s farmer is provide detailed, insightful imagery on a much more timely basis. Images of fields are available nearly every other day. In the early days of NASA’s Landsat program, it may have been two to three weeks between images, and you hoped it wasn’t cloudy on that day.

There is a tremendous amount of venture capital money flowing into bleeding edge imagery, weather, ag analytics and artificial intelligence companies. Companies such as Spire merge vast amounts of data from satellites and weather sensors with the power of analytics to bring the power of space tech down to the online cloud for real-time, real-world insights. Satellogic, another microsatellite company, touts its high-flying birds as “spectroscopic satellites,” which pick up signals from light to understand the health of environmental organisms at the molecular level.

That’s a mouthful, but the point is you haven’t seen anything yet, and corn fields are about to be the most probed, prodded and observed square blocks on the planet. The hopeful upside is a more proactive—rather than reactive—agronomy protocol. Buckle up because these billionaire space cowboys are about to take agriculture for one wild ride.

Shark Tank Eyes Hottest Agriculture Technology

Thu, 22 Sep 2022 04:17:20 GMT

Want to peek behind the curtain at tomorrow’s hottest farming technology? Look no further than agriculture’s shark tank.

Pedal to the floor and tires smoking, AgLaunch provided a lively shark tank-type forum for 15 vanguard technologies covering all facets of agriculture on March 2 in Memphis, Tenn. Steered by Pete Nelson, AgLaunch president, 15 burgeoning companies offered a glimpse of the best and brightest new tech headed to farmland.

“The foundation of our program is connecting early-stage agtech companies with farmers to help inform product development and become engaged in the scale up of the company and farmers get a tangible benefit in being a partner in the company,” said Pete Nelson, president and executive director of AgLaunch. “All of the companies that presented are part of the AgLaunch portfolio and are being considered for further investment and are participating in field trials this summer with assistance from Tennessee Department of Agriculture’s pilot cost share program.”

The innovations were presented to two panels composed of producers from the AgLaunch Farmer Network, Innova Memphis investment group, and agriculture industry professionals. In order of appearance:

Persistence Data Mining (PDM) is a replacement for grid soil sampling and lab sample processing. PDM utilizes UAVs and hyperspectral imaging. PDM president and ninth-generation producer Penny Nagel says grid soil sampling doesn’t compare to the speed and efficiency of PDM: “We’re wasting money with excessive fertilizer. Persistence data mining provides more data sets per acre, enabling farmers to make much better decisions. It’s so much faster and everything is done right in the field.”

Hintech Ag’s Decimator can chew through corn stubble and save producers tremendous dollars in tire replacement and downtime, according to Ted Hinton , certified crop advisor and president of Hintech Ag.

Hintech Ag’s solution is the bolt-on Decimator, which splinters stalks and extracts root balls. A large, metal-veined cylinder containing a solid cylinder, the Decimator traps corn stubble between the veins and inner cylinder creating a crush point to destroy or dislodge the stalk. “It’s highly effective in mitigating tire damage, extracting root balls and enhancing residue decomposition,” Hinton says.

Stable’N is a highly economical nitrogen stabilizer using an electrical field to treat soil. Designed by southeastern Illinois producer Bryan Tomm , Stable’N was a finalist for the 2017 Tulane Nitrogen Reduction Challenge’s $1 million grand prize. “I knew we could control the bacterial process with electricity and be cheaper and more effective,” he says.

Stable’N can be applied as a retrofit to fertilizer equipment and bolts on to the coulters, Tomm explains: “Including equipment costs, it’s about $1 per acre.”

Newton RFID’s EquipassID offers immediate access to mandatory and vital horse records via a microchip. The instant information enables a horse owner or veterinarian to eliminate the paper trail during transfers or travel. “EquipassID is entirely digitized, and allows management of vital health information and indemnification documents,” explains Mark Johnson, president of Newton RFID.

EquipassID is energized by a reader that wakes up the device to add or extract information. “All data can be updated with smartphone app,” Johnson adds.

Global AgSmarte’s SmarteRoot treats irrigation water with radio frequency to make it more soluble and absorbable. Water treated by SmarteRoot leads to larger root mass, greater overall plant growth and higher yield, according to Global AgSmarte representative Justin Tomlinson : “We use multiple frequencies and directly inject our radio frequency so we have maximum efficiency.”

“SmarteRoot goes with any type irrigation system. The technology can increase nutrient uptake and foliage, build stress resistance, and increase yield from 10% to 20%,” Tomlinson concludes.

AgriSync is a collaboration platform between farmers and industry advisors to diminish down time, reduce costs of service, and scale expertise. Free for farmers, AgriSync centralizes immediate support, real-time video, alerts and more.

“AgriSync is a free, simple-to-use tool for farmers to get the best support and collaboration from the experts they work with every day,” says cofounder Jerrod Westfahl .

Rantizo is a cutting-edge technology delivering chemicals precisely where needed using an electrostatic sprayer via UAV application. A different paradigm from traditional spraying, UAVs are loaded with cartridges only containing the active chemical ingredient. “This sprayer charges the liquid and that leads to even, low-levels of coating, as low as 1 oz. per acre,” says Michael Ott , cofounder of Rantizo.

“This can revolutionize spraying,” Ott adds. “We can mount a low payload on a drone and spot-spray a field. The wrap-around also has the benefit that spray sticks to leaves and doesn’t go to ground, water or a neighbor’s field.”

Skycision combines drone and satellite imagery to specify exact areas of crop stress. Skycision CEO Brendan Carroll says specialty crop growers lose 3-4% of yield each year to undetected pests or disease: “Skycision can save them 50% of the loss. Infestations happen to everyone, but our technology let’s a grower react before pest of disease loss can spread and have a cataclysmic impact.”

AgHelp addresses labor shortages and logistical issues with a digital platform aimed at collaboration and communication. Ivan Paredes , AgHelp representative, says the system is mutually beneficial to both farmers and hired workers: “It’s a big benefit for farm employers to source workers nationally and this is cheaper than posting an advertisement. This is streamlined for everyone. A farm worker can travel freely knowing where a job is located. AgHelp will be more effective than anything on the market.”

SwineTech’s SmartGuard targets millions of piglets accidentally crushed by mother sows each year. A monitor protects piglets by listening for the squeal frequency emitted by a trapped piglet, and delivers a mild shock to the sow via a wearable adhesive, causing the sow to stand. “About 22.5 billion pounds of is lost each year,” explains SwineTech founder Matthew Rooda . “This pops the momma to get up with about two-fifths the strength of a dog collar shock, and is like a Fitbit for pigs.”

MicroBiometer moves the soil testing from the lab to the smartphone. The device allows a producer or advisor to estimate microbial biomass in 10 minutes for a tenth of typical lab costs, according to Judith Fitzpatrick , founder of MicroBiometer. Results can be read with a smartphone or tablet app. “For $15 you can tell if you’re improving your soil and check the results with a cellphone,” Fitzpatrick says. “MicroBiometer is soil health in the palm of your hand.”

HarvestYield is digitally simplifying custom application and harvesting at all levels with software that eliminates paperwork through a web- and mobile-based application that covers activity from dispatching to invoicing. “We focus exclusively on custom farming and we’re changing the entire process to make it so much easier for everyone involved,” says Juan Figuera , cofounder of HarvestYield.

Kilimo is a digital accounting system for water and decision support tool for irrigation management. Using satellite, climate and on-site data, Kilimo feeds a proprietary big data engine to create an irrigation prescription for each crop, improving yields up to 3% and water use efficiency up to 70%, according to Jairo Trad , CEO of Kilimo. “We know how much water you have initially, and then we measure everything, including how much you use, along with weather data,” Kilimo explains. “We show up twice during the season to show you our ratings are correct. No sensors are involved.”

Rabbit Tractors weigh only a quarter as much as normal-sized tractors and operate in autonomous swarms. A simple design utilizes widely available parts as components come apart in light sections, enabling farmers to fix equipment in the field, according to Zack James , founder of Rabbit Tractors. “Running three units instead of one is a better business model and provides far more versatility. In addition, better use of precision technology requires smaller equipment and that’s what we’ve got,” he notes.

EarthSense places herbicide resistance in the crosshairs of autonomous rovers that attack weeds with non-chemical weapons. Weighing less than 30 lbs., fully automated rovers are capable of traveling below the canopy for weed removal and crop scouting. “This is an ultralight, autonomous weed killer and we’re testing different types of cutting blades. It will be capable of staying in the field for the entire crop season,” says Chinmay Soman , cofounder of EarthSense.

And the Winner is…

Rantizo spray technology received top ranking from the judge’s panel, followed by a tie for second place between EarthSense and Kilimo . For more information, see AgLaunch .

Machinery Journal - March 2019

Wed, 21 Sep 2022 02:14:32 GMT

When Tech Meets Iron: Case IH Introduces Enhanced AFS Connect System

At the National Farm Machinery Show, Case IH unveiled enhancements to its AFS Connect technology. The system provides seamless data transfer, ease of use and has capabilities to help farmers be more efficient.

Software can be updated in the cab or from the couch, and screens can be shared with, and even controlled by, other connected devices. An action, such as tricky end-of-row turns, can be recorded, and with the push of a button that action can be completed.

New AFS Connect features include:

Farm Management allows users to remotely monitor their operations to get a bird’s-eye view of fields, view prescriptions and agronomic data, locate equipment and monitor individual machine performance.
Fleet Management provides tracking capabilities, vehicle management options to optimize performance and maintenance updates.
Data Management gathers data and makes it available immediately via the cloud and provides seamless data transfer on a field by field basis.

The system provides options for a variety of in-field operations. AFS Soil Command enables precise field mapping that records key settings and adjustments—think variable-rate tillage based on soil type. AFS Harvest Command combine automation adjusts settings based on crop conditions—think variable-rate harvesting. AFS AccuTurn is available for Patriot sprayers to provide increased accuracy and reduced operator fatigue.

AFS Connect can be retrofitted for 2010 model year/Tier III and newer machines. Case IH is setting up API partnerships with companies such as The Climate Corporation, Farmers Business Network and Farmers Edge.

Along with software, Case IH introduced the AFS Connect Magnum, which features a quieter cab, remote viewing and display screen options.

AFS Connect Magnum components include: AFS Vector Pro receiver to improve guidance, AFS Vision Pro operating system, which is Android-based, and an AFS Pro 1200 12" antiglare display.

The company says it’s redesigned with productivity in mind:

New front and rear cameras are standard on the luxury package with two additional camera options.
LED lights on hood and up top enhance visibility.
AFS Vector Pro receiver improves guidance consistency.
Telescopic mirrors are controlled from the cab.
Tire pressure sensors monitor and display inflation on the screen.
Semi-active and adjustable cab suspension improves comfort.

In addition, consolidated displays and more storage capacity decrease clutter. Controls can be customized.

For details on the 3100 Series II draper models, guidance solutions for Patriot sprayers and AFS Soil Command capabilities, visit caseih.com .

Mathews Company Offers a New Mixed-Flow Grain Dryer

Introducing its first mixed-flow grain dryer, Mathews Company introduces the Delta Series with SmartFlow technology. The lineup consists of eight models with drying capacities ranging from 600 bu. to 8,400 bu. per hour.
The unique design has the following components:

In-line centrifugal fans reduce noise, increase efficiency and avoids “stall” operation.
A high-efficiency burner features low emission, stainless steel and cast aluminum construction.
An external heat chamber ensures uniform temperature distribution by applying the highest temperatures to the wettest grain and keeps the burner flames isolated from the product being dried.
SmartFlow technology features a tapered duct system to evenly distribute drying air.
The Pinnacle 20|20 dryer control system features intuitive, dual 10" HD touchscreens for control, customization and a built-in backup.
The M-C Trax app allows operators to control their dryer from anywhere in the world.

To learn more, visit mathewscompany.com .

John Deere Introduces Redesigned N500C Air Drill

Building on the features of the 1990CCS air seeder, John Deere introduces the redesigned N500C series air drills. The air drills integrate the latest in seeding technology and are designed to give operators easier meter access.

The main frame and commodity tank have changed, with the blower mounted in the forward position and a raised platform for easier meter access to clear blockages or clean out seed. Unlike chain-driven air seeders, the N500C features electric-drive volumetric meters that offer greater seed population control and four-section variable-rate seeding capabilities with SectionCommand.

New technologies on the N500C air drills include John Deere ActiveCal tank scales for on-the-go seeding calibration from the cab, RelativeFlow blockage for row-to-row seed-flow monitoring, TruSet downforce control from the cab and the SeederPlus app for convenient calibration of meters and weight monitoring for tank scales.

The N500C air drills also feature the no-till ProSeries Openers for improved seed placement accuracy. The low-maintenance ProSeries Openers are designed with a narrow seed boot and narrow, flexible press wheel that provides up to 40% more consistent seed depth.

The N500C air drill is available in 30', 36', 40' and 42' widths with 100-bu. or 120-bu. central commodity tanks, depending on tool width. The machines have front and rear ranks, with either 7.5" and 15" row spacings or 10" and 20" row spacings, that can be hydraulically raised and locked. Machines with a single tank with 15" row spacings are available.

Orders can be made in June with delivery expected to start by the end of 2019. For more information, contact your local John Deere dealer or visit johndeere.com .

Did you miss attending the National Farm Machinery Show in Louisville? Farm Journal Field Agronomist Ken Ferrie shares what caught his eye on his Boots in the Field podcast found at bit.ly/NFMS-highlights

Bull’s-Eye Farm Technology: Robot Patrols Almond Orchards, Blasts Mummies

Tue, 20 Sep 2022 04:16:24 GMT

A robot moves through a California almond orchard and casts a digital eye into a limb canopy in search of navel orangeworm prey—larvae hidden within mummy hulls clinging to bare branches. In a symphony of seconds, the rover notes a mummy hull, aims an air-powered turret skyward, and releases a biodegradable pellet. Bull’s-eye. The mummy tumbles to the orchard floor and the rover continues its round-the-clock orchard vigil. Lock, stock, and smoking barrel.

California accounts for a stunning 80% of global almond production. Navel orangeworm (NOW) is insect enemy No. 1, annually inflicting millions of dollars in damage and control costs on the Central Valley’s $6 billion almond kingdom. However, the arrival of a precision, pellet-slinging, automated rover may provide almond growers with a cutting-edge NOW control weapon. Welcome to the debut of InsightTRAC Rover and the age of robotic mummy removal.

NOW Pain

In 2019, Anna Haldewang, a Midwestern inventor hailing from the corn and soybeans of northern Indiana, and founder and chief executive officer of InsightTRAC , set out to tackle the NOW dilemma. “Orangeworm is a major pain point for almond growers,” she says, “and they need a solution that doesn’t rely on weather or hand labor.”

During the Central Valley’s August-to-October harvest, mechanical shakers displace nuts from trees—but not all the almonds fall to the orchard floor. Mummy hulls remain stuck to branches, providing potential overwintering homes for NOW larvae. In spring, moths emerge from the mummy hulls and the cycle begins again with some orchards experiencing up to $300 per acre in damage. Additionally, 58% of rejects at almond processing are related to NOW, according to Haldewang.

During winter, growers typically combat NOW with additional mechanical shaking or labor crews armed with bamboo poles to manually knock down hulls. “Winter sanitation in orchards can be extremely difficult and expensive,” Haldewang describes. “The shakers go back through and shake the bottom of the trunk, but it only works during a heavy fog or after a rain when the mummies are heavy with extra moisture that gives them additional weight to fall. Some growers use hand-polers and that means a high labor cost, and it’s also not easy to source the labor.”

Multipurpose Rover

Haldewang’s invention, the Rover , is approximately 4’ wide, 5’ long, 6’ tall, and propelled on rubberized tracks. Navigating by GPS and equipped with artificial intelligence and an orchard identification camera system, the Rover is zeroed in on mummy recognition. Day or night, it moves down rows, stopping at each tree to check the branches for mummy presence. Once a mummy ID is made, machine-learning maps out the quickest route and angle to the hull within seconds. The robot aims one of two turrets positioned atop its frame into the bare canopy and shoots a single biodegradable pellet at the hull target. (The turrets fire accurately at up to 30-plus feet.) The Rover checks the rest of the branches, repeating the process as needed when other mummies are located, and then moves to the next tree in line.

InsightTRAC’s autonomous Rover operates via electric power providing several days of run-time. The batteries can also be powered in the field by an onboard diesel generator.

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“The industry standard is to get down to 2 mummies or less per tree,” Haldewang says. “If, for example, an orchard has 50 mummies per tree, the Rover can clear one acre in a few hours, and that’s 24 hours per day and seven days per week. We estimate it is equivalent to the work of eight polers. A technician needs to be on-site at an orchard, but only nearby. They can be in a truck cab as long as they have eyes on it.”

Beyond NOW removal, the Rover provides extensive data collection, Haldewang emphasizes. “While knocking off mummies, it collects data on the tree, variety, and acre. We then provide a grower with a heat map to show the heaviest and lightest infestation areas, and total of mummies removed. The grower sees the patterns over time and can tie those patterns to other seasonal activities such as water stress or shaking twice in a certain section.”

InsightTRAC will begin delivery of units in fall 2022, and the company currently has pilot programs in California and Australia (home to 6% of global almond production). Beyond almonds, InsightTRAC will extend focus to pistachios and walnuts—both susceptible to NOW infestation.

“From a seasonal perspective, our Rover is going to always stay in the orchard, performing a role for the grower,” Haldewang says. “First, its purpose is to tackle navel orangeworm, but we’re going to shift it to year-round, additional activities to benefit the orchard.”

“Our goal when we started was a robot that would effectively control navel orangeworm and remove weather and labor as factors,” she adds. “The Rover achieves that goal for almond growers.”

Taranis Smart Scouting Nets $40 Million Investment

Wed, 07 Sep 2022 18:06:47 GMT

Taranis has raised an additional $40 million to further accelerate the use of and development of its smart scouting platform. To date, Taranis has raised $100 million in funding.

With three years of commercial experience, the platform is aiming to be the glue sticking trusted advisers even closer to farmers by providing insights to yield threats out in the field. Its current user base includes more than 100 ag retailers and consultants who use Taranis to deliver crop intelligence insights empowering more informed decision making to help make crop management more efficient.

“Taranis helps make better relationship and better decisions in agriculture,” says Mike DiPaola, Taranis Chief Commercial Officer. “With our leaf-level insights, you can see and understand what’s going on in a field and then manage yield threats through good data and good analysis to improve the farmer’s bottom line.”

DiPaola says Taranis is creating content that doesn’t exist anywhere else in the world, but they are applying technologies used in other industries with great customer success including Ring doorbells and digital baby monitors.

Via remote sensing, Taranis collects and analyzes leaf-level resolution of fields to identify weeds, diseases, insects, and nutrient deficiencies. The company has been assembling its artificial intelligence engine for seven years with more than 200 million AI-data points.

“This doesn’t replace scouting, it just makes it better,” he says. “And it changes the way retailers can offer services and how farmers are able to manage their farms. The technology is creating the ability for retailers to focus on relationships and provide a new solution at scale.”

DiPaola shares three key deliverables for Taranis:

Scalable: the company has focused on acquiring large amounts of data to amplify the type of insights available
Analyzation: content is collected and then analyzed efficiently and economically.
Usable: Taranis is available as a web application and mobile app

Specific to the past couple of years, DiPaola says the company has improved their product and its value.

“If you want this for your fields, all you have to do is talk to us. We’ve solved a number of obstacles and hurdles for an adviser to get this and work with their growers. So really, to get started, we need two things: planting date and field boundaries,” DiPaola says.

This fall, the team is going to the field with “combine guides.”

“This is a way to know before you go to the field so you can remember the start the crop got—which we have as stand counts—the threats to field—which we have with data and visuals—so we can arm retailers with information they need for next year and farmers know why they got the yield they got,” DiPaola says. “When you see it ringing 230 bu it reminds you of the start you got, the decisions you made.”

Make Precision Ag Profitable

Tue, 17 Nov 2020 04:11:50 GMT

Precision farming tools, from automation to variable rate technology (VRT) and others, are giving farmers new ways to make and save money. Before you dive into precision farming with both feet, it’s invaluable to identify which technology is likely to give you a return on investment now and which ones might take more time before you can pocket any profits.

“The technologies that have been the most rapidly adopted are those that are automated,” says Bruce Erickson, Purdue University agronomy education distance & outreach director. “Things like sprayer controllers, planter row shut offs and tools that guide implements through the field are helping reduce costs.”

Sprayer nozzle and section controllers, for example, can save on fertilizer and pesticide costs by cutting down inevitable oversprays. Tools such as turn compensation also help ensure each part of a field gets the right rate so the outside turn end of the sprayer doesn’t miss out and the inside doesn’t get too much. Planter shut offs help save seed costs with the same principle.

“Farmers starting in precision can look to automated guidance and controllers as an easy way in with clear ROI,” Erickson says. Sprayer controllers, for example, can pay for themselves in the first year.

“The other side of precision agriculture, based on field characteristics such as variable rate technology, has huge potential but is more dependent on agronomy and knowledge of the field,” he adds.

Some precision tools and practices, such as adjusting field prescriptions or finetuning crop nutrient requirements, help decrease input costs by targeting resources where and when the crop needs them. That minimizes input overuse and waste.

“Why put more seed out than what the ground is capable of handling? The same goes for fertilizer,” says Matt Boucher, who farms in northern Illinois and uses VRT to reduce costs.

Farm Journal Test Plots recently tested VRT to see if it saves money on seed and fertilizer. The test proved you can save from 0.2% to 23% on seed cost—the greatest savings are on irregular shaped fields. A 500-acre farm could save $43 per acre, or about $21,500 on fertilizer.

“In the past few years information technology has advanced dramatically, allowing us to take data we’re pulling out of fields and make it more usable,” Erickson says. That information is used to create the variable rate nutrient maps, soil amendment maps and seeding rate information farmers need to enter into the next era of ag—and to do so profitably.

Cory Gilbert, with On Target Ag Solutions, says some aspects of precision farming take time to implement and benefit from. “Make sure you go full circle with this,” says Gilbert. “Start by setting a goal or figuring out what you want to achieve.”