TECHNOLOGY

IN AGRICULTURE
INNOVATIONS FOR THE
AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

Challenge
Advisory
 TRENDING 4
Four top products and
technological innovationsfor the
AgriculturalSector

1 JOHN DEERES MOBILE 3 PHYTECHS

MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PHYTOMONITORING PLANT
SENSORS

2 BAYERS CONCEPT FOR PEST 4 ADAMA AGRICULTURAL

MANAGEMENT ONFARMS SOLUTIONS DECISION-
SUPPORT SYSTEM

2011-2017 Challenge Advisory All rights reserved 1

 TRENDING 4
This issue of Trending 4 Each unique product provides the farmer with useful
explores four of the top insights into the efficiency and productivity of their
agricultural productsand farmingpractices, improving consequential impacts to
pieces of equipment crop growth and yields.
available for farm In an increasingly mechanised and automated sector,
management practices. companies are making huge developments in the power
and accuracy of digital technologies. Farmers are able
to gain a wealth of data and insight into the complex
processes affecting their farms productivity. On-top of
this, developments in automated labour and machinery
are allowing farms to work more accurately and efficiently
than ever.
When looking forward, digital technologies are critical for
ensuring sustainability within the sector, and that growing
global food demands are met. Appropriate technology
can help farms remain productive in the face of worsening
climatic conditions and resource availability. To be
sustainable, farmers will need adaptable, resilient and
capable of doing more with less.
In line with the benefits and challenges mentioned above,
the following pages will outline four exciting industry
technologies that can help farmers overcome current and
future challenges. All fall within a broader category of farm
management, but each has its own specialism in relation
tothis.

2011-2017 Challenge Advisory All rights reserved 2

 JOHN DEERES MOBILE
MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The first of the management systems to be The app provides specific maps for farming
showcased, as couldhave probablybeen activities, with the system capableof
guessed with JohnDeere, is allabout the reporting details on specific row and nozzle
machinery. equipment. Mapping variations include
as-applied rates, rate deviation, spray
To help farmers monitor,adjust and
pressure, and ground speed, critical for
learnfrom the performance of their
enabling precision application from spray
machinery, John Deere has introduced
and plant units. This information canbe
the new John Deere Connect Mobile App.
saved on and offline, allowing usersto easily
Specifically targetedtowards sprayers
compare differing data layers of the go. All
and planters at present, theapp allows
of this helps the farmer better understand
farmers to monitor jobperformancein real
the development of their crops, and react to
time, enabling them toadapt practices for
recorded issues.
maximum efficiency.
For more information about the Connect Mobile
John Mishler, Production and Precision
App, visit www.johnDeere.com/ag
Agricultural Marketing Manager for the
company states, its managing the job at
a micro level to make macro changes. By
using Connect mobile, operators will know
theyre doing the best possible job with the
investment theyve made.

2011-2017 Challenge Advisory All rights reserved 3

 BAYERS CONCEPT FOR
PEST MANAGEMENT
ONFARMS
As part of a three year research costly. It is hoped that by digitalising and
project, Bayer and FaunaPhotonics are automating this process, it will be easier
collaborating on the development of new for farmers to systematically detect and
sensor solution for agricultural pests. It identify insect populations, leading to
is hoped that the partnership between improved pest management techniques
the two companies will help each make and relatedbenefits.
important steps in the development of
The joint development of an affordable,
sensory technology more generally. As
communicative technological solution, will
Frederik Taarnhj, CEO and Co-Founder
allow more precise and efficient monitoring,
of FaunaPhotonics stated, The new
enabling farmers to make more informed
technology is expected to fill gaps in our
decisions in relation to management and
knowledge of insect populations, leading
targeted applications. This will bring about
to improvement in insect control and
higher yields and outputs for farmers, with
more sustainable food production.
a lower impact tonon-target, or beneficial,
Monitoring and dealing with pests has farm insects.
beena long running issue within agriculture.
The project is still in early stages of
Historically, farmers have relied on
development, but to read more about the
manual monitoring techniques which are
technology and research, visit www.bayer.
timeconsuming, labour intensive and
com

2011-2017 Challenge Advisory All rights reserved 4

 PHYTECHS
PHYTOMONITORING
PLANT SENSORS
The overall focus of Phytechs new
monitoring technology is to ensure that
growers are connected to their plants.
Unique plant sensors are utilised in
combination with global communication
solutions, cloud base servers and web
based applications, to give growers real-
time crop data flows. This data canbe used
to help farmers understand their crops,
and how differing inputs and management
practices can affect growthand yields.
Phytechs patented plant sensors are
suitable for almost all crops. Sensors
arenot affected by ambient temperature
conditions, and have a battery life of around
one year. Each sensor is able to feed-back
to a central web-based database, which
growers can access and customise for
bestuse.
2011-2017 Challenge Advisory All rights reserved
With this technology, Pytech have really
focused on educating the grower. As
the company says on their website, the
technology assists growers in making
better day to day decisions, leading to
higher yield and optimal quality, empowering
them through knowledge sharing with their
entire network.
It is important to note that not only do
the plant sensors help with growth and
yield, but they are also beneficial in terms
of efficiency, costing and environmental
protection. By being able to better
understand the growth of an individual plant,
and crops in general, growers can make
more informed and efficient decisions on
the amount of resources, or inputs, required
to achieve targeted yields, reducing their
environmental footprint.
For more information,
visit http://www.phytech.com
5
 ADAMA AGRICULTURAL
SOLUTIONS DECISION-
SUPPORT SYSTEM
In a similar vein to the previous technology, use on inputs while optimising yields. In
Adama and AgroWebLab havecollaborated fact, Adama and AgroWebLab believe the
to create an innovative decision-support technology to be so effective, they report
system for agricultural workers. SupPlant on average provides a yield
increase of 5% and 20% savings in irrigation
The centre of this system is designed
water. Not only then are the sensors useful
around AgroWebLabs SupPlant sensor
in terms of productivity and output, but
technology. SupPlant uses soil, plant
they can also help farmers implement more
and environment sensors to monitor
sustainable agricultural practices.
stress levels in plants, sending an alert to
farmers when pre-defined thresholds are By collaborating with AgroWeblab,
breached. This information can then be Adama will look to further explore how the
used by growers to indicate the best time technology can be used for crop protection
for applying agricultural inputs, maximising and bio-stimulant applications. The
crop growth and yields. partnership has initially been launched in the
Australian market, but more information can
Adama writes, the unique technology
be found about the project at www.adama.
combines Internet of Things, cloud
com and www.supplant.me.
computing, and data analytics, to bring
cutting-edge decision support tools to the
farm and enable growers to minimize the

2011-2017 Challenge Advisory All rights reserved 6

 CONTACT
Alfred Gilbert
Head of AgriculturalCommunication
E: agilbert@challenge.org
Lara Francesca
Global Partnerships
E: lfrancesca@challenge.org
Dr. Aubrey Longmore
Head of Agriculture
E: alongmore@challenge.org

CHALLENGE.ORG

The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to

address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we
endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee
that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to
Challenge
Advisory
be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate
professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation.
 REFERENCES

https://www.deere.com/en_US/corporate/our_
company/news_and_media/press_releases/2017/
agriculture/2017feb15_ConnectMobile.page

www.johnDeere.com/ag

http://www.press.bayer.com/baynews/baynews.
nsf/id/Bayer-FaunaPhotonics-research-collabora-
tion-develop-sensor-technology-improved-moni-
toring-insect
www.bayer.com

http://www.phytech.com

http://www.adama.com/en/media/press-releas-
es/adama-agroweblab-launch-innovative-deci-
sion-support-solution.html
www.adama.com

www.supplant.me

Challenge
Advisory