Innovative Crop Protection: Digital Tools, Drones, and Biologicals


08/28/2023


No two farmers or their fields are the same, just as no two fingerprints are identical. Whether you’re farming in Indiana or India, growing corn or cauliflower, we recognize that your farm and its challenges are unique to you. That’s why we’re committed to developing personalized crop protection solutions tailored to the individual hectares that comprise your operation.
 
Continue reading to learn about some of the customized solutions that are making a significant impact for farmers worldwide, regardless of their location or the challenges they face.
 
Digital Weed Management: A Smarter Way to Fight Weeds
Manually inspecting every hectare or acre of your farm for potential issues is neither practical nor cost-effective. It’s no wonder that data-driven digital tools have become an essential component of crop monitoring, helping to identify and address a variety of problems before they affect food production.
 
These tools seamlessly integrate with the equipment you already have, providing a wide range of analyses, from individual plants to entire farming operations.
 
Transforming Data into Actionable Insights
On any farm, outcomes are paramount. Digital platforms like Climate FieldViewTM and Sentera, combined with local expertise, enable farmers to collect, store, and analyze valuable data using existing tools and equipment.
 
In the U.S., farmers can work with agronomic partners and Sentera to monitor pests and assess the risk of crop damage by combining drone imagery with data science. This provides valuable insights that inform real-time crop protection decisions. Sentera can provide detailed snapshots of weed pressure and location for more efficient scouting and application. More precise inputs lead to improved outcomes - a win-win situation.
 
Drone-Based Applications: Alleviating Labor Strains in the Pacific
Not too long ago, drones were considered futuristic farming technology. Now, they’re just another tool in the crop protection arsenal. In the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, drones have become an indispensable asset for smallholder farmers.

The value chain and labor markets in APAC have been severely impacted by climate change and COVID-19. Drones are being used to identify and address specific problem areas within crops, saving farmers valuable time and resources, and ultimately increasing profitability and sustainability.

And They’re Safer, Too
Safety is always a top priority for farmers. In rice paddies, where backpack applications often place farmers directly in the application zone, drones have been adopted as a tool to significantly improve input regulation and increase safety.

Drones allow farmers to penetrate broadleaf crop canopies to apply protectants or individual plant applications from a safe distance, with greater precision.

Anticipating Crop Disease: Predicting the Unpredictable
Entering any growing season is accompanied by hope, excitement, and a bit of uncertainty. One of the most unpredictable challenges for farmers worldwide is disease. But what if the unpredictable could be predicted?

A new pilot program aimed at cereal farmers, PreDiMa (Predictive Disease Management), seeks to do just that. PreDiMa uses data-driven insights and climatic indicators to predict disease issues before they occur, saving farmers time, money, and stress.

Piloting PreDiMa in Europe
More certainty from planting to post-harvest would undoubtedly be welcomed by any farmer. With PreDiMa, our goal is to develop a program that helps farmers like you manage risk, combat disease more effectively, increase quality, and maximize yield.

PreDiMa offers services such as pre-season consultations, in-season risk assessments and recommendations, and a risk-sharing component. We’re fine-tuning this program to meet the individual needs of each farmer - including yours.
 
Fabrice, a farmer from France, tried out PreDiMa to reduce the number of treatments, better manage disease, and optimize costs.

Personalized Biologicals: Sustainable and Complementary Crop Protection
Crop protection on your farm has likely changed significantly in the past decade. We are dedicated to developing solutions that decrease inputs, maximize outputs, and are gentler on the environment, just like digital tools.

Biologicals provide farmers with an effective defense mechanism that allows them to reduce their overall environmental impact while still maintaining customized crop protection plans.

FLiPPER: A Sustainable Solution in Biological Innovation
Our commitment is to reduce the environmental impact of crop protection by 30% by 2030. With this goal in mind, we have developed an extensive and innovative portfolio of biologicals.

Meet FLiPPER - not the dolphin. This insecticide has achieved remarkable results in the UK, where it is used by both organic and conventional farmers to control harmful sucking pests, ensuring high-quality yields without harming beneficial insects and pollinators. It’s a win-win situation.

Partnering with Farmers to Keep the Future of Crop Protection in Mind
We are inspired by the creativity, innovation, and passion of farmers worldwide - farmers like you. That’s why our research and development pipeline is unparalleled. We continue to innovate with your current and future needs at the forefront of every decision we make, every discovery we make, and every product we launch.

By collaborating with farmers worldwide who work tirelessly to feed us all, our commitment is to continually seek new innovations that are as unique as your fields - and as unique as everything else that makes you who you are.