By bringing to life various data layers-many invisible to the human eye-the smart maps making this insight possible are helping to fulfill the promise of precision agriculture.ĭavid Potere, Indigo Ag Indigo Ag and the Quest to Clean Up Dirty Data These nature-based solutions also can bolster the farmer’s bottom line, as properties produce healthier, higher-yielding crops. In comparison to industrially farmed plots, fields farmed in the regenerative fashion that Indigo encourages are often more resistant to extreme weather events like floods. Based on soil studies and satellite data, Indigo Ag can suggest carbon-sequestering practices a farmer might implement, then measure progress and allocate carbon credits. Location analysis is also aiding the company’s effort to incentivize carbon sequestration. Drones or satellites can relay information about plant canopies, with the color and quality of the leaves giving agronomists an integrated view of plant health and maturity. Drawing on a complex array of data points including planting dates, the pH of the field, soil types, and climate and weather patterns, Indigo’s agronomists aim to match the right seed treatments to the land being cultivated, or forecast crop volumes to help farmers estimate what they’ll bring to market. Now the technology is enabling Indigo to provide farmers with the location intelligence needed to make their labor more efficient. Tellus was started with the idea of creating a living map of the food world, combining machine learning and remote sensing to detect patterns in crop growth and health. Potere co-founded TellusLabs, which Indigo Ag acquired in 2018 and which serves as the foundation for the company’s geospatial platform known as Atlas. “It’s that center point, that intersection, where we think all the value is.” “You need that multiple-angle view of what’s happening on the ground to build something lasting,” says David Potere, head of geoinnovation at Indigo. The system makes it possible to process trillions of data points generated through remote sensing (satellite scans of Earth), sensor data from farm equipment, and mobile data entered by farmers and agronomists. To back that effort and work with farmers on practices and microbial treatments tailored to their unique environments, Indigo Ag leans heavily on geographic information system (GIS) technology. Indigo Ag executives believe a combination of these crop treatments and a broader commitment to a more beneficial way of farming, guided by location intelligence, can help address the most vexing problem of all: climate change. The technology has the potential to create higher yields for farmers while reducing risk and the need for chemicals, fertilizers, and other expensive and potentially harmful inputs. These naturally occurring microbes-selected for their ability to help plants withstand stress-are applied to corn, soybean, rice, and cotton prior to germination. Indigo Ag is introducing innovations in almost every sector of the industry, from hosting digital marketplaces to streamlining transportation logistics.Īt the heart of Indigo’s quest to reform how crops are grown are microbial seed treatments. Article snapshot: With a novel mix of ancient practices like cover cropping and modern techniques like satellite-based location intelligence, Indigo Ag is innovating an industry from within and putting climate change in the crosshairs.
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