Bringing Crop Data to Life

The Internet of Things (IoT) and Artificial Intelligence are no longer high-tech buzzwords seen in trade magazines, but innovations transforming how all industries operate. Agriculture is no different, with automated crop intelligence company Intelinair offering a machine learning platform that gives farmers improved decision-making capabilities in the field.

Intelinair designed its AGMRI software for ag retailers that require real-time data around changes taking place on cropland. Information is collected throughout the growing season by drones, fixed-wing aircraft and satellite overviews.

AGMRI utilizes machine learning and high-quality imaging to deliver uninterrupted views of fields from planting to harvest. Application software runs on web browsers and mobile devices, providing retailers quick access to a customer’s grow. Aerial and satellite imagery scans for problems around emergence, weed pressure, yield risk and nutrient deficiency, with color-coded screens giving growers the opportunity to address issues before they worsen.

Aerial imagery is available in the “I states” – Iowa, Illinois and Indiana, notes Kevin Krieg, director of business development at Intelinair. Entire fields are inspected at high resolution about a dozen times during the growing season. Water and residue management is the focus of early months, while crop health takes precedence during mid-season. By year’s end, the platform will ideally have improved crop performance or at least given farmers insight on enhancing their methods for the following season.

Intelinair’s patented technology collects and analyzes vital data such as rainfall, terrain type, planting rates, soil samples, temperature readings, and humidity measurements. AGMRI also harnesses computer vision, a field of AI that enables computers to derive complex information from images, videos and other inputs.

In practice, this agricultural automation delivers users “smart alerts” on problems occurring in the field. Proactive messaging on operational issues lets clients take rapid action, with rescued yield a common outcome of such intervention.

“Our interface can scan all of our customers’ acres, and pick out patterns across a field if there is a problem,” says Krieg. “Other technologies come in with ultra-high resolution in small sample points in a field. We look at the whole field, which helps us see patterns across a larger area.”

Staying ahead of the game

Intelinair analyzes millions of acres of farmland annually, monitoring crop health and biomass through the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) – a graphical indicator for green vegetation.

Infrared and thermal imaging further isolate health and vigor in corn, soybeans and additional crops grown in Intelinair’s burgeoning service area. AGMRI imagery is granular enough where users can identify if a problem is machine-made or naturally occurring, notes Krieg.

“The gap we’re filling is the efficient monitoring of a field so farmers can get ahead of issues and understand how their crop is performing,” Krieg says. “We’re giving them knowledge to have a good conversation about what’s going on.”

AgVantage FS offers its precision farming and crop scouting services to customers in 30 Iowa and Minnesota counties – areas where corn, soybeans and small-grain crops like alfalfa predominate. The company has worked with Intelinair’s innovation for several years, testing AGMRI on a smaller scale before adopting the platform full-time.

AGMRI is now integrated into AgVantage’s portfolio of agronomy offerings. Data management specialist Dani Hoerman says detailed info gleaned from the platform is relayed to growers, who then take care of the issue directly on site.

“Our scouts can see the data first-hand, as they have access to the smart alerts,” says Hoerman. “They act like doctors diagnosing what’s going on in the field for the customer. They will talk to the grower so everyone understands how to go forward with treatment.”

The AgVantage team studies platform feedback for any yield-limiting factors, mostly weeds, insects, diseases or weather-related abnormalities. Smart alerts are an invaluable time-saver in catching weed-choked crop rows or compacted soil where standing water and extra runoff may inhibit plant growth.

“Screens are color-coded, so you can see pick-ups around compaction, or alerts on specific areas of a crop that are lagging behind,” Hoerman says. “The platform detects everything before you see it with the naked eye. Poor zones show up as red, and orange zones are equal to at-risk. I tested (AGMRI)  on my own acreage, and it helped catch diseases like tar spot moving in during the summer.”

Hands-on training gives AgVantage crop specialists real-life examples of what they will encounter on the platform. For instance, a clearly demarcated path through a row of corn may indicate a fertilizer applicator gone off track.

Of course, some growers are handier than others when it comes to technology. However, most farmers are willing to give AGMRI a try, especially with a tech-savvy specialist at their side.

“Staying ahead of the game is important,” says Hoerman. “As a grower, you have to be competitive with increasing input prices. It’s critical to stay ahead of things that will pull your yield back. This technology is alerting people to issues they wouldn’t see in the back corner of a field when they’re driving by.”

Most any agricultural innovation will get side-eyed by farmers accustomed to traditional methods, says Krieg of Intelinair. Using ag retailers as AGMRI advocates is the best way to alleviate concerns around the emerging crop-monitoring technology.

“There is always some reluctance with anything new like this, but we can overcome that through our ag retailers,” Krieg says. “AGMRI is another data set to give customers insight (into their crops). With ag retailers, growers are getting someone they trust. Retailers do a good job of vetting solutions, so we feel good when they select us.”