Farmers edge releases automatic crop health change detection

Farmers Edge released a ground-breaking, digital tool that automatically scans satellite imagery and notifies growers of changes in their fields. Building upon the release of daily satellite imagery in 2017 and over 70 new features and tools launched this year, new Health Change Maps and Notifications function as an integrated toolset designed to accelerate the speed of decision-making when crop issues emerge. This unique precision digital tool pinpoints potential problems, including pests, disease, nutrient deficiencies, inclement weather, missed application, equipment malfunction, drainage issues, and more. This innovative technology enhances the value of daily imagery by helping growers save time, identify issues quicker, and react to crop stress before yield is impacted.

On average, growers spend anywhere from three to six minutes per field checking their imagery and those minutes add up. Growers no longer need to spend an hour or more out of their busy schedules reviewing imagery; their work doesn't begin until Health Change Maps identify an area of alert and inform the grower through an automatic Notification.

"Last year, we solved the challenge of infrequent, inconsistent imagery available to growers with the integration of daily satellite imagery into our platform," said Wade Barnes, CEO of Farmers Edge. "Now, growers see at least one, if not multiple, field images per day - which is a good problem to have, but it can also be time-consuming. Our growers' needs drive our commitment to build digital solutions that are simple, fast, and trustworthy, so we developed this revolutionary tool that automatically detects, pulls, and delivers the insights they need."

The power of the tool lies in the proprietary algorithms that detect significant changes in high-frequency, high-resolution satellite imagery that Farmers Edge makes available to customers. These algorithms automatically trigger a notification, outlining positive or negative vegetative changes in the field, delivered to the grower by email. With a simple tap, the grower is directed to Map Manager in FarmCommand - an all-in-one farm management platform - to view the Health Change Map and the exact locations and details of the change.

"We understand growers want an effortless and enriching experience when accessing and using their data," continued Barnes. "People ask us what we do with data and this is a prime example of how we're delivering on our promise to create a precision digital platform that integrates all aspects of farming to support informed and profitable decision making."

Growers have the option of setting the notification parameters and ability to add other users to receive notifications, making sharing valuable information effortless. This builds on to the list of notifications released earlier this year, including Rainfall and Growth Stage Notifications.