CNH Industrial launches innovative platform for digital agricultural solutions in Brazil

CNH Industrial launched “AGXTEND” in Brazil, which is an innovative platform for digital agricultural solutions. Based on the pillars of innovation, good service and sustainability, the company is offering the best standards for all stages of the cultivation cycle, to benefit all types and profiles of farmers.

The company, which has a culture based on collaborative innovation, combined the solutions of the best companies and startups in the market to create AGXTEND’s ecosystem of proactive solutions, enabling it to incubate projects with the potential to gain scale within its range of products and services.

Through this unprecedented format in the market, AGXTEND is yet another important initiative of CNH Industrial that will enable it to become a model of offering digital, connected and intelligent products and services, which will complement the portfolio of agricultural brands Case IH and New Holland Agriculture.

In addition to CNH Industrial itself, six partners, including national and international companies, developed technologies for the platform's initial portfolio, which are Zasso, Raven, Bosch, Agrosystem, Cropmam and BemAgro. The ten disruptive solutions to be introduced in the market include applications, components and services.

CNH Industrial's Director of Digital Technologies for Latin America, Gregory Riordan, said AGXTEND is a new concept, as well as an innovative and disruptive technology and new business model for digital agriculture. The platform makes it possible to acquire solutions in a service format, such as the case of “XPOWER” offered by Zasso, a Brazilian company in which CNH Industrial has a minority stake. XPOWER is equipment that removes weeds by means of electric shock. As it does not use pesticides, it preserves the soil and is twenty times faster than other methods of eliminating unwanted plants.

"This is a solution that illustrates the three concepts of AGXTEND, innovation, good service and sustainability. The producer does not need to purchase the equipment, he can adhere to a service per hour or per hectare of use. In the same way, we have monitoring and management solutions based on drone images, as well as soil diagnosis, in which the customer pays for the service provided and not for the equipment. This is also an accessibility benefit, as highly technological solutions have become viable for all sizes of producers via the service modality," he added.

"The AGXTEND portfolio is aimed at those who want access innovative solutions that deliver economic results in a more sustainable way, through products and services that increase productivity and operational efficiency, regardless of the size of their property or production volume," said Adriano Becker, Digital Product Manager at CNH Industrial in Latin America.

OPERATE+ is a free application for managing and monitoring agricultural operations. “It is the first application that democratizes digital agriculture for small producers. It offers information free of charge that is simple and without the need for a physical interface with the machine. The application makes use of sensors that already exist on the producer's smartphone to monitor and report on the performance of the agricultural operation, and can work completely offline when there is no connectivity,” Becker added.

AGXTEND technologies are now available from certified New Holland Agriculture and Case IH dealers throughout Brazil, along with PLM (Precision Land Management) and AFS (Advanced Farming System) solutions.

AGXTEND portfolio

SOILXPLORER: A package of services developed in partnership with Cropmam that uses a set of high efficiency and precision data processing hardware and software to conduct a complete soil diagnosis, as well as deliver a map of management and compaction zones, which allows the localized control of soil compaction through DEPTHXCONTROL and the precise application of inputs. This will ensure the proactive and efficient use of inputs and operations, in addition to a more sustainable production.

DEPTHXCONTROL: In partnership with the company, Cropman, this solution delivers an automated depth control to unpack the soil at the location and depth recommended by SOILXPLORER. It can also be used to control the depth of certain implements when planting crops, such as sugarcane. In addition to providing more efficient and optimized soil preparations, it also allows uniform planting, ensuring better root development and the use of nutrients in the soil.

DEPTHXMONITOR: Developed by Raven, this is an on-implement sensor that provides real-time instructions in the machine cab for the operator, to maintain target depth throughout the entire operation. It enables subsoiling and planting activities for a more precise control of depth, ensuring the more uniform development of sugarcane and reducing the impact of stumps during harvest.

XACTPLANTING: An intelligent planting solution developed by Bosch that guarantees uniform seed distribution. It allows the individual cutting and rating control of several models of feeders on the market, through a motor installed in each row of the planter. In this way, each seed is placed in the correct spacing, even in curves, eliminating overlapping or planting failures.

XACTSPRAYER: A technology developed by Raven optimizes the spraying experience. It has a nozzle-to-nozzle control system that adjusts pressure and flow, allowing for precise application under the most diverse conditions. It also features technology that monitors and controls boom height, a direct injection system, fully integrated autopilot and a solution that allows communication between machines, ensuring synchronism and maximum efficiency in all sprayers working in the same area.

XPOWER: This solution promotes the removal of unwanted plants through electric weeding. Developed in partnership with Zasso, it is sustainable as it eliminate the need to apply chemicals, which reduces the risk to plants’ underground health. XPOWER is up to twenty times faster than other weeding methods. It can be used on any crop, is certified for use on organic crops and controls plant resistant to other weeding methods.

FARMXTEND: Developed by Agrosystem, it enables more proactive decision-making in various agricultural operations that depend on weather conditions. The monitoring of meteorological data is also done directly by a smartphone, which collects information from sensors spread across the field. It has three configurations: weather station, rain gauge or rain sensor, and soil moisture sensor. The system is plug-and-play and runs 100% on solar energy.

DRONEXPLORER: A range of services based on drone images, satellites and machinery vectors that can help in the planning, monitoring and management of crops, from soil preparation to harvesting. Reports, such as altimetry, plant population and matology, enable quick and assertive decision-making in various operations throughout the cropping cycle. As the farmer only pays for applicable hectares of service, without the need to purchase any equipment, it is an ideal solution for all sizes of producers.

RTK+: With an innovative way of transmitting the signal, through the mobile internet, this solution developed by CNH Industrial offers precision and correction of the GNSS signal, with a low investment and fast, stable and secure connection. It guarantees results regardless of the topography, and it works in any location with connectivity, even if machines are far from the network bases. It allows for simultaneous topographical and agricultural use, as well as the use of different makes of machines and operations.

OPERATE+: A free application from CNH Industrial that provides useful information on functions and performance of machines directly in the palm of your hand. With just a few touches on a smartphone screen, the farmer can start an operation and see real-time instructions on how to make it better, even in areas where there is no internet. It is accessible to all producers, democratizing access to digital farming solutions.