Bayer AG’s Crop Protection Innovation Lab develops the MagicTrap to protect canola crops

To help farmers detect pests at an early stage and protect critical agriculture, Bayer AG’s Crop Protection Innovation Lab has developed the MagicTrap — a yellow trap that catches and counts potential pests in canola fields automatically and provides data for developing an efficient and sustainable crop protection system. For communication between the yellow trap and the app used by farmers to monitor their crops, Bayer AG relies on 1NCE, the only provider of connectivity and software for IoT with a global flat rate.

Weevils, ground fleas or glossy beetles are dangerous pests in canola cultivation. Their infestation often leads to total crop failure. For years, yellow traps have allowed farmers to detect and assess pest infestations. Insects fly to the traps and fall into a water basin where they can be counted. However, the evaluation and maintenance require significant physical effort. The MagicTrap now counts and detects the insects automatically – eliminating the need for farmers to drive around to check the traps daily. Instead, they simply receive a photo-based analysis from the MagicTrap on their smartphone.

MagicTrap – an ideal use case IoT connectivity in smart agriculture

“For our digital yellow traps, the farmer should not have to worry about SIM cards and contracts,” said Fabian Born, product manager at Bayer. “The device must be ready to use anywhere, immediately, and without technical preparation. 1NCE convinced us with its unique offer of worldwide availability and a simple pricing model over the entire lifecycle of a device.”

Alexander P. Sator, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of 1NCE GmbH said: “Classic mobile contracts with long term lengths or volume tariffs are a showstopper for the development of smart and scalable IoT solutions, and worldwide accessibility at a fixed price over the entire lifecycle of a device is a must-have. Today, we can provide reliable connectivity to our customers in over 110 countries. We are pleased work with Bayer AG on this important concept to protect the world’s crops.”