Partnership between Bayer and NIK an launching the new FieldView SprayKit

Bayer boosts digitalization on farms and launches the FieldView Spray Kit in collaboration with NIK. This IoT solution is designed to optimize efficiency and empowers farmers with sustainable practice at a competitive price. The FieldView Spray Kit will soon be available in ten selected European countries as well as in South Africa, with configurations suitable for row crops, vineyards and for fruits and vegetables. As part of the commitment to enhancing the global agro-tech landscape, NIK and Bayer signed a Letter of Intent during the Agritechnica show in Hannover, officially marking the deepening of their partnerships.

The FieldView Spray Kit is a cost-effective retrofit system designed to eliminate existing digital and technological barriers in agriculture. This kit integrates flowmeter sensors at every hydraulic section of boom or air-blast sprayers. Data captured by these sensors seamlessly integrates with the FieldView platform, enabling real-time monitoring of amounts applied and unlocking precise calibration, maximizing efficiency, and minimizing waste. Additionally, analysis of applications can be easily run via FieldView’s analysis tools, simplifying reporting and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

The FieldView Spray Kit is a concrete answer to the challenges posed by analog equipment fleets, fostering the digital transformation of any farm. The system addresses the requirements of non-digitally ready fleets dealing with the compliance requirements of the EU Green Deal. The commercial launch of the product is planned for the beginning of 2024.

Christine Brunel-Ligneau, DFS EMEA Customer Exp. & Enablement director: ″At Bayer, we are committed to supporting farmers and the entire agri-food sector in embracing digital transformation, so it can feed the growing population, while protecting the planet. Our goal is to empower farmers to adopt regenerative practices while delivering productive and profitable operations, and the FieldView Spray Kit is a prime example of how we’re making this vision a reality″.

Farmers now have a powerful tool that helps them to constantly monitor and visualize the actual as-applied amount of product, enabling precise calibration of their sprayers. This ensures that each hydraulic section applies the desired amount of crop protection product, contributing to a more sustainable food production process. Moreover, the ability to track in real-time georeferenced data like speed, pressure, and rate, combined with the unique m2 data analysis capability, empowers farmers to monitor and verify the distribution of crop protection products with respect to buffer zones and other areas to be left untreated, easing reporting and improving the compliance-proving activities.

Ivo Kumanov, CEO of NIK emphasized, ″The FieldView Spray Kit is a tool that eases the adoption of digital tools by farmers, and it was designed for those with a game-changing mindset. Growers who focus on accelerating agronomic digital solutions to understand their investments, the overall use of farm resources all in correlation to the performance of their crop have now yet another tool that allows farmers to make data-driven decisions to optimize inputs. With this new system, crop protection monitoring is now simple and closer to farmers.″

While farmers had access to valuable information through the FieldView platform, the FieldView Spray Kit takes it a step further, allowing growers without ISOBUS compatible sprayers to explore even deeper into monitoring their crops. Compliance becomes more straightforward as farmers can track the number of treatments used for reporting purposes. Furthermore, they can analyze the results at harvest time to fine-tune their agronomic practices and gain a better understanding of how to make their investment and farm resource allocation more sustainable.

Simone Gallina, Sandrin Valdobbiadene Conegliano Prosecco Superiore docg Wine Producer: ″As a farmer, I was hesitant about investing in a new self-propelled sprayer due to the high cost. Being an early adopted of the Climate FieldView platform, testing the FieldView Spray Kit was an eye-opener for me. Before the first test, I had a feeling that the calibration wasn’t optimal, but I couldn’t make the necessary adjustments. Now, with this application data seamlessly flowing into my FieldView account, I have the tools to calibrate my sprayer correctly and analyze the efficiency of my applications like never before. It’s not just about saving costs; it’s about making each application count. Plus, having accurate records for subsidies is an added bonus. This kit has truly transformed the way I approach spraying on my farm.″

Farmers can easily install on their own the FieldView Spray Kit through a guided self-installation process. The proposed system enables European small farmers, for whom the costs of digital transformation of their machinery fleet are not affordable, to run more controlled and precise applications, especially when applying highly concentrated crop protection products. The system is accessible through the dedicated NIK e-shop for hardware and IoT solution, as well as via a dealership network and as an OEM solution.

FieldView is the flagship product of Bayer, directly enhancing Bayer’s digital farming capabilities. Initially launched in the United States, FieldView is now used on more than 89 million subscribed hectacres globally, giving farmers a deeper understanding of their fields so they can make more informed operating decisions to optimize yields, maximize efficiency and reduce risk.

About NIK

NIK, an international group of companies with its roots in Bulgaria over two decades ago, is a trailblazing force in the field of precision farming technologies and IoT solutions. This visionary company has rapidly expanded its footprint, reaching multiple European markets and venturing into the African continent.

With an unwavering commitment to revolutionize agriculture, NIK adopts a two-pronged approach. The company engages in direct sales, bringing cutting-edge agro-tech solutions to the market, and concurrently, it is building a dealership network. By doing so, NIK aims to elevate the quality and efficiency of agriculture, entering into a new era of sustainable farming practices.