Farmers face many challenges throughout a growing season, whether it be disease, pest or weed pressure. What if you could get ahead of all those ?growing pains? before they cause damage?
FarmShots, a wholly owned subsidiary of Syngenta, is helping growers detect and control disease, pest and weed problems through satellite and drone imagery.
Josh Miller, a founder of FarmShots, shares what led to the development of FarmShots.
Miller recalls a time when he was working closely with a group of agronomists. He remembers vividly the challenges large farm operators faced in detecting and controlling damaging pests, diseases and deficiencies. Miller says this experience inspired him to create a platform to help Ag professionals manage their farms more easily and efficiently.
?FarmShots is a platform that uses satellite imagery to help agronomists, retailers, farmers and insurance agencies locate damage caused by diseases, pests and nutritional deficiencies before it?s too late,? Miller said.
Miller says the program uses light levels to identify problem spots.
?Healthy, dense vegetation absorbs light. On the other hand, unhealthy, less vegetation deflects that. FarmShots works by using satellite images to find the differences in the amount of light absorbed by different areas of the field, generating a map of the field?s plant health,? Miller said.
Miller shares different ways growers can utilize FarmShots imagery analysis
?Whether it?s spotting applications skips early or identify irrigation issues quickly, this program helps growers find costly problems in fields before they have a chance to impact yields,? Miller said. ?Within the program, advisors can upload notes, photos and measurements to communicate more thoroughly with growers.?
FarmShots can be accessed on several devices, including tablets, laptops and smartphones.
?It?s now built into the AgriEdge Excelsior program,? Miller said. ?This integration is what makes FarmShots unique and easy-to-use, especially for growers who are already enrolled in AgriEdge Excelsior. They can just log into their personalized account or talk to their AgriEdge specialist.?
More information about FarmShots can be found at www.agriedge.com.
