Climate Corp., a subsidiary of Monsanto, says it will develop its own in-field network of weather and soil monitors—including a sensor that tracks nitrate levels—to broaden its agronomic models that help farmers decide their crop strategies. The nitrate sensor could mean more efficient use of nitrogen fertilizer and less runoff into waterways.
“Our sensor network will collect an unprecedented amount of field data, at a more frequent and granular level, to drive insights that can help farmers unlock untapped yield potential,” said Climate Corp. chief scientist Sam Eathington in a statement.
Climate Corp. is one of the largest of the companies offering farmers Big Data technology that marries “precision agriculture” with its yield monitors and variable-rate applicators to number-crunching equipment to suggest the best-yielding crop varieties, fertilizer levels and pesticide rates.
To encourage collaboration, Climate Corp. said it would “extend its software infrastructure to enable other innovators to build upon and provide additional data layers” to its platform. The decision will simplify the digital landscape for farmers, said Climate Corp.