Stoller announces acquisition to bring artificial intelligence to the field

The Stoller Group announced this Thursday (06/05) the acquisition of a stake in the startup AgTech Cromai, specialized in computer vision for agriculture. The development of artificial intelligence applied to the field, by the two companies, has been taking place for three harvests and in 2022 it will be available to coffee producers. From 2023 onwards, launches are planned for sugar cane and large crops, especially soybeans, corn and cotton. The project, which originated in Brazil, foresees global expansion to other countries in which Stoller operates.

Cromai captures images in the field and uses these images for pattern recognition. It is currently present in 50 thousand hectares of sugarcane, 1 thousand hectares of coffee and 1 thousand hectares of soybeans. With Stoller's partnership, the goal is to monitor 600 hectares of coffee, soybeans and sugarcane in two years, in addition to having 40 solutions for sugarcane mills.

“We are very excited about this new stage for Cromai. We will expand our operations in the field with the digitalization of agronomic management. The moment is promising and a partnership of this size allows us to bring this high-level technological innovation to more producers with transformative results”, comments the co-founder and CEO of Cromai, Guilherme Barros Castro.

Stoller's investment comes at a time when artificial intelligence and algorithms are gaining new traction in the field.

“Shareholder participation in Cromai is an important step towards offering farmers digital services that help them manage their property more assertively. This movement is aligned with our purpose of building innovative and sustainable solutions, alongside our customers and partners”, analyzes the vice-president Mercosur/Asia/Oceania of the Stoller Group, Rodrigo Ferreira de Oliveira (photo at the beginning of this article).

The strategy targets large producers, who already have the profile to invest in technology. And also in crops that are experiencing excellent economic times, such as soybeans, corn and coffee. According to Stoller's Marketing Director, Roberto Risolia, no prior infrastructure is required. The package offered to the client includes the use of technologies, such as drones already existing on the property, as well as offering what is not yet available. The idea is to make the decision as easy as possible for farmers.

The services offered to producers include everything from monitoring initial plant stands, identifying weed infestations and assertively directing herbicide applications, all with the aim of facilitating producers' decisions by offering reliable information, based on scientific and available criteria. In real time.

“The sensor identifies what is a plant, what is soil and what is a weed”, explains the director of Research and Development at Stoller do Brasil, Stella Cato (photo at the beginning of this article).

Analysis of color, texture and nutritional development are other possible features, in addition to monitoring temperatures in relation to climate impacts.

“Without a doubt, this partnership is another example of Stoller's pioneering spirit, which will bring even more possibilities for farmers to take advantage of cutting-edge sensor and artificial intelligence technologies. This will allow precise monitoring of the functioning of plants and their interactions with the environment, so that farmers can adopt more assertive management from the point of view of plant physiology”, says Stella.

UPDATE (01/12/2021): in fact, the corporate operation that resulted in the entry of Stoller do Brasil Ltda. in the corporate structure of Cromai Tecnologias Agrícolas S.A. occurred on 28/04/2021, according to documents from the legal entity.