Brazil was the first country chosen by Syngenta to implement its new global business structure, which adds technologies and services for crop management. Active from this Tuesday (16/04), Syngenta Digital brings together and strengthens the company's digital solutions. In this process, Strider, an agtech acquired by the company in 2018, will be definitively incorporated.
Called Cropwise, the new product platform expands access by small and medium-sized producers to planting management and monitoring tools, which are already used by more than 2.500 Brazilian producers, present in 4,5 million hectares. Currently, the solutions cover soybean, corn, coffee, cotton and FV (fruit, vegetables) plantations, with the possibility of expanding to new crops.
"Digital technologies and services are an inseparable part of Syngenta's DNA, which, over the years, has invested heavily in the expansion of increasingly intelligent solutions geared towards the different needs of farmers around the world. As an evolution of this journey, we have structured, through Syngenta Digital, a new pillar to accelerate innovation, through the integration of global digital initiatives and the transformation of complex technologies into user-friendly solutions. In this way, we take another important step towards modernity and sustainability of agriculture", says Greg Meyers, Global Head of Digital Agriculture at Syngenta.
In recent years, Syngenta has led several global acquisitions in the digital segment, which specifically target the geographies in which they will emerge. Through the creation of Syngenta Digital, it will be possible to integrate these different solutions into the Cropwise platform and serve farmers from different parts of the world. The company will continue to seek partnerships that add to the newly created platform.
In this process, all Strider professionals were incorporated into Syngenta Digital, which maintains the expertise and relationships built over the years with several producers throughout Brazil. "We will even make new hires for the Belo Horizonte unit, where agtech was born, precisely because our objective is to strengthen and expand the digital solutions front in Brazil", adds André Savino, Marketing Director at Syngenta in Brazil.
Syngenta Digital's portfolio of technologies and services is now called Cropwise, and aims to provide farmers with solutions so that they can monitor and manage crops in an increasingly intelligent way. The portfolio also provides simplified access to tools for small and medium-sized producers.
"Cropwise's goal is to launch new features every month throughout 2020, focusing on friendlier interfaces, integration of technologies and simplified navigation environments, where the producer accesses all the information necessary to manage the crop with just a few taps", reveals Savino. "We are working on solutions to be used on small and medium-sized properties, which can be based on data to increase productivity, generating a high impact in the sustainable fight against pests and diseases", he adds.
Cropwise Protector was developed based on the needs and challenges of Brazilian farmers. Protector monitors more than 4 million hectares, in more than 3 thousand properties of different crops. Its new version incorporates numerous improvements, which resulted in more agile and simplified processes and diagnoses, enabling complete mapping of the crop. The update integrates artificial intelligence and machine learning, which makes data more accurate and detailed. The interface, in turn, was modified to facilitate access to information, delivering new features. The analyses, maps and graphs are generated based on digital monitoring and allow the producer to act quickly and accurately on indicators and events that pose a risk to the crop.
Cropwise Imagery is the evolution of satellite remote sensing from Syngenta. With a new look and even more precision, it is fully integrated with the Cropwise Protector.
Another technology front being developed by Syngenta Digital concerns stand counting, using artificial intelligence to make the data collection process in the field simpler, by automatically recognizing and counting plants based on the analysis of photos of the farm. This process provides greater precision in evaluations, in addition to eliminating the need for manual verification, generating less wear and tear on field teams.
According to Savino, one of the main attributes of Syngenta Digital and its Cropwise portfolio is the strengthening of the partnership with the farmer, a fundamental basis for all of the company's businesses. "Agriculture cannot be done alone. Since its foundation, Syngenta has joined the large rural community to take the lead in the evolution of digital in agribusiness. Digital agriculture is only possible through trustworthy alliances, which we have built day to day, accompanying the producer in all stages and needs inherent to their journey. This new phase symbolizes the union with farmers, resellers, cooperatives, partners and collaborators, without whom it is not possible to follow the new paths necessary for sustainable development of agricultural practice", he highlights.
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