Innovative Startups Arm Farmers with Tech Tools for Smarter, Sustainable Yields
Technology and the data that it provides for your farming operation is great. However, as instruments continue improving, utilizing them all can become difficult. If one chooses, one can access data from soil sensors, weather stations, satellite imagery, and IoT-enabled farm equipment. This abundance of data can make it difficult to distill actionable insights.
The following startups are working to eliminate that problem by making data more actionable.
Growers are the end users of technology. Their voices and their feedback need to be heard to ensure that we’re solving their challenges. That’s why in this recurring feature, we’ll review challenges that growers face every day on their farms, examine the pain points, and look at possible solutions
To learn more about the grower pain points, you can review Grand Farm’s Grower Pain Point Report at grandfarm.com/growers.
Farmair
farmAIr, an innovative AgriTech startup, is revolutionizing crop protection through its early and accurate detection of both biotic (like pests) and abiotic (like drought) plant stresses. farmAIr is deeply committed to sustainable agriculture, aiming to balance the growing global demand for food with environmental conservation and social equality as part of its mission to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
At the core of farmAIr’s technology is a patented system that combines thermal and RGB (visual) imaging with cutting-edge computer vision and artificial intelligence. This system functions like an MRI for plants, detecting subtle signs of stress in crops long before they become visible to the human eye. For instance, it can spot the early stages of diseases in vineyard trunks years before they show any symptoms, giving farmers a significant edge in managing their crop health.
Farmers Benefits:
Early Detection:
farmAIr’s technology identifies the initial signs of stress such as minor temperature changes or slight alterations in color and texture, which are undetectable by conventional methods. This allows farmers to address issues like infections or water stress at the very onset, preventing them from escalating and affecting crop yields.
The Argronomists’ MRI
farmAIr is often referred to as the “MRI for Agronomists” due to its advanced ability to detect plant stress at a microscopic level—much like how an MRI scans for human body issues that are not visible to the naked eye.
Precise Interventions
With accurate, early detection, farmers can apply targeted interventions—whether it’s watering, adjusting nutrients, or applying pesticides—only where needed. This saves resources and minimizes the environmental impact of farming.
Improved Crop Health and Yield
By catching and addressing problems early, farmAIr helps farmers maintain healthier crops, which leads to better yields and higher-quality produce. This is crucial for maximizing profitability and sustainability in farming operations.
Data-Driven Decisions
farmAIr provides farmers with actionable data gathered from their fields. This data-driven approach helps to make informed decisions, optimize farm operations, and improve overall productivity—we’re talking win-win-win!
With farmAIr’s cutting-edge tech, farmers can pinpoint issues with surgical precision, but this tech goes beyond boosting daily farm ops; it’s a major player in the push for a greener, more sustainable agricultural future. So, for farmers who dream of supercharging their yields while caring for the earth, farmAIr might be your next big thing. If you’re interested in learning more, check out their website!
farmair.io
Linkedin | /company/farmair
Facebook | /farmAIr.io
Instagram | @farmair.io
Twitter | @farmAIr_io
Spornado
Spornado is revolutionizing how farmers detect and manage crop diseases, offering a unique early alert system that captures air samples to conduct DNA analysis, pinpointing potential crop diseases quickly and accurately. This innovative approach enables farmers to apply treatments only when necessary, reducing guesswork and enhancing sustainability.
“The reason we’re doing this is that up until now, there’s been a lot of guesswork involved,” Spornado CEO and cofounder Kristine White said. “Farmers spray their fungicides based on what the label says… and they do it whether or not they know if the disease is present. What we’re trying to do is give them more information, so they can pick the time to spray; so maybe in the future, we can even help them decide what to spray.”
The concept for Spornado emerged when a friend contacted White in search of an outdoor air sampler for agricultural use. White, who had been working in the air sampling realm indoors, looked for an outdoor sampler tech—but all she found was large tech used by research groups, and these weren’t practical for growers. This gap in the market spurred her to develop an affordable and effective solution.
What we’re trying to do is give them more information, so they can pick the time to spray; so maybe in the future, we can even help them decide what to spray.”
Kristine White
Spornado CEO and Co-founder
Spornado’s tool allows farmers to collect air samples from their fields, with results from the lab returned within 24 hours. This rapid turnaround is crucial for timely and effective disease management.
Spornado quickly gained traction after its launch, particularly in potato fields. The company’s growth accelerated after joining an accelerator program in California, which connected Spornado with key individuals and expanded its network.
As Spornado continues to grow, White is focused on developing strategic partnerships with retailers, crop protection companies, and tech providers rather than relying solely on direct farm sales.
Spornado’s tool offers a transformative approach to precision agriculture, ensuring farmers can protect their crops more effectively and sustainably.
spornadosampler.com
Facebook | /spornadosampler
Twitter | @spornadosampler
Scoutlabs
(previously Smapp Lab)
Step into the future of agriculture with Scoutlabs (previously known as SMAPP LAB), the pioneers behind the world’s first affordable and scalable insect monitoring service. This innovation is transforming pest management with new, practical, and easy-to-use pheromone traps with IoTenabled functions.
Scoutlabs’ approach upgrades traditional traps into smart traps outfitted with mini IoT devices. These devices physically catch the insects for analysis and deliver centralized, real-time decision-making data that is sent to the Scoutlabs’ team, analyzed, and reported back to the farmer.
Scoutlabs stands out, as their focus is not only on the tech but rather about making that tech accessible. The Mini IoT device has a one-time cost of $55, with a yearly software subscription of $33 per device. The devices are sent directly to the growers and can be put together in minutes, guided by a video tutorial. They are then distributed across the acreage, and can immediately begin their data collection. This pricing and setup is a game changer compared to the traditional pest analysis tech out there—one that is normally seen at high costs and time-eating, manual labor.
Inside the Tech
This tiny device has a big impact for farmers. Depending on the crop—like high-value or broad-value crops (or commodity crops)—there are different recommendations for the device-toacreage ratio.
High-Value: about 1 device per 10 acres
Broad-Value: about 1 device per 60 acres
Why Choose Scoutlabs?
Labor Reduction
Automating the monitoring process leads to an 80% reduction in labor costs associated with insect tracking.
Real-Time Insights
The centralized system provides real-time updates and high-quality data daily, allowing for timely and informed decision-making.
Affordability
With low initial and ongoing costs, this solution is both budget-friendly and effective at scale.
With Scoutlabs’ tech, farmers can monitor their crops to help make yield-changing decisions. This tool also collects data that helps growers, as well as the Scoutlabs teams in better understanding and even predicting the migration of pests and insects.
scoutlabs.ag
Linkedin | /company/scoutlabs/
Ukko Agro
Ukko Agro is at the forefront of agricultural technology, dedicated to enhancing the precision and profitability of farming in North America through its cutting-edge digital platform. With its proprietary Field Adaptive and Integrated Modelling (F.A.I.M) platform—ForeSite™— Ukko Agro provides ag retailers and their grower customers with advanced, field-specific staging information and predictive analytics for crop disease and growth stages up to 14 days in advance.
Their vision is to transform the agri-tech space by integrating sophisticated digital data gathering with their algorithms to offer actionable insights that improve both input management and crop yield. ForeSite™ leverages localized weather forecasting and crop data to offer precise recommendations for when and where to apply high-value insecticides and fungicides.
ForeSite™ is designed to be simple, reliable, and economical. It reduces the guesswork in crop management by providing hyper-localized, research-based predictions that guide farmers on everything from disease prevention to crop growth based on a variety of factors including weather, seed variety, and planting date. Ukko Agro encourages potential users to take ForeSite™ for a test drive to see firsthand how their predictive analytics could benefit specific farming operations.
It’s Just the Beginning
Current Capabilities
Disease models predict the risk of disease and optimal fungicide application up to a week in advance. Crop growth models forecast how crops will develop over the next two weeks.
Future Developments
Improved soil management tools will advise on nitrogen application to optimize yield and minimize environmental impact. Insect models will provide timely alerts for scouting, saving time and resources.
Founded by experts passionate about sustainable and profitable farming, Ukko Agro operates at the intersection of plant science and data science. The company’s dedicated team is supported by advisors from top universities and industry veterans.
Ukko Agro’s commitment to data-driven farming solutions is reshaping how ag-input retailers and farmers approach crop management, making the process more informed, efficient, and productive. With ongoing expansions in its capabilities and insights, Ukko Agro is set to continue leading the charge in the digital agriculture revolution!
ukko.ag
Linkedin | /company/ukko-agro
Twitter | @UkkoAg
