Biobased credit cards, useful products from diapers, chicken-fat biodiesel, mobile-based precision ag, biodegradable insulation, soy synth meat, algae-based straws: The Digest’s Top 10 Innovations for the week of November 1st

#5 DigitalGlobe and Vodafone release Sensing4Farming to increase farm efficiency

In Colorado, DigitalGlobe released Sensing4Farming, an Internet of Things product for smart, digital and precision agriculture. Created in partnership with Vodafone Spain, Sensing4Farming provides crucial insights about crop health to farmers, agronomists, and agrobusinesses via computer, mobile phone or tablet.

Sensing4Farming utilizes data from DigitalGlobe’s multispectral, high-resolution satellite imagery and ground-based sensors deployed in crop fields provide data such as soil moisture, temperature, humidity to complement the satellite imagery. Vodafone’s narrowband IoT network then connects all the sensors to quickly send data to the SITI4Farmer agriculture software platform.

Artificial intelligence algorithms analyze the ground- and space-based data, extracting information that enables farmers to make decisions with confidence, know when and where to water or fertilize crops, when to proactively protect crops from pests and blight, and when is the right time to harvest. These actions ultimately lead to higher crop yields and increased efficiency for farms.