Getting food from the field to the table is a complex process. Exposure to pests, disease, or harsh weather can impact the quality of the crops. At the same time, climate change is leading to soil degradation and loss of biodiversity while insufficient land increases the pressure to produce more on less space.
At the recent SAP.iO Foundries Sustainable Agriculture Latin America Demo Day, three startups presented solutions that can help farmers improve the quality of their crops, optimize farming strategies through personalization, and improve biological capital by managing soil more efficiently. These tactics can all play a role in successfully feeding 9 billion people for the next decades.
Improving the quality of raw materials
“In the agricultural industries production plans are based on the quality of raw materials,” said Madeleine Valderrama, CEO and Founder of AI Bruna, a supply chain planning solution powered by artificial intelligence developed by AltumLab Chile. She explained that producers expect the quality of raw materials to be consistent, but reality is different. Because it’s impossible to predict quality with complete accuracy, planners deal with variability by improvising, which can lead to increased use of water and energy and up to 20% loss in profitability.
After eight years working in Chile’s salmon farming industry, Valderrama knew what kind of tools would be required to tackle this issue. AI Bruna uses artificial intelligence and genetic algorithms to factor operational restrictions, deficiencies, and defects into strategic harvesting plans. It connects Planning, Harvesting and Commercial areas, providing a strategic view of the entire operation.
Valderrama used the example of Caña Brava, a sugar cane producer in Peru that is using the tool. In the first stage, months before the harvest, AI Bruna uses historical data such as climate, performance, soil type, water usage, and fertilization patterns to predict the expected concentration of sugar in the harvested cane.
Next, it suggests modifications in irrigation or fertilization as the plants are maturing to make sure the cane will satisfy the commercial contract after the harvest. Thanks to AI, Caña Brava was able to reduce water and energy consumption by over 4% and costs by 11%, and increase production capacity by 7%, and the value of the cane as raw material by 17%.
Personalizing agricultural processes
Another innovator sharing insights was Alexandre Chéquim, founder and CEO of DigiFarmz, a Brazilian company helping farmers produce more food with less water, energy and chemicals. The company’s digital platform uses AI algorithms to analyze the complex relationship between biotic factors, which are the living things within an ecosystem such as plants, animals, and bacteria, and the abiotic, or non-living, components such as water, soil and atmosphere around them.
“The way these components interact is critical in an ecosystem,” said Chéquim. “Farmers deal with complex scenarios such as timing, location and climate, the choice of biological and chemical dosages, and genetic factors. This complexity can lead to mistakes in decision making and loss in profitability.”
The DigiFarmz solution combines two decades’ worth of historical data and field research with weather data, images, and other information to create personalized solutions per plot of land, covering the entire span from planning to post-harvest.
The solution creates scenarios to support the best choice of genetics, products, and mixtures for a particular plot in the planning phase which in turn impacts purchasing decisions regarding seed, fertilizer, and other materials. The tool alerts farmers to the ideal date for sowing and harvesting, changes in weather and the right dosage and application date of fertilizers. Finally, it delivers insights to improve the next cycle.
Through its ease of use and personalized solution, the tool is practical for growers of all sizes, in any location. A SaaS cloud solution that does not require expensive hardware, DigiFarmz helps farmers reduce their carbon footprint, optimize water usage, and transition from chemical to biological inputs to form the backbone of more organic farming systems.
Boosting biological capital
Another company delivering tailored programs is Solena, a Mexican startup operating on the premise that soil is unique and diverse, and that people’s well-being is connected to the biological capital of the soil providing their nutrition. Its solution is called Prometheus and with the use of AI, it transforms complex biological problems into data challenges.
“At Solena, we use the term biological capital to define the diversity of microorganisms that maximize soil equity,” said Irving Rivera, founder, and CEO Solena.
The company is dedicated to ensuring food security by helping growers better understand and manage soil microbiomes, which include all the microorganisms and viruses living in a given environment.
“Three out of five products applied by farmers aren’t really needed,” said Rivera. “They often use low-quality products based on unreliable recommendations, or because they are unaware that climate change has made the pathogens more resistant, thereby making the product ineffective.”
The company offers a three-step solution that starts with soil analysis based on geo-referenced data, diagnostics to unlock biological capital and the use of microorganic functions to restore the health of the soil. It then provides personalized suggestions for better decision making for each individual farm and crop cycle.
These solutions are characterized by ease of integration with SAP Intelligent Agriculture, an industry cloud solution developed by SAP in collaboration with its customers and partners that helps record, manage and optimize field and farm activities.
“All parties involved in developing these innovative solutions – the startups, the SAP.iO Foundry teams, venture capitalists and the teams responsible for SAP Solutions for Agribusiness and Commodity Management – agree that collaboration is the one key element for success in such endeavors,” said Kange Kaneene, VP SAP.iO Foundries North and Latin America, Caribbean. “Only by working together can the big issues of the day be solved.”
Follow me on Twitter @magyarj
