Using Digital Data Capture to transform agriculture

Data is already transforming much of the modern world. In agricultural research, new forms of data are becoming available through Digital Data Capture (DDC). DDC promises to alter our ability to produce more nutritious food sustainably and in a way that reduces environmental harm and climate change by helping us understand the entire ecosystem like never before.

That is why Syngenta is pioneering the transformation of agriculture with DDC. The technology starts with a drone equipped with high-resolution cameras and multispectral sensors. The drones scan crop fields to create ultra-high-definition images yielding incredible data insights. Digital Data also includes environmental sensors to get a deep understanding of the weather, soil, pests, and disease at our field trial sites, so we can leverage that data for grower’s benefit. Our goal is to leave no data in the field and harvest every insight we can.

Data-driven regenerative agriculture

Farmers are seeking to measure the biodiversity of the soil on their land, damage caused by adverse weather on crops, the prevalence of pests and diseases in each field and on each leaf, and so much more, through the seasons.

This level of precision will be vital in making regenerative agriculture practices a success. DDC is one of the ways that Syngenta is advancing regenerative agriculture as the most effective way for farmers to protect nature, manage their land more sustainably, and produce more food.

A new age of precision

Whether large or small, farmers face increasing problems caused by environmental changes. In contrast, farmers increase the production of healthy, nutritious food that meets society’s changing expectations. The climate emergency, soil erosion, and increasing biodiversity loss are just some of the challenges we must address in agriculture.

Regenerative agriculture involves minimum or zero tillage. Soil becomes a carbon sink rather than emitting carbon. It also means growing cover crops to prevent soil erosion and lock even more carbon into the soil.

To capture these environmental benefits and improve yields from regenerative agriculture, farmers will need robust, precise data. High-quality digital data will soon also be possible to capture on cell phones, rovers, and tractors.

Giving farmers insights into their own land

The vision for the technology is precision farming, with farmers making interventions informed by real-world data from their own land. So, they will know precisely when and where to water, fertilize, or protect their crops. This will make farms more productive and avoid unnecessary interventions, saving labor, time, money, and waste.

DDC is just one of our innovations. We accelerate innovation and invest in areas that matter most to farmers and nature. As we announced in 2019, it is part of our commitment to investing $2 billion over five years from 2020 onwards to increase agricultural productivity sustainably and advance regenerative agriculture