Predictive Agriculture picks up where Precision Agriculture left off. Predictive Ag includes precision techniques in knowing precisely where to take action and then applies advanced data insights to predict issues before they begin. With the climate changing rapidly, new threats are coming at growers quickly and regularly. Predictive Agriculture lets farmers plan for what’s next.

For data to be predictive and actionable, advanced learning technologies need to be applied. That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) come in to predict future events and issues and to make data actionable.

Agrology is a Public Benefit Corporation whose mission is to protect the economic viability of farmers in a time of intensifying climate change. Agrology’s Predictive Agriculture technology helps growers allocate scarce resources in one easy-to-use system. In addition to water, irrigation, soil, smoke taint, pest and disease, and extreme weather, Agrology is developing next-level capabilities around sustainability and carbon that will be announced soon.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that promotes the progress of science to advance national health, prosperity, and welfare. NSF supports basic research and people to create the knowledge to transform for the future.

In 2019, Agrology applied for and received an NSF SBIR Phase I award to evaluate our Synthetic Sensor for Plant Water Stress thesis. The NSF grant allowed us to build a proof-of-concept system, which we deployed to several pilot customers throughout the country. After gathering environmental and soil data from our sensors, combined with high precision training data from scientific grade soil sensors, we were able to successfully train our initial synthetic sensor model for forecasting soil water potential.

In the time since completing our Phase I award, we’ve received an additional Phase II award allowing us to release our first commercialized version of the predictive system and expand our ML driven insights to smoke detection, scheduling verification, and extreme temperature in addition to water availability. The end result of the NSF award is the Agrology Platform we have today.

A Public Benefit Corporation must be created to generate social and public good, and to operate in a responsible and sustainable manner. To operate as a Public Benefit Corporation the purpose must be included in the company’s charter for a state’s statutory requirements.

Agrology’s purpose “shall be to advance equality in agriculture, reduce environmental impact and secure our global food supply.”

Customers agree to an annual subscription. This is broken down into monthly payments that are around the cost of a Netflix subscription per acre.

An Agrology subscription includes installation and replacement of all sensors, real time monitoring, and secure access to your farm’s data via the Agrology mobile app. It also includes all of the features Agrology has to offer.

No, an Agrology subscription offers the full bundle of features including smoke, irrigation/water, pest and disease, extreme weather, and any future offerings.

The great thing about Agrology’s subscription model is that we maintain and replace sensors so you never have to worry about replacing them or having outdated technology in your field.

While we have an annual subscription policy, Agrology gives growers the option to cancel their subscription with a 60-day written notice.

Once we schedule an install, the process is quick. The Agrology team uses Google maps to scout the land/topography and determines where sensor nodes need to be placed. On the day of the install, our team installs each sensor node in less than 10 minutes. Typically it takes less than half a day to install a new platform in a large vineyard or orchard.

Data is delivered to Agrology customers via dashboards accessed via the Agrology mobile app. Our delivery of data is one of the most impressive things new customers note. Agrology allows a quick view or a deep dive into data, depending on your needs. You can also export data and create reports to share with teams.

Agrology’s mission is to help growers and we take customer service very seriously. Our team works closely with customers on the install and beyond. We pride ourselves on being a partner that our customers can rely on.

Agrology delivers insights, alerts and real-time readings via an easy to understand mobile app. Growers then use the Agrology app to access data in an easy to understand format. The Agrology app also sends farmers notifications on their mobile devices, pinpointing the exact locations at risk, at that moment and in the future.

GroundTruth arrays are Agrology’s sensors that include Machine Learning (ML). Agrology sensors are predictive, whereas traditional sensors are not.

A GroundTruth Array gathers factual data in the real world and then ML is applied to that data. These arrays make it easy to monitor each nano climate on a property and measure dozens of inputs.

It depends on the topography of the farm. We install as many or as few as we need to gather data for each microclimate.

The Agrology sensors are pulling data from the ground and air in realtime and they relay that information to our platform every 30 minutes.

We measure dozens of inputs below and above ground. From air to soil temperature, VOCs and ozone.

We capture data on:

• Nano-climates, regions, soil types, and weather patterns.

• Air quality including fine particles, air temperature, humidity, and the VOCs that cause smoke taint and are smoke taint precursors.

• GroundTruth data on soil matric potential, soil moisture, soil conductivity, soil temperature, and actual irrigation events.

• Local weather.

Agrology sensors use battery power and typically last 5 years before replacement and refurbishment. Agrology takes care of replacing batteries and our platform monitors when batteries need to be replaced.

Agrology transfers data using LoRa, a long range, low power wireless platform that has become the de facto wireless platform of Internet of Things (IoT).

If a sensor breaks or isn’t working, an Agrology team member comes out as soon as possible to replace it for free. The replacement of all Agrology sensors is at zero cost to customers.

Agrology sensors are small (6”x3”x4”) and installed directly in the canopy on a trellis or pole, and attached to a soil probe that goes in a narrow borehole 2-3 ft in the ground.

Our mobile technology ensures users alway have access to their data through the app, even when their phone is off network in a field. Data refreshes every 30 minutes. If you know you’ll lose service in the field, we recommend opening the app in the background while you’re driving. That way, when you get there, you’ll have the latest data update from before you lost service.

Agrology offers an API for data exports allowing customers to easily export what they need to.

As an Agrology customer, you own and control your data. As a Public Benefit Corporation we take data privacy very seriously and have advanced data encryption so you don’t have to worry about your data being stolen or shared publicly.