The Business Bytes
Basel (Switzerland), September 30, 2024 (TBB Bureau): Syngenta Group, a global leader in agricultural innovation, has launched Cropwise AI, a state-of-the-art GenAI system designed to enhance the efficiency of agronomic advisors and growers. The announcement was made at the World AgriTech Innovation Summit in London today. Cropwise AI aims to improve crop management practices by leveraging advanced machine learning algorithms and data analytics, empowering growers to make informed decisions that optimize crop yields, boost sustainability, and increase profitability.
Cropwise AI utilizes the Cropwise Insight Engine, which includes a vast library of agronomic models built from over 20 years of weather data, soil conditions, more than 80,000 observations on crop growth stages, and historical yield information from research and on-farm trials. This wealth of data is combined with Syngenta’s deep agronomic expertise, offering tailored recommendations to growers for precise input applications, product placement, and pest and disease control strategies. The system also incorporates a multi-lingual conversational large language model (LLM), which presents recommendations in simple, natural language, making them easy to understand and apply.
This unique combination of data, models, and AI technology helps farmers make better decisions. For example, using Syngenta’s seed recommendation models, Cropwise AI can help growers increase yields by up to 5%. “Cropwise AI represents a significant milestone in our digital transformation journey,” said Feroz Sheikh, Chief Information and Digital Officer at Syngenta Group. “By combining our deep agronomic knowledge with cutting-edge AI capabilities, we are bringing the power of GenAI to agriculture and empowering growers to make data-driven decisions.”
Earlier this year, the launch of GHX 2.0 with Cropwise AI integration demonstrated the full potential of farmer data, allowing users to ask questions and receive answers on agronomic challenges, including high-impact diseases such as Tar Spot. Cropwise AI offers advanced features like seed recommendations and placement, where growers receive insights into seed products along with tailored recommendations generated by predictive machine learning algorithms. It also provides predictive modeling capabilities, which use machine learning to forecast crop growth, yield potential, and risk factors based on both real-time and historical data.
Additionally, Cropwise AI supports precision agriculture by offering site-specific recommendations to optimize input applications, minimizing waste and maximizing resource efficiency. Looking ahead, Syngenta plans to further expand the platform’s capabilities. Upcoming innovations include advanced disease and pest management features that will use computer vision and image recognition to detect and identify pests and diseases early, allowing for proactive management strategies. Syngenta will also integrate sustainability analytics into Cropwise AI, enabling farmers to measure the environmental impact of their farming practices and receive recommendations on reducing their carbon footprint.
“Cropwise AI is an industry-leading example of how GenAI can address critical agricultural issues,” said Elizabeth Fastiggi, Global Head of Agriculture at AWS. “Syngenta has revolutionized decision support, giving farmers easy access to expert advice. We’re excited to partner with them to boost yields and optimize productivity across the agri-food system.”
Currently, Cropwise AI is available to select customers in the United States and Brazil, with plans to expand into Europe in the near future.
