Innovative InnerSoy Project Launched by GROWMARK and InnerPlant

Dec 01, 2023

GROWMARK Inc. is embarking on a groundbreaking journey with InnerPlant to pilot InnerSoy, the world’s first soybean fungal sensor. This cutting-edge technology enables soybeans to send optical signals when under stress, such as from fungal attacks or nutritional shortages. These signals can be detected using specialized tools like drones or satellites, offering farmers an early warning system to protect their crops.

In 2024, GROWMARK will establish small InnerSoy plots in the Midwest. Over the next three years, these plots will expand and serve as early indicators of fungal infestation in soybeans. The data from these plots will feed into InnerPlant’s machine-learning algorithms, improving agronomic insights to enhance crop performance and protection.

GROWMARK COO, Wade Mittelstadt, emphasizes the high risks farmers face annually. This pilot project grants GROWMARK and its FS cooperatives early access to InnerPlant’s innovative technology, aimed at better managing crop health risks. Dr. Jeff Bunting, VP of crop protection at GROWMARK, is eager to delve deeper into how InnerPlant’s technology can provide vital information for early disease mitigation.

Serving nearly 400,000 customers in North America, GROWMARK specializes in a variety of services, including agronomy, energy, facility engineering, construction, logistics, grain marketing, and risk management.

Based in Bloomington, Illinois, the cooperative is known for owning the FS trademark used by its member cooperatives. GROWMARK’s initiative with InnerSoy marks a significant step forward in agricultural technology and service provision.

Video: Evolution of Beef Cattle Farming

The Clear Conversations podcast took to the road for a special episode recorded in Nashville during CattleCon, bringing listeners straight into the heart of the cattle industry. Host Tracy Sellers welcomed rancher Steve Wooten of Beatty Canyon Ranch in Colorado for a wide-ranging discussion that blended family history and sustainability, particularly as it relates to the future of beef production.

Sustainability emerged as a central theme of the conversation, a word that Wooten acknowledges can mean very different things depending on who you ask. For him, sustainability starts with the soil. Healthy soil produces healthy grass, which supports efficient cattle capable of producing year after year with minimal external inputs. It’s an approach that equally considers vegetation, animal efficiency, and long-term profitability.

That philosophy aligned naturally with Wooten’s involvement in the U.S. Roundtable for Sustainable Beef, where he served as a representative for the Colorado Cattlemen’s Association. The roundtable brings together the entire beef supply chain—from producers to retailers—along with universities, NGOs, and allied industries. Its goal is not regulation, Wooten emphasized, but collaboration, shared learning, and continuous improvement.