Effigis Geo-Solutions (Effigis), a Quebec-based technology innovation company in geospatial solutions, is announcing the launch of its FieldApex precision agriculture platform. Combining the power of artificial intelligence with the phenomenal amount of information contained in satellite images, FieldApex offers a fertilizer application management solution. Thanks to its analytical capacity, FieldApex precisely prescribes the rate of fertilizer to apply to fields with maximum profitability and minimal environmental impact. It replaces and propels to a whole new level the SCAN application launched in 2014, whose SCAN.AI algorithm was improved in 2018 to get closer than ever to the most profitable rate for the farmer.
"The SCAN.AI algorithm which lies at the heart of FieldApex is unique for prescribing sidedress nitrogen rate, both in terms of ease of use and precision", says Nicos Keable-Vézina, Agronomist and Director, Precision Agriculture at Effigis. Although prescriptions are calibrated specifically for grain corn, FieldApex will also target other types of crops and fertilizers in the future. The platform can be used in a single-rate or variable-rate mode, the latter being offered as a pilot project this season.
Three basic inputs are used to determine variable rate nitrogen application: soil texture, nitrogen requirement imagery, and the SCAN.AI prescription algorithm. The process unique to FieldApex automates input analysis by leveraging the high-resolution quality of satellite images to collect maximally accurate data.
"Capturing soil texture and nitrogen requirements via satellite images will help democratize precision agriculture for all farmers in the coming years", says Vézina. The commercialization efforts of the new variable rate application will intensify in 2019, when the product reaches a higher stage of maturity, after process validation and refinement during the 2018 season.
Despite the growing presence of artificial intelligence in agriculture, Mr. Vézina insists on one point: "Agronomists and farmers are and will remain pivotal in the decision-making process. What FieldApex does is it prescribes specific recommendations and simplifies decision-making by interpreting the big data collected."
FieldApex intends to become a global premier platform as it connects to the industry's leading precision agriculture platforms. The precision agriculture market is growing by 15% per year and is expected to reach $10 billion by 2024.
Source: Effigis