CropX acquires EnGeniousAg for nitrogen sensing technology

Mike Castellano, co-founder of EnGeniousAg and Professor of Soil Science at Iowa State University, – Photo: Patrick S. Schnable — Mike Castellano, co-founder of EnGeniousAg and Professor of Soil Science at Iowa State University, works the nitrogen sensing technique – Photo: Patrick S. Schnable

CropX announces the acquisition of EnGeniousAg, a startup focused on advanced nitrogen sensing applications for agriculture. EnGeniousAg developed an nitrogen sensing technology with the potential to transform nitrogen management by offering farmers new precision tools to optimize nitrogen fertilizer application and minimize environmental impacts.

EnGeniousAg’s patented technology provides users with near-instantaneous, in-field nitrogen measurements. This data can inform nitrogen fertilizer applications to ensure plants have the proper levels for maximizing profitability, sustainability and crop performance during various growth phases. Specifically, EnGeniousAg’s technique extend the range of ion-specific electrode sensing in precision agriculture. The company’s patented technology permits in-situ monitoring of nitrogen in plant tissue, drainage and irrigation waters, and soil. CropX will integrate EnGeniousAg’s technology into its agronomic farm management system.

Critical challenge

Precision nitrogen fertilizer management is a critical challenge in modern agriculture. Nitrogen fertilizer represents one of the largest crop input costs in agriculture worldwide. Inefficient nitrogen usage costs farmers billions of dollars each year while substantially increasing greenhouse gas emissions and nitrate loading to watersheds and aquifers.

EnGeniousAg’s technology will offer cost-savings and operational efficiencies for farmers and agribusinesses on the CropX platform. By allowing simple and effective in-field nitrogen measurements coupled to data-driven agronomic recommendations, CropX’s integrated system of sensors and analytics will provide a new method to boost crop nitrogen use efficiency.

CropX’s agronomic farm management system leverages data from soil to sky to deliver real-time decision support and data management to enhance farm profitability and sustainability. The acquisition of this advanced nitrogen sensor technology further solidifies CropX’s position in agricultural innovation. This is the sixth acquisition for CropX, following its most recent acquisition of Australia’s Green Brain in December 2023.