Sony enhances Smart Agriculture Solution software

With the launch of Sony’s Version 2.0 software update, the enhanced agriculture solution consisting of a drone-mounted multispectral sensing unit and Fast Field Analyzer image analytics software for in-the-field crop management, monitoring and insights, will add Sony’s imaging and AI-based technology for stand counting.

Precisely analyse large areas

Stand counting allows growers to assess the planting quality, enabling replanting decisions to be made earlier and with greater accuracy. The Version 2.0 update is to allow growers to precisely analyse large areas with ease, according to Sony.

The company says its latest Smart Agriculture Solution software enables a more intelligent, more flexible and more robust way to count and evaluate early-stage row crops, with capabilities for variable and uniform seeding rates.

Replanting decisions made minutes after flight

“These enhancements were designed to create a more powerful and capable solution that better serves agronomists and offers end-to-end support for replanting decisions, which can be made minutes after flight, without the need for an Internet connection,” says Sony.

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The enhanced agriculture solution consisting of a drone-mounted multispectral sensing unit and Fast Field Analyzer image analytics software for in-the-field crop management, monitoring and insights, will add Sony’s imaging and AI-based technology for stand counting. – Photos: Sony

Additional benefits of the Version 2.0 software’s stand count feature include a more accurate representation of the field achieved by wide-area comprehensive sampling, which enables sectional replanting to save time and maximise yield.

Furthermore, the solution offers insights for assessing the quantity and quality of a planting, such as “Skip” or “Double” rate, which provide valuable data that can drive decision making into the next season.

Evaluate data from multiple angles

Version 2.0 of Sony’s Smart Agriculture Solution also offers the ability to evaluate data from multiple angles. With a new side-by-side comparison capability, users can now compare variable planting maps versus actual emergence, track historical progress of the NDVI before and after the treatment, and compare NDVI and historical yield maps for yield estimation.

With the comparison feature, the quality of the analytics tied to field scouting should increase and become more efficient, empowering agronomists to provide reasoned advice to the growers they support.

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The solution offers insights for assessing the quantity and quality of a planting, such as “Skip” or “Double” rate, which provide valuable data that can drive decision making into the next season.

Replant same day as the stand count

“In-field replant decisions are an important factor in planning for better yields, but the process has traditionally been a time consuming, rigid and costly endeavor,” said Charlie Siggs, digital agronomy project manager, Syngenta, one of the companies with which Sony collaborates.

“Using drones for wider area comprehensive stand counts enables sectional replanting for growers. Paired with in-field fast AI analytics, replanting can potentially be done the same day as the stand count. This new workflow maximises the yield potential and saves operational costs. The enhanced solution Sony has created is an important step forward for digital agriculture.”

Sony’s Smart Agriculture Solution with Version 2.0 software will be on display at the ARA Conference & Expo, December 3-5 in New Orleans, as well as at the American Seed Trade Associate (ASTA) CSS Seed & Expo, December 9-12 in Chicago.

Version 2.0 software for the Smart Agriculture Solution is planned to be available in March 2020. Current users will be able to automatically download the free upgrade at pro.sony.

Currently, Sony Electronics offers its Smart Agriculture Solution in the United States, but expects to begin offering the solution in Australia starting next month.