An unbiased platform for precision agriculture

19-07-2023 | Tools & data | Article

A field potential map and a slope map. Photo: GeoPard Agriculture

GeoPard Agriculture acts as an independent platform for precision agriculture. “That is probably the biggest difference with larger competitors in the market”, CEO Dmitry Dementiev points out. “We are unbiased.”

GeoPard Ag, based in Germany, provides comprehensive analytics across a large number of data layers, relying on yield maps, soil analysis, topography, air moisture and vegetation moisture indicators over a multi-year period. “Our key advantage lies in providing a holistic perspective on each field, using impartial data analytics”, Mr Dementiev says.

The three founders of GeoPard Agriculture – Dmitry Dementiev, Dzmitry Yablonski and Vladimir Klinkov – have extensive experience in their field. They previously developed their own precision agriculture web-based software, called Zoner, that was later acquired by Bayer. And they have worked for several years as Digital Farming Technical Managers at Xarvio.com (part of Bayer). Currently, the three founders are the only owners of GeoPard.
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The three founders of GeoPard Agriculture, from left to right: Dzmitry Yablonski, Dmitry Dementiev and Vladimir Klinkov. - Photo: GeoPard Agriculture

“We decided to start our own company, because there was a lack of independent companies in our field”, Mr Dementiev explains. “The majority of solutions are developed by large-scale corporations. A significant number of farmers and agronomists are hesitant to share all their data with these industry giants, and are actively seeking alternatives. In response to this need, we built our own comprehensive data analytics precision agriculture software.”

Analysing data and productivity

GeoPard uses several vegetation indices that are commonly used, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Wide Dynamic Range Vegetation Index (WDRVI), and Green Chlorophyll Index (GCI). Agronomists or farmers can also load other indicators into it.

The program can analyse the data and productivity of the field areas, making prescriptions for variable rate application of seeds and fertilisers, or for crop protection. According to GeoPard, this helps growers to save on seeds and fertilisers, and increase yield.

The software also offers users historical – multi-year – management zones, that are built based on archives of satellite imagery. These zones provide insights about every spot in the field. The field crop development pattern helps farmers or other users to know the specific areas better.

“Agronomists and farmers can work together in GeoPard”, Mr Dementiev explains. “Agronomists create various kinds of custom prescription maps, using our analytics, based on zones. Or they create post-harvest maps for example. Our system can work in such a way, that it creates these maps in an automated manner. We can also use the historical satellite imagery to create a field potential for certain zones on the farm. This can be used as a basis for several precision applications, such as variable rate seeding of fertiliser application maps.”

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The platform can generate several kinds of yield maps. - Photo: GeoPard Agriculture

Sharing data

GeoPard offers services from open sources, and also gives clients the opportunity to use high quality commercial data, such as high resolution satellite imagery from provider Planet. “Clients can add their own soil sampling data, harvest data or fertiliser data into the system”, Mr Dementiev says. “And very soon, we will integrate weather stations into our platform.”

Recently, the platform launched an analytics portal tailored for farmers and dealers leveraging John Deere technology. Mr Dementiev says the portal enhances farmer experiences by optimising agronomy, assessing nutrient efficiency, and enriching the John Deere Operations Center with imagery, soil, and analytics data layers. “We provide value to dealers as well, and in particular to John Deere dealers”, Mr Dementiev says.

Although agronomists and farmers can share data on the GeoPard-platform, the company will never share data with third parties, Mr Dementiev stresses. “In this respect we are different from other parties. We always explicitly say that we do not sell or share data. All the data belongs only to the users. So, the data is well protected. But farmers and agronomists can share data, if they want to. If they already share information on the John Deere Operations Center for example, it will be shared automatically.”

Bottlenecks and evolving technology

Technology has now advanced far enough to enable a smooth exchange of data and use of data, but the knowledge of those involved in agriculture is still somewhat lagging behind, is the experience of GeoPard. “There are not enough people available that can work with modern technology”, Mr Dementiev says. “In Europe for example, you cannot find many independent crop consultants. Usually, people that can work with the technology, work for the bigger companies.”

Technology itself now allows a smooth exchange of data, he points out. “There are some bottlenecks in data-connectivity, and different companies use different data-types. But at GeoPard, we are currently transforming data from all equipment-companies.”

“Precision agriculture is advancing rapidly. It would be good if there were more trials in countries to show that it actually works, because farmers often are sceptical. Usually, because in the past companies have promised them too much, and oversold what they could really do. This is sometimes a problem for us. Farmers do not realise that technology is evolving. Data from machines, satellites, sensors and other sources now seamlessly flows from one point to another. It is a great time to implement precision agriculture.”

The platform continues to add new applications. Integrating weather stations into the system will make it possible to calculate soil moisture on a sub-field level. “Presently, farmers have just one data-point for this, but we will soon be able to extrapolate it to the whole field.”

Accurate yield data

The company is working on developing an analytics batch-mode as well. “This will analyse multiple fields or farms at once. We have had many requests for this option from service companies. They want to have different analytics or maps for hundreds of fields at once.”

In addition, the company is developing automated yield data-cleaning and collaboration. “At the moment, when yield data is collected, it is often duplicated during collection”, Mr Dementiev says. “With a new AI module, that we have created, yield data will be cleaned. This will provide much more accurate results from row yield data-sets.” GeoPard is planning to add drone-imagery in time as well. “It is not difficult to add new data-sets. But drones are still not used that much.”

GeoPard Agriculture acts as an independent company. “That is probably the biggest difference with larger competitors in the market”, Mr Dementiev points out. “We are unbiased. Our clients can use products from any company. And we have a powerful API (application programming interface). In addition, we act as a data-analytics provider. For example, American agricultural chemical and seed company Corteva uses data from GeoPard to provide maps for its clients.”

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GeoPard provides comprehensive analytics across a large number of data layers, relying on yield maps, soil analysis, topography, air moisture and vegetation moisture indicators over a multi-year period. – Photo: GeoPard Agriculture

A more complex solution

GeoPard is not a niche company, Mr Dementiev emphasises. “Some companies just produce maps for a nitrogen application for example. At GeoPard, we have a more complex solution. It is possible to analyse most crops or get to a quick recommendation for almost any crop, and for almost any agronomic operation. Agronomists can also use their own formulas in our system. We provide flexibility.”

GeoPard Agriculture is mostly used by agronomic services companies, currently on more than one million hectares. The company also has farmers as clients, primarily with big properties. It is active in Europe, the US, Canada, Central America, and is starting up in South America and Australia.

‘I want to make sure that I am the only one who has access to my data’

For farmer Nicole Bartelds, protection of her data was an important condition when she started using Geopard Agriculture. “I want to make sure that I am the only one who has access to my data”, she says.

Ms Bartelds and her husband own a large-scale arable farm in Drenthe, in the Netherlands. They grow potatoes, sugar beets, grains and carrots. Ms Bartels also provides individual guidance to agricultural companies about the various aspects of smart farming, under the name ‘De Databoerin’.

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Nicole Bartelds: “We get to know our fields better.” - Photo: Nicole Bartelds

“I have a background in geographic information services,” she explains. “I am proficient in technology, and notice that farmers often don’t have enough time to learn about it. There are farmers who would like to use their data but just don’t know how to go about it. I help them collect and analyse data, for example to create a variable rate map.”

Ms Bartelds has been using Geopard for about four years. “I was looking for ways to combine the data of our farm. We wanted to compare satellite data with a soil scan for example, and be able to better understand the fields we are dealing with.”

“There are several tools and providers available for this, but at Geopard we can also easily use our own data. If you have a yield card, you can add it to their system. We can combine open data and our own geographical data. Precision agriculture provides many tools, but it is difficult to use all the data in a single application.”

Discovering patterns

Ms Bartelds emphasises that Geopard mainly supplies a standard toolbox. “You get satellite images and an initial analysis of them. That’s useful. It saves a lot of work. They provide us with a comparison tool as well. You can put a soil map next to a satellite image and discover patterns. That in turn helps with things like crop scouting.”

“I use Geopard a lot to adjust the fertilisation to the fields. We use organic fertiliser in the spring and can later see how much basic fertiliser there is in the soil. I then calculate the correct application in the various zones of our farm, based on their tools. Because I know where less nitrogen has been consumed by the plants, I can make a map, and precision fertilise there with the spreader. ”

In the early years, Ms Bartelds undertook a number of experiments with this setup. “The first year, it turned out that we already had a yield increase of 5%. Then we started doing it on a larger scale. We now know that we have done everything we can to achieve the best possible yield. But you still have to keep an eye on things. If there is a place that always dries out, you should not endlessly throw nitrogen on it.”

Ms Bartelds finds it important to be able to download current satellite images from Geopard. “You can make an analysis. Did I see that in the same place last year? Can I detect the same trend from soil data and yield data? We get to know our fields better and, for example, do something to improve a field between crops. Or vary the sowing or planting distance of a crop, based on soil data.”

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Ms Bartelds and her husband own a large-scale arable farm in the Netherlands. - Photo: Nicole Bartelds

Use of data

Ms Bartelds says it is important that the Geopard system securely stores her data in the cloud. “I want to make sure that I am the only one who has access to my data. Via Geopard you can collaborate with others and exchange data with another user, but you always retain control. I can stop sharing data at any time. Moreover, Geopard is based in Germany and there is strict legislation there in the field of data. I also find it important that I have access to the stored information at any time and at any location.”

She always deals with the same person at Geopard. “So far, the people at Geopard have always been very approachable. I can even talk to them about new functionality. I asked if I could use soil scan data within the system for example. They investigated this and eventually introduced this option. Not everything is possible, but it is nice that a software supplier listens to the wishes of its clients.”

Costs

Ms Bartelds would also like to use drone-data within the system of Geopard. “I have been working with drones for years and recently became a drone pilot myself. It would be great to be able to add a map image of a field as an extra layer. That’s a missed opportunity, I think. They have promised, but they are not that far yet.”

She would also find it helpful to see crop plans of the various fields from previous seasons in Geopard. “A farmer likes to have the history of a field. In Western Europe, we have many different crop plans, so a crop plan can tell you something.”

Until recently, Ms Bartelds always paid fixed costs, calculated per hectare, for using Geopard. “That was very simple. But now there is a pay-per-use system. A certain part of the services is included in the basic costs, and you pay extra for other services. For example, for a zone map or satellite images of 3 by 3 meters. As a result, the costs have become somewhat hard to predict. On the other hand, this way you don’t have to pay for services you don’t use…”