Objectives of the service
CROP is a service imagined by OKP4 and its partner FarmLEAP.
CROP allows to cross different data sources to get a better knowledge at the scale of the farm but also of its territory. The data are imported from Farm Management Information System and other data sources which allows to avoid manual inputs and thus to analyze much more data.
CROP will provide an exhaustive visualization of the historical cropping strategy and crop rotation on a territory. And allows to make benchmark between sectors or comparable farms by analysing different indicators. It includes soil and weather data to compare farms on similar pedo-climatic context. This is a tool to support cooperative strategy at the management level and the field teams’ level.
The CROP solution is augmented with AI tools which also gives a better knowledge to the cooperative about its territory. Indeed, CROP is able to integrate a vigour statement and to detect all the irrigated plots in the territory.
By offering a better knowledge of cropping strategy and crop rotation, CROP aims to support technical sales representatives in their approach to advising farmers. CROP is also a support for a better management of supply and collection regarding contracts and the economic and logistical constraints of cooperatives.
Users and their needs
Cooperatives and agri-businesses operating in the field crop sector in France are the main target of the CROP service. The tool also targets seed suppliers, independent advisors, or producer groups in France. A French cooperative is involved in the project by co-constructing the proof of concept of this solution. End users can be management teams, advisory and technical sales staff, and farmers.
- Sales management departments’ needs:
- To have a better vision of the territory
- To have a reliable forecast of cropping strategies and crop rotation in order to establish a supply strategy (in terms of agricultural inputs, i.e. seeds and phytosanitary products) and the most relevant collection strategy.
- Technical sales representatives’ needs:
- To have a better vision of their areas in terms of crop rotations and cropping strategies
- To anticipate their members' needs in terms of inputs and support
- To advise members on the choice of their rotation to meet their objectives and challenges. This decision is strategic for the member because rotation has an impact on yields, diseases and pests and input consumption. Rotations therefore have technical and economic repercussions in the short and long term.
Service/ system concept
For the commercial management of cooperatives, the type of information delivered:
- Viewing of crop rotations and historical volumes from the plot scale to the territory,
- The majority rotations identified,
- Crop rotations and yields predicted for the following year to estimate supply and collection volumes,
- Elements of the supply chain strategy (quality, yields, surface areas),
- Identification of irrigated plots
- Analysis reports for field teams.
Technical sales staff will have access to a support tool to improve the technical/agronomical performance of the cooperative's members and the economic balance of their operation. The functionalities they have access to are:
- Visualization of an exhaustive vision of the area in terms of rotation and cropping strategies,
- Comparison of historical rotations and their technical and economic performance,
- Simulation of different rotations and comparison of several indicators for each simulated rotation,
- Possibility of filtering the rotations according to different criteria such as the pedoclimatic context,
- Creation of personalized reports to support the advising of farmers on rotations.
Space Added Value
CROP's innovation is based on the integration of several data sources on the territory, the visualisation of rotations and performance indicators, the fine comparison of rotations according to different filters, the progressive integration of new data, the innovative training practices to help customers to handle the tool.
CROP will integrate the results of an AI model which detects the irrigated plots on the territory. This model will be based on Sentinel-1 radar images. VV (vertical–vertical) polarization data show high sensitivity to soil moisture. Irrigation is an important production factor in the decision of crop rotation.
CROP integrates a dataset of open data about all the past rotations on the territory. Thanks to AI, this dataset will be projected on the next year. By estimating yields according to the weather scenario, the AI model will make several projections on the quantity to be harvested in the next year. NDVI images (vegetation index based on satellite images of Sentinel 2) will enrich this model by giving an information on past crop vigor.
Current Status
The test phase of the Proof of Concept has been carried out in cooperation with a French cooperative. This consisted in several workshops with commercial management teams, technical sales staff and farmers. The AI Kick-start program has allowed to conduct a technical feasibility analysis as well as a business plan.
Developments and integrations to the FarmLEAP platform are ongoing for the pilot. The goal is to involve potential customers in the pilot trial.
Prime Contractor(s)
