How does an earth-friendly company save 90,000 hectares of sugar cane from soil-borne pest and weed infestations without applying massive amounts of pesticides indiscriminately?
That’s the question Ruan Navarro Furtado, Agronomy Engineering Lead of Brazil’s Companhia Melhoramentos Norte do Paraná (CMNP) was struggling with.
CMNP has a long and distinguished history of using sustainable solutions in agriculture, leading the field in solutions that were good for the planet and good for the people on it, while still being very profitable. As such, the solution of using pesticides across the whole field after harvest – the typical method used – was simply unacceptable. Locating and addressing specific infestations as they occurred was far preferable.
This was particularly the case in their 90,000 hectares of sugarcane crop that was being grown for ethanol production. CNMP struggled to find an environmentally and economically sound way to recognize and address pest and weed growth before it significantly reduced yield.
Struggling to Find An Eco-Friendly Solution
CMNP considered other solutions. Letting nature take its course wasn’t preferable. After all, that’s where the issues stemmed from, and left unchecked, the problem would only worsen. Leaving it alone would only enable more weed growth, more pest infestation, and even less crop yield. The company tried sending teams out into the fields to locate pest and weed infestations by sight. With 90,000 hectares to cover, and with difficulty recognizing weed and pest problems early on, this proved to be a tremendous drain on resources, with very poor results.
CMNP was stumped. If only they could find a way to observe the entire crop, all at once, and then be able to locate and focus on specific problematic areas. They needed a far-sighted solution.
That’s when they saw a solution from afar. Exploring possible solutions, Furtado learned about a satellite imagery analytics provider called EOS Data Analytics (EOSDA), and was immediately struck by the applicability of their EOSDA Crop Monitoring platform.
The EOSDA Crop Monitoring Platform
EOS Data Analytics is a firm with Ukrainian roots specializing in satellite-based data analytics, specifically applicable toward agriculture, forestry, and crop monitoring. One particular product stood out for the CMNP team – the EOSDA Crop Monitoring platform. So the company reached out to EOSDA to learn more about and ultimately engage their services.
EOSDA’s product included several features that fit CMNP’s needs:
- Continuous satellite observation of wide specified areas, with “drill down” capabilities enabling close up views
- Data-driven analytical tools to enable early differentiation in vegetation, natural color, and other identifying factors
- Mapping and photo utilities to allow for comprehensive and specific observation of entire areas and specific targeted locations
- Remote sensing and automatic updates of georeferenced field condition data, including information about the distribution and prevalence of certain factors in the represented area
- Web and mobile applications, enabling easy sharing and accessibility of data across teams
Implementing the Product
Furtado and the rest of the CMNP team were excited to get their hands on EOSDA Crop Monitoring. With its easy-to-understand and intuitive interface, ironing out the issue of pests and weeds was a matter of time.
Areas to be observed were mapped out and input. NDVI (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index) was analyzed to identify crop areas with symptoms of pest and weed issues, as was Natural Color differentiation. The VRA Maps feature was used for zoning, enhanced with mapping providing spatial context and photos indicating specific infestations.
Using the web and mobile app, data results were located and shared across teams, enabling rapid team reaction.
20 CMNP team members were soon using the tool on a continuing basis, identifying specific problem areas, and then going directly to the specified problem area and dealing directly with the issue.
Seamless Integration
CMNP quickly integrated EOSDA’s Crop Monitoring platform into their operations with minimal onboarding. The platform’s intuitive design allowed the team to begin monitoring field conditions and applying targeted solutions without the need for additional external assistance. This efficiency enabled CMNP to immediately benefit from advanced data insights and focus on achieving sustainable agricultural goals.
Astonishing Results
CMNP were soon delighted by the results. By using the EOSDA Crop Monitoring tool they were able to gain:
- Comprehensive understanding of field conditions
- Early detection of weeds and pests
- Extensive and continual analysis of all 90,000 hectares of crop
- Precise investigative details
- Significant reduction in pesticide use, while enabling targeted eco-friendly methods (e.g., mechanical weeding, mulching, limited and targeted chemical applications)
- Significantly Increased crop yield
- 50% reduction in person-hours needed
Needless to say, Furtado was impressed:
“EOSDA Crop Monitoring provides us with the strategic capability to meticulously evaluate the entire gamut of pest management methodologies at our disposal. Consequently, it enables us to weave together suitable strategies that not only impede the growth of pest colonies but also ensure that any pesticide application or intervention strategies we deploy are judiciously balanced. We do this with an unwavering focus on upholding economic viability, safeguarding public health, and preserving environmental integrity.”
Better for Companies, Better For the World
As CMNP was happy to notice, using EOSDA’s satellite-driven Crop Monitoring platform adds efficiency, saves time, increases yield, and ultimately makes agriculture more sustainable. It’s an economic and ecological win-win solution that made their produce, their profit, and their environment significantly better.
Find Out More
To learn more about EOSDA’s Crop Monitoring and other eco-friendly, data-driven, satellite-based solutions, reach out to them at: https://eos.com/contact-us/.
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