Maximizing Yield, One Crop at a Time

Two AI-based startups in Israel are joining forces to combat the pests and diseases that destroy up to 40 percent of all food grown globally.

Fermata uses cameras and artificial intelligence to monitor crops as they grow and automatically detect problems.

yieldsApp translates that data into tailored recommendations, crop by crop, field by field, to maximize yields for the grower.

The two companies have now announced a partnership that will merge their technologies and, they say, provide a “comprehensive farm management solution,” detecting problems and providing precise solutions.

Farmers will receive “personalized, real-time insights that ensure crops get the right nutrients and treatments for their specific environments,” they say in a joint news release.

Hundreds of billions of dollars’ worth of crops every year are lost to pests and disease, in addition to climate change, air pollution and wildfires.

Pests alone claim between 20% and 40% of global crop production, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

The effects of climate change are increasing, worldwide food insecurity is also increasing and there is a compelling need to maximize crop protection and minimize losses.

Last month, the World Meteorological Organization warned that harmful materials released by wildfires had already reduced crop yields by up to 15% in China and India.

The organization also said weather changes are increasingly forcing farmers to change the way they grow their crops.

Keep reading at israel21c.org.

Fermata CTO Michael Kolomenkin is a Technion alumnus.