Croptimistic Technology Inc. (Croptimistic), a Canadian AgTech company, has assembled an impressive partnership to automate and scale SWAT MAPS to advance Canadian agriculture. This $5 million project will see academic and on-farm researchers, industry players, and smart farm staff collaborate to develop new soil and crop technologies and validate them with agricultural producers. $1.1M of this project will be funded through the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network (CAAIN).
Farmers spend a large component of their budget on soil-applied inputs—such as fertilizer, seed, and herbicides. They need precise soil, water, and topography (SWAT) data when planning optimal site-specific applications. Crop “yield potential” technology such as satellite imagery of crop biomass and growth is relatively common. Far more difficult to source is accurate, automated, artificial intelligence-ready “soil potential” information generated by soil-based hardware and software—information of vital importance to farmers planning optimal input application. This project led by Croptimistic in collaboration with researchers at the University of Regina, the University of Prince Edward Island, and the University of Saskatchewan will expand SWAT MAPS’s capacity, eventually allowing it to answer questions such as, "which seed varieties grow best in dry zones, wet zones, or saline areas, or specific soil types?”
By collaborating with commercial and smart farms across the country, SWAT MAPS will develop scalable analytics and agronomic validation solutions supporting the widespread adoption of precision agriculture. This in turn, will improve producer profitability and environmental sustainability. From soil-based AI to scalable field execution, this project will lead the way as Canada's premier soil technology.
“This project will combine years of practical on-farm experience from SWAT MAPS and other industry partners with leading academic researchers across Canada. The result will be new and improved tools that will help Canadian farmers make better decisions in the field when it comes to applying seed, fertilizer, and other inputs.” said Evan MacDonald, P.E.I.-based PhD candidate and project lead for Croptimistic. Cory Willness, CEO of Croptimistic adds “We are privileged to have our SWAT ECOSYSTEM working directly with the team of experts spanning across three Canadian universities on automating technologies such as plant stand counts, soil survey connections, and on-farm trial evaluations”