Bayer has taken another step to provide farmers with innovative solutions after signing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with satellite imagery company, Planetary Resources. Planetary Resources is an aerospace company involved in a range of space-based initiatives and works within its Ceres platform using space-based sensors to capture land-based imagery during both day and night. Bayer plans to use satellite images and data purchased from Planetary Resources in the development of new agricultural products and the improvement of existing applications under its Digital Farming Initiative.
“We have identified Bayer as a prime partner in the agriculture industry based on their expertise in several fields and anticipate that this collaboration will accelerate technology deployment, product development, and market acceptance,” said Chris Lewicki, CEO of Planetary Resources in a company statement. “We are currently conducting airborne Research and Development (R&D) campaigns over a variety of agricultural targets. Bayer is interested in supporting these activities with scientific and agronomic expertise in order to accelerate R&D, product validation and creation.”
Through the combination of technologies from the two companies, Bayer will be able to offer farmers a greater ability to time their irrigation for optimum water conservation, receive replanting advice, planting recommendations, and advice on soil moisture content.
“The sensors from Planetary Resources can become a powerful tool that can provide a new level of information on crops anywhere in the world,” says Liam Condon, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of the Crop Science Division in a company statement. “The combination of Bayer’s scientific and agronomy expertise and Planetary Resources’ unique sensor capability will greatly improve our ability to deliver truly practical intelligence to growers anywhere on the planet.”
Although founded as an asteroid mining company, Geek Wire reports that Planetary Resources is broadening its focus to include Earth imaging. The company recently raised $21.1 million through a Series A led by the OS Fund and including Idea Bulb Ventures, Vast Ventures, Grishin Robotics, Conversion Capital, the Seraph Group, Space Angels Network, and Google co-founder Larry Page.
By 2019 the company plans to have control of ten Arkyd 100 microsatellites in orbit equipped with thermal infrared and hyperspectral abilities that can document crop growth and moisture content of soil, giving farmers greater access to satellite intelligence at a reasonable cost.