Advances in remote sensing and diagnostic technology provide a wealth of data which can be used to predict crop growth and more importantly the pest and disease pressure. Models have been developed to provide farmers and agronomists with real-time information for the need to spray against particular pests and diseases.

CropMonitor Pro has been developed with the Food and Environment Research Agency (Fera) to provide subscribers with risk predictions on a field scale using the farmers own agronomic data. CropMonitor Pro will allow the optimum timing of sprays and indicate when pest and disease pressure does not warrant a prophylactic spray.

This saves the cost of unnecessary sprays and reduces environmental contamination. As biopesticides start to replace synthetic pesticides the timing of sprays becomes even more critical to ensure good efficacy. This approach will showcase digital agronomy and provide a standard backbone from which other on-farm measurements can be captured, transmitted, stored and exploited for future advancements in crop management.