Technology development for digital agronomic advisory systems

iSDA’s nutrient manager will provide cloud-based, field-specific recommendations for integrated nutrient management (fertilizer, manure, crop residues). The tool will provide an advance on existing systems by drawing on iSDA’s high-resolution soil properties map, incorporating uncertainty algorithms and providing financial risk-return analysis.

The recommendations will be interactively refined through entry of further field-specific information, such as from soil tests and farmer-collected data on crop management practices and yields. The results generated by the cloud-based engine will be made available through various channels, including interactive voice messaging and interactive mobile apps.

We are using tools provided by decision science to better develop and communicate agronomic recommendations and advisory services. This approach underpins the work being carried out with our partner Probability Management using financial risk-return models and case-control study designs. The goal is to help smallholders better manage their farm-level economics, using farm-level income as our overarching key performance indicator.