Syngenta's Product Plus Approach With Farmshots

Acquired by Syngenta in 2018, FarmShots satellite imagery is a product that has grown and changed along with its new corporate owners. 

“Since the acquisition, we’ve been working to bring them into the Syngenta family,” says Peyton Merriam, marketing lead, Syngenta. “And we’ve found how their digital tools fit our digital strategy. One example is how satellite imagery helps retailers and farmers.” 

FarmShots is a satellite imagery product providing 10-meter resolution on a schedule of every three to five days. 

Product Plus Approach

With retail partners, Syngenta provides customer-branded imagery solutions, which Merriam points out puts the brand of the retailer at the forefront. The retailer can use the images in a product-focused campaign to demonstrate the agronomic need and solutions. 

“We work with retailers to identify where we can partner to win in the space,” he says. “And if a retailer agrees to help us grow with a product, we provide the software and services of FarmShots.”

For example, with fungicides, retailers can help farmers monitor crop health through the season and use the images to help inform application decisions. 

“Retailers have told us this has shown to be a key differentiator for them,” Merriam explains. “They appreciate this product because it shows how we value them as the farmer’s trusted adviser, and we are deploying a strategy with them.” 

This “product plus” approach is one Syngenta aims to continue to grow as it continues to develop its digital strategy. It was first launched with fungicides, but the company is piloting programs around seed care and herbicides.

New Features For 2021

Additional investment in its digital strategy includes new features to FarmShots, such as the functionality for side-by-side viewing and analysis. 

“Now, retailers and farmers can make direct comparisons of images on a single window frame. We think this will really help show the difference in two images of a field taken at two different times,” Merriam says. 

Another new feature is a time series analysis, so viewers can see the average crop health and assess the overall plant health of a field. 

These types of data-driven visualizations are what Syngenta hopes will simplify decision-making for growers and their trusted advisers.

Merriam also points out that Syngenta has acquired Cropio and Strider, which are being integrated in the portfolio. 
“It’s not rare to hear that retailers and growers want insights and not just from imagery but all other tools,” Merriam says. “They say, ‘Give me a report. And drill it down to the top three things.’ So those are things we are progressing toward. We are working toward the next phases in taking the data we have and turning them into insights and tools.”