xarvio™ Digital Farming Solutions launches Scouting app for farmers in India
- Farmers can use the app in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Malayalam
- App provides instant photo recognition of weeds and diseases for key regional crops such as rice, cotton, maize, soybean and specialty crops like fruits and vegetables
- New partnership with AgroStar platform from ULink AgriTech to facilitate recommendations of crop protection solutions
Mumbai, India – September 30, 2019 – xarvio™ Digital Farming Solutions by BASF today officially launched its Scouting smartphone app for farmers in India. Using instant photo recognition, an algorithm, and data sharing technology, the xarvio Scouting app enables growers and agronomists to identify weed and disease threats in their fields. In conjunction with the launch, BASF has entered a new partnership agreement with India’s AgTech start-up, ULink AgriTech, to integrate its xarvio Scouting with their AgroStar platform. This integration will connect farmers to experts who recommend appropriate solutions and products.
“We know farmers in India are eager to adopt new methods that can help them improve crop quality and increase yields,” said Dietrich Mertens, Global Commercialization xarvio Asia at BASF. “With the newly launched localized version of xarvio Scouting and our new collaboration with AgroStar, we are pleased to bring a new digital farming solution into the hands of millions of growers across India.”
Crop scouting is time-consuming and requires detailed knowledge. The xarvio Scouting app supports farmers in India to efficiently identify weeds and disease threats in their fields and calculate leaf damage using just a photo taken with a smartphone. Furthermore, a community-based radar functionality shows farmers threats in the areas surrounding their fields. Armed with this information, farmers can more accurately diagnose issues and select the appropriate treatments.
“As more and more farmers use xarvio Scouting and submit images of their crops, weeds and pests, the app’s accuracy will continually improve and we can enhance the scope of identification,” said Mertens.
The new partnership with AgroStar is envisioned to provide farmers with increased speed and convenience in linking problem identification with product recommendation. Once the two apps are connected, farmers using xarvio Scouting to identify in-field problems can decide to be automatically linked to potential solutions on the AgroStar platform. Farmers also have the option to discuss their crop situation with Agricultural Experts and learn more about the recommended solutions.
“We at AgroStar are very excited to partner with the xarvio Digital Farming Team. The integration of our mobile applications will enable farmers to get end-to-end, accurate and real-time solutions to pest and disease problems affecting their crops,” said Shardul Sheth, Co-Founder and CEO at AgroStar.
Farmers who download and install the Scouting app on their smartphone will be able to use the digital product in English, Hindi, Marathi, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam. More language version will be available soon. Farmers will further benefit from the app’s expanded selection of key regional crops, such as rice, cotton, maize, soybean and specialty crops. xarvio Scouting is part of a suite of digital products provided by xarvio Digital Farming Solutions, which is part of BASF’s Agricultural Solutions division. The app is available for free download at the Google Play or Apple app store. Further information is available at www.xarvio.com
About BASF’s Agricultural Solutions Division
With a rapidly growing population, the world is increasingly dependent on our ability to develop and maintain sustainable agriculture and healthy environments. Working with farmers, agricultural professionals, pest management experts and others, it is our role to help make this possible. That’s why we invest in a strong R&D pipeline and broad portfolio, including seeds and traits, chemical and biological crop protection, soil management, plant health, pest control and digital farming. With expert teams in the lab, field, office and in production, we connect innovative thinking and down-to-earth action to create real world ideas that work – for farmers, society and the planet. In 2018, our division generated sales of €6.2 billion. For more information, please visit www.agriculture.basf.com or any of our social media channels.
About xarvio™ Digital Farming Solutions
Agricultural Production is facing several major challenges such as volatile weather, changing regulations on inputs & documentation, and continuously increasing demand for agricultural products, while public acceptance of agriculture is low. BASF Digital Farming GmbH offers under the xarvio™ brand a suite of digital farming products that help farmers to manage these challenges. xarvio automates & improves crop production field- & field-zone-specifically with independent agronomic advise increasing the efficiency & sustainability of farming. The basis for this is xarvio’s leading position in crop modelling. The products xarvio SCOUTING & xarvio FIELD MANAGER are being used by farmers in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, please visit www.xarvio.com and follow us on facebook or twitter.
About BASF
At BASF, we create chemistry for a sustainable future. We combine economic success with environmental protection and social responsibility. The approximately 122,000 employees in the BASF Group work on contributing to the success of our customers in nearly all sectors and almost every country in the world. Our portfolio is organized into six segments: Chemicals, Materials, Industrial Solutions, Surface Technologies, Nutrition & Care and Agricultural Solutions. BASF generated sales of around €63 billion in 2018. BASF shares are traded on the stock exchange in Frankfurt (BAS) and as American Depositary Receipts (BASFY) in the U.S. Further information at www.basf.com.
