CropX fills a glaring omission within the agriculture industry. Virtually all agriculture systems -- even the most advanced -- irrigate land as though it were uniform. In any square-mile field, however, soil quality can vary widely. 

 

To solve this problem, CropX performs a one-time analysis of each field, using publicly available data about the soil type and topography. It also divides the land into irrigation zones. CropX ships each farmer three sensors, and the mobile app shows precisely where in the field to place them. The sensors, which are battery powered and last up to four years, send soil data to the cloud. The app then calculates the amount of water necessary to produce the maximum yield in each irrigation zone.

 

CropX is currently being used to power irrigation in 5,000 acres across a small number of farms in Missouri, Colorado, and Kansas. With $9 million in Series A funding led by Finistere Ventures, Innovation Endeavors, GreenSoil Investments, and Israel-based crowdfunding venture capital firm OurCrowd, CropX will be expanding its reach across the globe.

 

Crop yield enhancement is a $2.5 trillion market. Yet 90 percent of farmers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, do not use any method to optimize irrigation. Farmers using CropX have reported water and energy savings of up to 25 percent. They are also able to prevent over-watering, which not only damages crops but can cause chemical run-off that is damaging to the surrounding environment (and may result in regulatory fines). 

 

Customer feedback has also revealed two new uses for the CropX system: (1) in determining the optimum time of the year to turn sprinklers on and off based on the state of the soil, and (2) in optimizing non-irrigation practices such as seeding and fertilization. Both new uses have been validated by customer demand.

 

The CropX system enhances crop yield, helps the environment, and saves money on water and energy.

 

Company website: www.cropx.com