Airbus Defense and Space and the J.R. Simplot Company have signed a multi-year agreement that will enable Simplot to have access to very high resolution imagery products from the Pléiades satellites (50cm resolution) over locations in the United States as well as Mexico for precision agriculture. The data will be processed near real-time in the cloud, and used to automatically generate reports that will be delivered directly to Simplot.
This will allow Simplot to have intensive monitoring and reporting over specific areas that cover their customer geography and give Simplot the capability to deliver analytical reports for growers in the agriculture industry. These reports will help growers focus on producing higher yields for crops such as almonds, potatoes, corn, wheat and soybeans. Additionally, growers will be able to determine several factors for producing higher yield crops such as seed density, fertilizer rates, water ratio, pesticide use and disease control, to name a few.
“This is an exciting era in the field of Precision Agriculture. The relationship with Airbus Defense and Space will enable us to provide our farm customers with improved insight focused on delivering value, efficiency and sustainable productivity of each and every acre” said Allan Fetters, director of technology at J.R. Simplot Company. “The use of data-driven agronomy will allow farmers to do their part in feeding the growing world population with a safe, healthy and abundant food supply.”
“We’re excited to work closely with the J.R. Simplot Company to be their go-to source for all their imagery needs” said Greg Buckman, Head of Airbus Defense and Space’s Intelligence Business activities in North America. “Automating this process in the cloud validates the growing market for customized solutions. By providing this automation we are saving them internal time and costs while delivering meaningful and actionable intelligence to the benefit of their customers.”
Airbus Defense and Space relies upon the twin satellites Pléiades 1A and 1B that operate as a constellation in the same orbit, phased 180 degrees apart and deliver very high-resolution optical data products in record time, offering a daily revisit capability to any point on the globe.
Airbus Defense and Space is a division of Airbus Group formed by combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. The new division is Europe’s number one defense and space enterprise, the second largest space business worldwide and among the top ten global defense enterprises. It employs some 38,000 employees generating revenues of approximately €13 billion per year.
The J.R. Simplot Company, a privately held agribusiness firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho, has an integrated portfolio that includes phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching and cattle production, food processing, food brands, and other enterprises related to agriculture. Simplot’s major operations are located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, and China, with products marketed in more than 40 countries worldwide. The company’s mission statement is Bringing Earth’s Resources to Life. To learn more visit www.simplot.com
