Farm Progress

The Azure Data Manager with AgPowered Services improves transparency across the agriculture industry.

Rachel Schutte, Content Producer

March 15, 2023

2 Min Read
Woman with laptop in the field
Getty Images

At a Glance

  • AgPowered Services from Bayer run on the new Microsoft Azure Data Manager for Agriculture.
  • Companies, farmers and consumers can increase transparency to support sustainable agriculture and food production.

Building on their partnership announcement in 2021, Bayer and Microsoft launched a new cloud-based data management system for the agriculture industry. The platform provides solutions for food companies, transparency for customers, and new opportunities for farmers.

Azure Data Manager for Agriculture combines Bayer’s agricultural expertise with Microsoft’s cloud tools. This initial preview allows customers to explore the Azure Data Manager and AgPowered Services. Full commercial availability will be announced at a later date.

Tools built on Azure Data Manager can help farmers track disease, pest and weed pressure, apply precision inputs, measure potential yield, track carbon emissions, and analyze weather data. Bayer is offering these initial AgPowered Services as add-ons to Azure Data Manager’s core capabilities:

  • Bayer Imagery Insights – Track crop health over time and quickly identify areas in fields that need attention through a series of satellite images and supporting data within individually selected geographic areas.

  • Bayer Growing Degree Day Calculation – Provide a calculation for Growing Degree Days, a critical input for models that focus on identifying key timing of variables affecting crop growth, health and output, as well as the emergence and development of important crop insect pests and diseases.

  • Bayer Crop Water Use Maps – Gain access to map layers and supporting data that help define the amount of water a crop is using or losing during a 24-hour period. Users will be able to understand crop evaporation and transpiration levels and potential crop loss areas due to lack of water, which is a key driver for irrigation planning.

Bayer is also using capabilities from Azure Data Manager to power insights in Climate FieldView, Bayer’s digital farming solution.

In addition to using the platform to develop their own internal and customer-facing digital platforms, companies and organizations can bring their own solutions to Azure Data Manager for Agriculture and make them available for licensing.

These cloud offerings make it easier for companies to partner with farmers based on how crops are raised and help consumers make informed purchasing decisions based on production practices. The potential to support sustainable agriculture and food production can ultimately benefit companies, farmers, consumers, and the planet.

"Modern agriculture and food production generate a tremendous amount of valuable data that can drive productivity and sustainability," says Robert Reiter, head of R&D for Bayer’s Crop Science Division. "However, this data is often disconnected, not useable throughout the value chain, and the costs to build digital solutions from scratch are high. Our new cloud-based solutions help overcome these challenges."

Using these cloud-based enterprise solutions, value chain partners will be able to apply insights into supply projections, sustainable sourcing, and ESG reporting. They will also be able to meet quickly changing consumer preferences for fresh, high-quality ingredients.

For more information, visit Bayer’s website.

Read more about:

Data

About the Author(s)

Rachel Schutte

Content Producer, Farm Futures

Rachel grew up in central Wisconsin and earned a B.S. in soil and crop science from the University of Wisconsin - Platteville. Before joining the Farm Futures team, Rachel spent time in the field as an agronomist before transitioning to the world of marketing and communications. She now resides in northeast Iowa where she enjoys raising bottle calves and farming corn and soybeans alongside her husband and his family.

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