Key Takeaways:
- Planet Labs has expanded its partnership with BASF Digital Farming GmbH to enhance digital farming solutions.
- BASF will increase its use of Planet’s satellite data products for its xarvio® Digital Farming Solutions brand.
- Planet’s high-cadence satellite data aids in precision farming, yield estimation, and seed selection.
- The partnership leverages Planet’s Crop Biomass Planetary Variable and PlanetScope data products.
- BASF’s xarvio® FIELD MANAGER platform supports over 100,000 users globally, optimizing crop production sustainably.
Planet Labs and BASF Digital Farming Strengthen Partnership for Sustainable Agriculture
Planet Labs PBC has announced the expansion of its commercial partnership with BASF Digital Farming GmbH. This strategic move will see BASF increasing its use of Planet’s satellite data products to power its advanced digital farming services under the xarvio® Digital Farming Solutions brand.
Meeting the Demand for Sustainable Agriculture
In an era where sustainable agriculture is crucial, Planet Labs owns and operates the world’s largest constellation of Earth observation imaging satellites, offering near-daily data and insights into global environmental and industrial changes. With the rising demand for food supply, there is a pressing need for more sustainable and efficient farming solutions. Through its collaboration with Planet Labs, BASF is at the forefront of the digital agriculture revolution, developing innovative solutions that enhance both economic and environmental sustainability for growers.
“We are in a critical time for sustainable agriculture. High-cadence satellite data can provide revolutionary solutions to advance precision farming, yield estimation, and seed selection,” said Will Marshall, Planet Co-founder and CEO. “By expanding this strategic partnership with BASF, a global leader in the digital farming industry, we look forward to powering novel and effective tools to enable growers to get the best crop yields in the most sustainable and efficient ways.”
Enhanced Digital Farming with Planet’s Data Products
Through this partnership, BASF is expanding its use of Planet’s Crop Biomass Planetary Variable product, a cloud-free, analysis-ready data feed that combines radar and optical signals. This product helps agronomists and farmers better understand field conditions, enabling more efficient and targeted use of crop inputs to optimize production. Additionally, BASF is increasing its use of Planet’s PlanetScope monitoring data product, which provides near-daily imagery of agricultural fields worldwide at a 3.5-meter resolution. This high-cadence imagery complements insights from the Crop Biomass product by providing detailed views for smaller fields.
Supporting Global Crop Production with Advanced Tools
Integrating Planet’s data sources provides BASF Digital Farming’s xarvio® FIELD MANAGER platform with unparalleled operational reliability. This advanced crop optimization platform offers independent, timely agronomic advice at both field and sub-field levels, helping over 100,000 registered users worldwide optimize yield and profitability. For BASF, the global operational reliability of these tools is essential, requiring speed and stability to support crop production on millions of hectares across multiple continents daily.
“At BASF Digital Farming, we focus on providing farmers and advisors with innovative products and services from xarvio that make crop production more efficient, profitable, and sustainable. Using Planet’s satellite data and Planetary Variable products, we can continue to deliver measurable benefits, and through the expanded partnership, we can scale that impact,” said Dr. Thomas Schilling, Managing Director and Global Head of Platform Engineering at BASF Digital Farming.
Driving Efficiency and Sustainability
BASF leverages Planet’s satellite data to provide insights and recommendations throughout the growing season. These insights include variable rate seeding, fertilizer application, and fungicide use for crops such as wheat, soy, corn, cotton, and rice. Since 2020, analytics derived from Planet’s near-daily imagery have enabled BASF to support growers in sustaining expected yields while using crop protection products more efficiently.
