Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

Canada's agriculture and agri-food system is a major economic driver. Chemical fertilizers engage in agricultural production sufficient for the world's population. Their excessive use poses serious problems of soil, water and air contamination, soil degradation, and GHG emissions. Applying nutrients is tricky: too little and the soil cannot support healthy crops, while excessive or incorrect use can negatively impact the environment and farmers' operating costs. Crop growers, agronomists, retailers, and fertilizer manufacturers rely on laboratory soil and plant sample analysis to determine the nutrient needs of the crops to manage the use of fertilizers. Researchers use those data to monitor and draw conclusions from their experiments. Since plant composition changes rapidly, and crops can extend over vast areas, the speed, frequency, and volume of analyses influence the effectiveness of crop monitoring. Conventional laboratories do not allow quick decision-making. Poor fertilizer management in agriculture is mainly due to the lack of access to plant tissue analysis. This project aims to provide an effective tool for leaf nutrient analysis of major crops in Canada. Picketa Systems’ technology performs nutrient concentration analysis of plant tissue samples in near real-time, providing actionable insights that allow customers to manage their crop inputs effectively. It is accessible to everyone, and data collection is easier and less costly than in a laboratory. Picketa Systems' solution combines an optical sensor with cloud-based machine learning capabilities allowing logistic-free nutrient content analysis at the press of a button and without sample preparation. It allows monitoring of the nutrient profile of crops throughout the growing season and to react according to the 4Rs, with significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. This tool is fully in line with the national drive for quality crop production with reduced GHG emissions, precision, and regenerative agriculture that increases the soil's C storage capacity. Picketa Systems currently provides same-day plant tissue analysis for potato crops across Canada and in parts of the UK and the U.S. The company is working to increase sales in existing markets and generate sales in new markets by improving the scalability of the technology and supporting different crops. Through this project, Picketa Systems wants to partner with Innov to adapt its technology to canola, corn, wheat, and soybean.