How do you summarise a comprehensive innovation in just 400 characters (!) when competing for a GreenTech innovation award? Royal Brinkman experts faced this challenge before implementing digital data analytics platform Auxin this week. We discussed this innovation in more detail with Luuk Jumelet, Digital Manager for the leading horticulture supplier.
Luke joined Royal Brinkmann in Sgravenzande, the Netherlands, four years ago, at a time when the transition from analogue to digital was in full swing. “Many growers decided to switch from recording disease and pest data on a notepad to recording scouting data in MyScout, our data collection app.”
Based on that knowledge, they can now take preventive actions in the field of crop protection. But there is one caveat: past results do not guarantee future results. “That’s why we wanted to be able to establish connections between the individual data modules, and we found that without a connectivity platform it was difficult to make those connections. So Auxin was born.”
Establishing a connection
Auxin consists of two parts: an Operating System (OS) and a Data Management Platform (DMP). Once live, the focus was on making the scouting data insightful. “We asked around 100 users of MyScout to test the Auxin platform, with an initial focus on the Netherlands. Although customer service and ‘onboarding’ can be quite time-consuming, the initial feedback from pilot customers was that the system is very simple and clear.”
The Auxin platform easily connects to existing advice generators and other systems, such as the soon-to-be-released trap scanner. “As soon as you start making connections, the added value of Auxin becomes clear,” says Luuk, as he opens a screen that allows him to draw a precise digital picture of his greenhouse. “Once you make the connection, you can overlay multiple layers of data. Think of data from MyScout or from Scandr, the drone that the first three growers are already using in pilots. The operating system controls the drone to scout for diseases and pests and calculate flower counts. The data management system then shows you all the diseases and pests in the greenhouse. In one view, you can see where the diseases and pests are in the greenhouse.”
Smart use of Hortivation Points accelerates Auxin connectivity
Using Garden GPS Wisely
The image Luke shows us is reminiscent of the term “precision crop protection” often used by policymakers. And that’s the direction it’s heading in. “With auxin, we’re moving in that direction. It’s the near future. We’re working from integrated pest management (IPM) towards an upgraded integrated crop management (ICM).”
Another innovation is key to enabling data layering in digitally drawn greenhouses.
“I call it the GPS of horticulture. It has accelerated connectivity. What makes us unique is that we have built that regulation into the technology, which gives us the Google Translate for location technology. This way it can be used across a multitude of applications, including third-party applications.”
While Hortivation Point initially focused primarily on greenhouse construction, Royal Brinkman is now expanding more broadly.
Truly independent advice
The possibility of use by third parties is another element that sets the platform apart. The digital platform targets growers but also product experts and third parties. “Auxin uses a very large international database with knowledge of the action of pesticides. We add legally verified advice based on data from the Dutch Plant Protection Products and Biocides Authorisation Board (Ctgb) or equivalent sources in each country.” So far, this is only possible in the Netherlands.
Combined with Royal Brinkmann’s 139 years of “green practical knowledge”, this ultimately results in truly independent growing advice, the digital manager emphasises. “By combining data and knowledge, it’s also possible that a product we don’t sell could be the best option for a grower.”
Strategic Role
When it comes to software and platforms, artificial intelligence (AI) is indispensable. Auxin is no exception. “We use all kinds of data to train our AI and produce powerful models. Some developments may not seem exciting, but they actually contain a huge amount of intelligence that will be the foundation for future developments.”
Another point of interest is data security: even if the data is well protected and processed completely anonymously, would farmers want to share it? “Today, farmers increasingly understand that sharing data is key to further joint development.”
Auxin doesn’t just change the lives of growers, it also changes the lives of Royal Brinkmann’s crop protection experts: “Our advisors are taking on an increasingly strategic role in the precision crop protection and greening process. It’s no longer their main job to advise growers on the right chemicals, because they can do that through Auxin.”
Smart Home
Anyone interested in learning more about this new information can contact their Royal Brinkman representative or the Auxin experts who will be assisting growers in using the platform.
Further news about the Auxin platform is expected to be announced in the coming days. The use of a digital data analytics platform is new, but in practice many people are already familiar with it. Luuk points to a consumer tool in parallel: Smart Home: “This tool also connects different systems. We plan to do the same in the horticulture sector.”
For more information:
Royal Brinkmann
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Royal Brinkmann
