Using Smart Phones to Farm Better

(piano jingle)

(calm electronic music)

We are now 2011.

It's really the time to use the eye from the sky.

We can measure things on the Earth,

especially on cropland from satellites.

My real motivation is to start using

this kind of technology that can help feeding the world.

We have to feed all these people in the world.

The problem is the water scarcity.

We really have to develop very good information systems.

In the end, what counts is

what happens in a particular field.

That particularly field has to produce more with less water.

If we don't measure what's happening

and we don't guide the local advisors

and the local farmers, this is not going to happen.

We invested a lot in space technology.

All these systems are up and running,

and we are not using them.

A satellite can scan the Earth, it can scan a crop.

We can measure spectral reflections,

we can measure temperature of the crop,

and the temperature tells you very much

whether the crop is healthy.

The satellite is reading the leaves.

How much carbon is taken, how much water's used,

we call that PI mapping, Pixel Intelligence.

The vision of us is to make smart pixels for smart phones.

Millions of people can start using that information.

What it really means is that a farmer in India

can get that information on his smartphone.

Then that local firm in Punjab

will really convert it in something like

you should irrigate on Tuesday,

and you should irrigate 40 mm,

which basically means

you should open the gate for three hours.

So to strengthen is that we combine this smart measurements

with the local knowledge.

By using this technology and by sending infortmation

to people in the field,

we directly give them access to information,

which I think is fundamental to improve the world.

(fancy orchestrated music)