FMC Corporation, a leading global agricultural sciences company, and RapidAIM, an Australian agtech start-up delivering region-to-farm pest analytics, have announced a new collaboration to create an accurate pest detection and forecasting service for several key pests and crops across Australia.

Under the agreement, RapidAIM will provide patented smart sensors – a network of instrumented and wirelessly connected traps which remotely and effectively detect insect pests in the orchard in real time.

By aggregating this real-time data combined with machine learning, RapidAIM will deliver state-of-the-art regional pest forecasts for incorporation into FMC’s Arc farm intelligence application.

“We look forward to working together with RapidAIM to more accurately predict pest pressure before it becomes a problem,” said Leandro Posteraro, FMC’s strategic product manager in Australia.

“FMC’s proprietary Arc farm intelligence platform uses predictive modelling, based on real-time data to help ensure the right crop protection products are applied precisely where and when they are needed to improve sustainability, optimise crop yield and enhance grower return on investment.

“Together, we have an unrivalled advantage to quickly learn from nature and accelerate our team’s ability to provide advisors and growers with crop protection advice and insights faster, easier and in a smarter way. We’re proud to work collaboratively with companies like RapidAIM as we enter a new era of innovation and technology.”

The partnership will commence with a pilot this season in the Shepparton area in northern Victoria.

Dr Nancy Schellhorn, co-founder and CEO of RapidAIM said, “We believe that the future of agriculture lies in targeted crop protection based on comprehensive, digital pest monitoring and forecasting. Together with FMC, we’re helping growers in Shepparton, and soon the world, take the guesswork out of crop protection and focus their efforts where it matters most.”