Bayer’s new partner, based in Redmond, Washington is involved in a wide range of space-based enterprises, including asteroid mining. With the new deal, Bayer intends to purchase data from Planetary Resources to create new agricultural products and improve existing ones. The new collaboration will be part of Bayer’s Digital Farming Initiative. Financial details were not disclosed.

By combining the technologies from the two companies, farmers will be able to time their irrigation systems more effectively, which will save water, receive planting date recommendations and re-planting advice as well as assess their soil’s water-holding capacity. Another project is a canopy temperature scout, which will optimise how crops are grown, saving both time and money for farmers. All projects undertaken by the collaboration will be part of Bayer’s Digital Farming Initiative (www.digitalfarming.bayer.com)

Powerful tools for crops worldwide

“The sensors from Planetary Resources can become a powerful tool that can provide a new level of information on crops anywhere in the world,” Liam Condon, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and head of the Crop Science Division, said in a statement. “The combination of Bayer’s scientific and agronomy expertise and Planetary Resources’ unique sensor capability will greatly improve our ability to deliver truly practical intelligence to growers anywhere on the planet.”

In a statement Chris Lewicki, Planetary Resources CEO said: “We are currently conducting airborne Research and Development campaigns over a variety of agricultural targets. ” He added, “Bayer is interested in supporting these activities with scientific and agronomic expertise in order to accelerate R&D, product validation and creation.”

Efficient and environmentally-friendly farming

Bayer aims to provide farmers all over the world with practical decision-making aids based on the precise evaluation and combination of diverse data such as weather data or topographic maps. Using these individualised recommendations, farmers will be able to optimise their business management and lower costs. In addition to leading to higher yields and therefore an improved income, it would also lead to more efficient and environmentally compatible deployment of resources.

Planetary Resources was founded to develop low-cost sensor platforms to better understand and manage humanity’s resources on Earth and in space. Its Earth observation system, named Ceres, is initially being deployed to collect a new level of crop intelligence for the global agricultural industry.

Monsanto stalls in deal talks

Besides strengthening its activities in digital farming via strategic investments such as its recent partnership with Planetary Resources, Bayer is currently in negotiations to buy Monsanto, the world's largest seed company. After turning down Bayer’s $62 billion acquisition bid “as incomplete and financially inadequate” in May, Monsanto said it was open to engaging in further negotiations.