Our Platform. Your Application. - Amazon S3€¦ · Our Platform. Your Application. agX ......
Transcript of Our Platform. Your Application. - Amazon S3€¦ · Our Platform. Your Application. agX ......
®
The language of agriculture.®
agX® PlatformOur Platform. Your Application.
agX® is the world’s most sophisticated agricultural spatial data repository, complete with the standardization of rules, reference content, and APIs needed to move the farming industry forward.
Th e agX Platform is the foundation for the future of agriculture.
CHANGE IS COMING
Precision agriculture is poised to hit a tipping point. Recognizing the benefi ts of spatial analysis that extend beyond a mere map, ag news headlines speak of the needs for industry-wide data standardization and new coalitions formed to pursue such goals.
Quietly, in the university town of Stillwater, Oklahoma, one of the fi rst players in the precision ag fi eld began addressing the standardization issues facing spatial analysis 15 years ago. Today, SST Software o ers the industry agX®, a sophisticated geo-spatial platform handling precision ag data on tens of millions of acres. The agX Platform provides the spatial infrastructure needed to move the entire agricultural industry forward.
SST Software‘s home offi ce in Stillwater, Oklahoma. SST has fi ve branch offi ces in the United States and international offi ces in Australia and Brazil.
The most pressing issue facing the fourth revolution of modern day agriculture is infrastructure—SPATIAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
©2014 All Rights Reserved | SST Development Group, Inc.
3
TABLE OFCONTENTS
>> State of the Industry: The Four Revolutions of Modern Day Ag ....................................... 04
>> Guiding Principles of agX: The Concepts Behind a Proven Solution ............................. 06
>> Data Schemas: Defi ning the Language of Agriculture ............................................................ 08
>> The Small Problem of Big Data ................................................................................................... 09
>> Standardization: Creating Spatial Infrastructure: Part 1 ............................................................. 10
>> The Standardization Solution ........................................................................................................... 11
>> A Central Data Repository: Creating Spatial Infrastructure: Part 2 .....................................12
>> Data Exchange: Dirt Roads vs. Super Highways. .........................................................................13
>> agX APIs: Portals to Integration ............................................................................................................ 14
>> Third Party Apps: Our Platform. Your Application. . .................................................................... 16
>> The Next Ag Marketplace: Integration of Expertise.. ................................................................17
>> agX Platform Overview. ....................................................................................................................... 18
>> The SST Software Advantage ......................................................................................................... 19
4
The Fourth RevolutionThe fourth revolution of modern day agriculture,
commonly known as “precision ag,” was made
possible by the Global Positioning System (GPS)
and Geographic Information System (GIS) software.
This combination of technologies allowed us to
site-specifi cally record, identify, and measure
in-fi eld trends. The genre of this technology was
di erent because it was information-based, not
brawn-based. Information products do not make
a farm manager more e ective but rather more
e cient. Being e cient means a job is executed
in the best possible manner in order to achieve
maximum productivity. Herein lies the uniqueness
of site-specifi c technology—it arms one with the
information necessary to maximize the potential
made possible by the prior three agricultural
revolutions.
The First Three RevolutionsIn years past, the farmer and his beast of burden
would slowly plow a fi eld. Then a revolutionary
technology came to be—the tractor. This
mechanized element of strength increased a
grower’s e ectiveness many times over when
executing farm operations. Following the
mechanical revolution, e ectiveness gained
additional boosts when technological leaps
occurred in chemistry, leading to better nutrient
and crop protection products, and in biology, with
the introduction of genetically improved strains
of seed. Plants became hardier and well-fed while
pesticides kept threats at bay. Each of these three
revolutions—mechanical, chemical, and bio-
genetic—radically increased our farm productivity
with the average corn yield becoming fi ve times
greater today than it was in the 1930’s.
STATE OFTHE INDUSTRY
As the precision ag industry moves forward, it is quickly approaching the crossroads of irony. While the evolution of cultivation technologies made farmers more eff ective, precision ag made farmers more effi cient. Distinguishing between the two is critical. Eff ectiveness is about brawn. Effi ciency is about brains. Eff ectiveness is found in the realm of execution. Effi ciency lies within the management decisions that precede the execution of activity. Yet many precision ag programs require vast amounts of personnel resources—human brawn at the keyboard to support information management programs. Fragmentation and a lack of standardization make many precision ag off erings ineffi cient. Th erein lies the irony that has begun to hamper the industry’s progress. Th e agX Platform off ers a holistic solution of effi ciency for the entire agriculture market that provides effi cient integration and data exchange while addressing the concerns of data privacy and security.
5
in the realization that moving forward depends on
the issues of data standardization and security.
New initiatives and coalitions are being promoted
that state what will be built
to overcome these barriers to
progress.
The agX SolutionSST Software’s core
expertise is the structure and
management of spatial data as it relates to the
agriculture industry. The foundational philosophy
that precision ag was a spatial problem with an
agronomic application led SST to begin addressing
issues such as standardization and data security
over 15 years ago. SST’s work has evolved into
a robust, spatial data repository, along with
sophisticated permission settings, APIs, and
automated processes, collectively referred to as
the agX Platform. This platform creates a spatial
infrastructure for bridging precision ag hardware
and software o erings throughout the industry.
agX is the foundation for the most successful
precision ag programs in the industry. Moreover,
the agX Platform provides solutions to the
current issues publicized by the industry as well
as solutions to issues that new initiatives have
yet to address. The following pages will present
the foundational principles that guided the
development of agX and the solutions it provides
to move the entire agricultural industry forward.
The impact of precision ag continues to distinguish
it from the prior revolutions. Although the
products generated from the fi rst three—tractors,
fertilizers, pesticides,
and seed—interact on
the farm, their innovative
evolutions remained
fairly independent from
one another. The impact
from the fourth revolution
is distinctly di erent. Precision ag is becoming
the puppet master that is defi ning product
development and application across numerous
sectors of agriculture.
Current State of the IndustryThe unique role of precision ag and its future
impact across the market have been recognized
by industry leaders and farmers alike. Both see
the value in leveraging big data, along with the
possibilities of abuse. However, precision ag
has remained largely fragmented and confi ned
within specifi c seasonal practices, namely fertility
management, yield analysis, and variable rate
seeding.
The uptick in interest for utilizing temporal layers
of spatial data, such as weather and remote
sensing, to evaluate the current condition of a
crop continues to fuel the demand for a holistic
precision ag platform. Past e orts made by industry
leaders have resulted in hundreds of millions of
dollars being allocated to programs that ultimately
failed. These industry leaders are now turning to
data scientists to guide their next attempt, resulting
HEREIN LIES THE UNIQUENESS OF SITE-
SPECIFIC TECHNOLOGY—IT ARMS ONE WITH
THE INFORMATION NECESSARY TO MAXIMIZE
THE POTENTIAL MADE POSSIBLE BY THE PRIOR
THREE AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTIONS.
6
It has been said that without principles, one is like
a ship without a rudder that will change direction
with every shifting wind. Four core principles have
guided the evolution of agX—standardization,
synchronization, automation, and communication.
Though SST as an organization did not always
possess clarity on how these concepts would
extend beyond our own software applications,
by refusing to compromise these principles, we
have strategically positioned agX to become the
underlying spatial database platform for the entire
agriculture industry.
A brief introduction of each principle follows with
subsequent pages revisiting the complexity of each
concept from the realm of a spatial database, as
well as industry-wide, on-farm use.
Standardization: In order for multiple applications
to collect and share data on a consistent basis, all
data must be collected in a standardized format.
This standardization includes reference data as
well as spatial records, such as fi eld boundaries.
Synchronization: Synchronization with a central
data repository ensures that all data collected is
in adherence to agX standards and is available for
sharing among all agX compliant applications in a
seamless manner.
Automation: Once standardization and
synchronization are in place, repetitive human
interaction may be replaced with an e cient
automated processing of pre-defi ned tasks and the
creation of new algorithms based o of third party
o erings.
Communication: The prior principles make possible
the communication of necessary data among all
agX compliant software end users who have an
interest on a particular fi eld. This communication is
safe-guarded on a fi eld-basis through data-specifi c
permission settings.
Guiding Principles of agX THE CONCEPTS BEHIND A PROVEN SOLUTION
Standardization, Synchronization, Automation, and Communication—these have become our guiding principles for the development of the agX Platform, enabling us to provide a proven solution to the challenges facing precision agriculture today.
PRINCIPLE 2SYNCHRONIZATION
PRINCIPLE 1STANDARDIZATION
PRINCIPLE 3AUTOMATION
PRINCIPLE 4COMMUNICATION
agX Principles
7
TEAMWORK REQUIRES COMMUNICATION
Growers, agronomists, service providers, seed salesmen, GIS specialists, insurance agents—multiple parties and technologies are involved during the crop production cycle. Standardization, synchronization, and automation enable communication of need-to-know information between parties that have a working relationship concerning a particular fi eld.
8
Two things will doom an agricultural GIS from the
outset—lack of expertise and haste. The former
is naïve to the factors which link how production
farming is executed in the fi eld with how that data
can be consumed and processed. The latter ignores
the architecture and rules that must be set in place
(spatial and content standardization) for a truly
scalable, industry-wide platform.
At the core of agX are the schemas. This database
architecture begins to defi ne the “language of
agriculture.” The motivation behind the design
of agX schemas came from the success pains
SST experienced by operating within a restrictive,
desktop-based system. Soon after the turn of the
century, SST Software’s requests for processed
acres began to increase exponentially. Employees
worked seven days a week to process the requests
yet still struggled to keep up.
Building on the past years of experience, SST’s
system architects returned to the drawing board
to create an e cient solution to meet the growing
demand. The result was FarmRite®, a cloud-
based, automated processing engine that works
in conjunction with the desktop application SST
Summit®. Today, FarmRite processes more acres
by mid-morning than a roomful of employees
processed in one month, working 12-hour days,
seven days a week.
Though the necessity of automation was a driving
force for the creation of what would become the
agX Platform, SST’s focus on combining multiple
spatial and temporal layers of farm data to create
new information products guided the architecture
of the underlying schemas. Though only a few
players in the industry realized the future potential
of “Big Data“ to assist both farmers and ag service
providers, our mentality toward aggregate analysis
across multiple fi elds and seasons necessitated
strict rules for data collection on many levels.
As an example, for advanced analysis to be
possible, the crop, seed company, hybrid/variety,
and seeding rate must be known. This data must
be collected in a standardized format across all
fi elds and structured so that the relationships
of each attribute are understood. Without the
use of pre-defi ned picklists to aid on-farm data
collection, removing intense human interaction in
order to standardize collected data becomes all but
impossible.
The following pages will look at the types of
standardization necessary to ensure the success of
an agricultural spatial data repository.
DATA SCHEMASDEFINING THE LANGUAGE OF AGRICULTURE
Space and time—they are the underlying metadata which defi ne the blueprint of an agricultural Geographic Information System (GIS). Th e logic of how data are structured and the physical capacities of how it is stored are the two critical factors that will determine the longevity of precision ag off erings. If the proper rules are not defi ned at the outset, spatial and temporal analysis will be critically hampered.
In order for a big data ag platform to be a
success, two levels of understanding must
guide its development. The fi rst is a 30,000
foot view of future potential and value. The
second is a fi eld level understanding of farming.
First, the platform providers must have an idea
of what kinds of information products may
be generated via aggregate analysis that will
aid crop production, minimize fi nancial risk,
lessen environmental impact, and encourage
the creation of new markets wtihin the
industry. This part comes easily and with much
excitement.
Second, the platform providers must have an
intimate understanding of the farming process
and the spatial data that is collected. This is
the oft ignored, di cult part that will lead to the
downfall of big data e orts.
Proposed big data e orts that aim to compete
with agX do not think small enough. Most
farm data will be correlated back to yield
and as-applied data, which consist of small
(approximately 20x8 foot) swaths across a fi eld.
It is these small, defi ning polygons to which
other data must statistically adhere. Big data
companies that are accustomed to interpolating
data based on miles must think smaller or they
will quickly be shunned by the industry.
THE SMALL PROBLEMOF BIG DATA
20x8
10
While proper data schemas are valuable in their
own right, without standardization across inputs,
the ability to process vast amounts of data into
valuable information products will be severely
hampered. Furthermore, without standardization,
any notion of a central spatial data repository
becomes little more than an online storage service.
Standardization must be addressed for reference
data and spatial standards. Guidelines enforcing
standardization are what ultimately allow multiple
applications to collect and share data on a
consistent basis, ensure that quality data are
collected, protect against multiple datasets on the
same geography, and make aggregate analysis
possible.
Surrounding the core layer of schemas, the second
layer of the agX Platform is composed of reference
data that covers all operations occurring across
a production agriculture fi eld. Due to its dynamic
nature, the reference data is updated on a daily
basis with database updates released about
30 times a year. Most of the catalogued data
corresponds with the United States and Canada,
with rapid progress being made in Australia, Brazil,
and South Africa.
Through the agX Content API, agX compliant
companies are able to have users select inputs
from standardized picklists instead of manually
inputting data. Be it a crop scouting collection app,
soil test lab, or in-cab yield monitor, everyone who
is agX compliant collects data in a uniform manner.
Spatial standards must also govern an industry-
wide platform. agX compliant partners concur that
production agriculture is inherently spatial and
should be treated as such. That means that all data
is collected in a geo-spatial manner.
agX sets forth spatial rules that ensure quality
spatial data is maintained. Spatial integrity starts at
the most basic level, the fi eld boundary, to ensure
that boundary polygons do not intersect, overlap,
or have bowties. Other rules govern polygon record
collection as well as adherence to ESRI shapefi le
specifi cations.
Rules that defi ne spatial integrity are extended to
fi eld boundary identifi cation, grower identifi cation,
boundary hierarchy, permission settings, and the
intersection of data with fi eld boundaries.
STANDARDIZATIONCREATING SPATIAL INFRASTRUCTURE: STEP ONE
Th e ability to display a map of raw collected data often plays a game of smoke and mirrors with true GIS functionality. Because other precision ag platforms lack standardization, moving beyond a mere map in order to extract valuable information becomes an intensely manual process. Many companies are just now standing at the bridge SST Software crossed 15 years ago.
11
THE STANDARDIZATIONSOLUTION
Standardization is in the DNA of agX. Th is concept was understood over 15 years ago and has evolved into a set of defi ned rules that must be adhered to in order to benefi t from an industry-wide spatial data repository.
MILLION UNIQUE ACRES
Over 90 million unique acres are currently agX compliant with an average of one million new acres added per month. Th e fi eld boundaries that govern these acres are assigned a Globally Unique Identifi cation (GUID) number that associates data to that specifi c fi eld. Diff erent parties with a common interest on a fi eld (fertility management, crop scouting, harvesters, insurance agents, etc.) may access the common fi eld boundary, apply collected data, and share the data through various permission settings. When a fi eld boundary is edited, the edits are applied across all systems so that all parties continue to share a common defi nition of a fi eld boundary.
THOUSAND REFERENCE ITEMS
Was the tillage method recorded as a “disk” or “disc?” How were the varieties of planting recorded: “Dekalb 60-09” or “DK6009” or “DKC 60 09?” Small nuances are a major hindrance to a database. agX Content is a database of nearly 100,000 farm operations, tasks, and task attributes, providing users with standardization across crop inputs, planting, scouting operations, pest control, harvesting, and much more. agX Content ensures that data is collected in a uniform way across multiple parties and from season-to-season. Via the agX Content API, manufacturers of software and hardware applications can utilize the agX reference database.
+93 +96agX Common Field Boundary agX Content
12
The transfer of data from system to system has
long been a pain point of precision farming.
Import/Export formats frequently change; there
is no adherence to spatial or content standards;
and some organizations unsuccessfully attempt to
retain users with closed-system formats.
Recent API integrations between partnering
companies have helped speed up data exchange
between applications. Though API integration
seems superior to manually exchanging a stand-
alone data fi le, the expanding API web will soon
burden the industry‘s progress. In order to share
data seamlessly between users and applications,
the industry needs a central spatial data repository
that organizes and stores spatial data.
The agX Central Spatial Repository ensures that
all data is both standardized and in sync with
compliant users and applications. Without both
spatial and content standardization, syncing data
between systems will remain tedious, and a central
repository will become little more than an online
storage facility.
A central spatial data repository addresses the
issues of standardization, provides safe storage and
security of fi eld information, and protects against
third-party abuse.
Governing the data repository are user-based
permission settings. The administrators of data
layers (fertility, planting, scouting, as-applied, yield,
etc.) can specify what users or algorithms may
access, view, edit, or share layers of data. This
means growers can allow organizations to access
parts of their data for product calculations without
exposing their data to abuse.
A central spatial data repository ensures that
all users are accessing a synchronized data set.
When a change is made on a fi eld, such as an
edited fi eld boundary, that change is synced
across all users and devices that have a working
interest on that fi eld. In an industry that preaches
the goal of information analytics but remains one
of fragmented datasets, the agX Central Spatial
Repository is the only viable solution to the market.
CENTRAL SPATIAL REPOSITORYCREATING SPATIAL INFRASTRUCTURE: STEP TWO
Collect data. Structure data. Access data. Analyze data. Th e fi rst and last—collection and analysis—will forge innovation and generate many industry-wide product off erings. However, data structure and access must conform to a central spatial repository that ensures standardization and permission-based synchronization across all collection and analysis applications.
13
NON-CENTRALIZED API WEB
Th ere are industry eff orts that propose each company in the market share data through open APIs. While the initial data exchange seems superior to using USB thumb drives, the improvement complicates an existing problem. By each company creating independent APIs, the resulting web of APIs may entangle users and software developers in a frustrating and unusable solution. Without standardization, every API transaction would require human interaction to address spatial integrity issues, and data synchronization would be severely hampered.
CENTRAL SPATIAL REPOSITORY
agX incorporates a central spatial repository. agX compliant partners use the agX APIs to synchronize data to and from the central repository. Th is ensures that all data is standardized both spatially and in regard to content. When an application needs a particular type of data (yield, weather, fertility, etc.), that data is already available within the system. Access to that data is dependent on permission settings set in place by the administrator of the data. Th is one-to-many approach drastically reduces development overhead and human interaction.
Data Exchange: Dirt Roads vs. Super HighwaysWhere there is solid infrastructure, there is progress.
Current integration techniques are akin to traveling down a dirt road. Th e journey is slow and bumpy. Standardization supporting a central repository plays a key role in creating the infrastructure for a spatial super highway. Th is spatial super highway allows for quick and easy integration among users and devices, thus creating a digital ecosystem for a precision ag application marketplace.
14
In order for multiple software providers to collect and store data in a standardized manner the agX Platform provides a host of APIs. Th ese APIs facilitate the collection and management of data across independent applications. Th e security protocols and user-based permission settings govern what data may be accessed by an application or specifi c user.
Standardization from fi eld-to-fi eld and season-to-season is maintained by applications accessing the agX Content API. This API not only contains reference data for corresponding with the core data schemas but also defi nes standards pertaining to structure of fi eld operations, tasks, and task attributes. Now pushing over 100,000 reference entries, new content updates are published every few weeks. Currently, content covers the United States and Canada, with rapid progress being made in Australia, Brazil, and South Africa.
agX Content API
APIs
agX APIsPORTALS TO INTEGRATION
When a fi eld boundary is created or edited, it is assigned a globally unique identifi cation
(GUID) with a corresponding time stamp. The Common Field Boundary (CFB) API
standardizes boundaries by allowing agX compliant applications to work from the same
boundary fi le. If a boundary is edited, the edits are applied across all applications. The
CFB ensures spatial integrity by not allowing fi elds to be added that have bow ties or
break other basic polygon rules.
agX Common Field Boundary API
All applications that are agX compliant use the agX Sync API to synchronize fi eld data
with the central repository. The agX Sync API is the gatekeeper that ensures data
standards are being maintained while adhering to strict, permission-based security
protocols.
agX Sync API
®
15
FarmRite® is the automated data processing engine used for the production of high-
end analysis and information reports. Because FarmRite acts as an “IP Vault,” security
is provided for both the service provider and farmer. The sophistication that makes
FarmRite possible is the central spatial data repository governed by the standardization
protocols of agX Content, agX Common Field Boundaries, and agX Sync. FarmRite
has successfully processed tens of millions of acres of nutrient applications, seeding
recommendations, and statistical information reports.
FarmRite API
The Megasurface API provides a solution for third party applications that wish to
utilize agX yet perform spatial analysis and create recommendations within their own
application environment. Using the Megasurface API, a developer can request specifi c
data elements (soil types, fertility, NDVI, yield, etc.) at a defi ned resolution. agX will then
pass a surface containing the requested data that can run on a third party application.
When the third party application has performed the analysis on the megasurface and
created new recommendations, the new surfaces may be passed back to the agX spatial
data repository. By implementing the Megasurface API, organizations are relieved
from the overhead of developing a sophisticated GIS engine yet may still o er valuable
analysis applications to the industry.
Megasurface API
Enterprise Data Services (EDS) allows corporate IT to access collected data for use in
their custom backend environments. This high-end solution uses Amazon Web Services
(AWS) to extract and transfer data to a third-party enterprise environment. Legal and
technical contracts specify the accessible types of data, how users grant access to their
data, and the frequency of data transfer. The data transfer protocol is communicated
through XML schema using the Well-Known Text (WKT) geospatial markup language.
Enterprise Data Services API
Other agX APIs in planned or various development phases are the agX Weather API for current, historical, and future crop modeling; the agX Communication Wall API for in-app interaction between various parties; and the Spatial Algorithmic Marketing (SAM) API for manufacturers to present product solutions when pre-defi ned environmental, biophysical, and agronomic conditions are met on the fi eld.
agX Imagery APIThe agX Imagery API allows users of an application to order on-demand multispectral
imagery from pre-approved imagery providers on a fi eld specifi c basis. Once an imagery
provider is selected and acquisition dates set, imagery is captured for the fi eld and
processed by the acquirer for multispectral products such as true-color, color infrared,
and NDVI. Processed imagery is then returned to the user‘s application via the agX Sync
API .
FarmRite® is the automated data processing engine used for the production of high-
end analysis and information reports. Because FarmRite acts as an “IP Vault,” security
is provided for both the service provider and farmer. The sophistication that makes
FarmRite possible is the central spatial data repository governed by the standardization
protocols of agX Content, agX Common Field Boundaries, and agX Sync. FarmRite
has successfully processed tens of millions of acres of nutrient applications, seeding
recommendations, and statistical information reports.
Data schemas, reference and spatial standards,
a central repository guarded by strict security
protocols and permission settings, APIs that not
only govern data standardization and exchange
but allow for automated agronomic processes—
this platform infrastructure will facilitate the next
generation of precision ag products and services.
No single precision ag software o ering, in and
of itself, can meet all the demands of the world’s
largest industry. Di erences in geography,
climate, crops, economy, governing laws, regional
approaches, and institutional traditions create
diversity from one agricultural program to another.
This diversity has become a hindrance to retailers
and ag service providers who are at the forefront of
applying precision ag techniques. However, these
industry leaders recognize not only the need for
customization but also the opportunity it creates.
Because the agX Platform acts as a spatial
super highway for data exchange, it creates
the opportunity for a marketplace of seamless
integration between product o erings. This allows
valuable niche products and service providers a
chance to gain exposure and use without incurring
massive infrastructure and startup costs.
With the barriers of time and cost for product
development drastically reduced, a new market
ecosystem for products and services is created.
This marketplace helps small companies gain
exposure whose marketing budgets may otherwise
leave them relatively unnoticed.
Because production agriculture is comprised
of a thousand niches and a million opinions,
the agX Platform enables service providers and
manufacturers to pursue the development of new
ideas and services with relatively low entry cost.
THIRD PARTY APPSOur Platform. Your Application.
Th e next big thing in precision ag is not variable rate seeding, weather, or drones. Th ough valuable, these components are simply part of the ongoing utilization of new data layers. Th e next radical evolution of precision ag is the ability for organizations, both small and large, to build customized applications that meet their specifi c needs and to seamlessly integrate those applications with others. Th is is made possible only through the spatial infrastructure provided via the agX Platform.
INTEGRATION OF EXPERTISE
THE NEXT AG MARKETPLACE
Th e following examples are situations of real companies with products and services that are either currently agX compliant or in the process.
17
User Interface. A small development organization specializes in building aesthetic user interface apps that display farm
operations on a “dashboard.” Becoming agX compliant allows them to concentrate on building beautiful user-interface applications
without the need for import/export formats or a robust GIS engine.
Scouting Reports. A top crop scouting organization creates a library of scouting reports that attracts the attention
of other scouting services. Th ey integrate an agX compliant application through which other scouting companies may purchase and
utilize their scouting report templates.
Service O erings. A small outfi t off ers regional soil sampling and imagery services. Being agX compliant means that
local growers and retailers are made aware of this service through the marketplace and can view ratings of past performance. When
agX compliant off erings need specifi c data types to complete their analysis, such as fertility or remote sensing imagery, a client may
order and schedule the services via local providers within the agX marketplace.
Niche Algorithms. A group of scientists specialize in water conservation using algorithms to correlate near infrared
imagery with plant water uptake and leaching. By integrating their equations into FarmRite’s IP logic vault, growers and service
providers may order an analysis on their fi elds if the necessary data layers are present.
Cross Company Algorithms. A university group creates a new company that specializes in the nitrogen
uptake of corn and creates in-season N recommendations for various growth stages. By integrating into their algorithms the new
leaching and uptake layers created from the previous example, growers or service providers may create advanced N recs for their
crops.
Hardware Controllers. When hardware controllers collect or apply farm operations, being agX compliant means
that the new layers of map data can be synced to the agX servers where pre-defi ned analytical processing of information products can
begin without tedious human interaction. Within minutes, growers and other service providers who have been granted permission
may view data reports of the fi elds within their agX compliant apps.
Insurance. A grower experiences crop damage from high winds. His insurance agent pulls up the farm and verifi es the
weather that intersected with the damaged fi elds. He then orders a color infrared aerial image of the damaged fi elds to help assess the
extent of damage. From his agX compliant app, the fi eld, imagery, and any necessary data is synced to the adjuster’s agX compliant
app. Th e adjuster verifi es that the imagery correctly shows approximately 40% of the crop has been severely damaged, and the report
is then seamlessly uploaded to the agency’s system for processing a payment.
Development Groups. Precision ag development groups of computer programmers who understand agriculture
and agX standards may off er development services to organizations who desire to develop agX compliant apps.
agX
Plat
form
PRI
MAR
Y LA
YERS
Reference Data
Central Repository
P
ermissions/Security
APIs
Schemas
Third Party Integrations
agX Platform Review
1. Spatial InfrastructureTh e fi rst layer of the agX Platform is comprised of data schemas. Th ese schemas are the “language of agriculture” that ensure we all share a common defi nition of farming operations and tasks. Associated with the schemas is a standardized database that supplies references for task attributes. Th e third layer is a central spatial data repository to which data records are synced and stored. Associated with this repository are spatial standards that ensure geospatial quality is maintained. Guarding the spatial repository are security protocols and permission settings that allow users to share data with trusted partners.
2. The Benefi tsTh e spatial infrastructure provided in the fi rst four layers of agX creates an environment for the automation of agronomic tasks such as fertilizer and seed recommendations. By anonymizing vast amounts of centrally located spatial data, insights can be generated that provide valuable insights for the farmer and his individual operation.
3. Third Party IntegrationA suite of agX APIs allow organizations to take advantage of the agX spatial infrastructure by integrating their own applications or custom equations for automated agronomic tasks. Via the APIs, third party applications may leverage SST Software’s existing customer base, standardized databases, automated task processing, and the future analytics engine.
4. Broad Market ExposureAn agX marketplace will allow applications to use and resell other applications. Th is provides broad market exposure and brings value to both the interface applications and the providers of equations for automated task processing.
A determining factor of an organization’s success is the premise from which it works to overcome an obstacle. From the beginning, SST Software believed that precision ag was inherently a spatial problem, that organizations should stay within their core competencies, and ultimately the farmer’s best interest must be kept in mind. Th ese premises, coupled with outstanding employees, have resulted in SST Software’s success.
THE SST SOFTWARE ADVANTAGE
When precision ag was barely more than a small
gathering of men exchanging ideas of what could
be, the founders of SST were there. Napkins
became whiteboards where ideas were sketched
to show the potential that GIS could bring to the
agricultural sector.
From the outset, SST insisted that precision
ag was inherently a spatial problem with an
agronomic application. Holding to this premise,
the company then acquired clients and strategic
partnerships with some of the industry‘s leading
crop consultancies, retailers, and service providers.
These partnerships guided SST‘s e orts in
developing features and applications that were
needed to best serve the farmer‘s interests.
Over the last two decades, SST has gained
credibility as the expert in structuring and
managing spatial data for the agriculture industry.
As its data framework, processes, and o erings
matured, infrastructure was formed that would
become known as “agX.”
Today, the agX Platform provides the spatial
infrastructure needed to support a digital
ecosystem of diverse, third party agricultural
applications. With existing clients spanning 23
countries and a proven record of automated task
processing across millions of acres, SST Software
believes its position as an existing market leader
will quicken the rate of adoption, making the agX
Platform the language of agriculture.
SST SOFTWARE STATS
20years in the
industry
Serving the Industry’s TopAg Service Providers
Clientsin 23
countries
90+million acres
fi eld boundaryfootprint
SST Software824 N. Country Club RoadStillwater, OK 74075(888) 377-5334www.sstsoftware.com
20