Syngenta and the Analytics Society of INFORMS announced the launch of the 2019 Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics. Operations research and data analytics students and professionals worldwide are invited to enter, using real-world crop data to develop models assessing the ability of corn hybrids to optimize water.
Now in its fourth consecutive year, the Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics is a collaborative effort between Syngenta and the Analytics Society of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS). The premise of the competition, which brings together experts in mathematics, agriculture and big data, underscores the cross-industry collaboration needed to feed a growing population with limited natural resources.
“The Syngenta Crop Challenge gives data analytics experts a chance to use their skills to address global challenges, such as improving water optimization in crops,” says Gregory Doonan, head of novel algorithm advancement, Syngenta. “Water is the biggest limiting factor to growing a successful crop, and developing plants that can optimize the use of available water throughout the season is a significant area of study within the industry. Syngenta has seen great success in developing water-optimized crops—like our Agrisure Artesian corn hybrids in the U.S. However, drought is a complex stress, and the industry must continue to innovate in this space.”
Entries will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on the rigor and validity of the process and the quality of the proposed solution. The deadline for entries is January 18, 2019. Finalists will be announced in March and given the opportunity to present their submissions in April at the 2019 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics & Operations Research in Austin, Texas. The winner will be awarded $5,000; the runner-up will receive $2,500, and the third place entry will receive $1,000.
Established in 2015, the Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics is supported by Syngenta and hosted by the Analytics Society of INFORMS. It is funded by prize winnings donated by Syngenta, in connection with the company’s win of the Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Operations Research and the Management Sciences in 2015.
The competition exemplifies Syngenta’s commitment to make crops more efficient — an essential pillar of The Good Growth Plan, Syngenta’s global initiative to improve the sustainability of agriculture.
