b'GLOBALGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATION SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN1 st 2 nd 3 rd 4 thPLACE PLACE PLACE PLACEGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATION SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN1 st 2 nd 3 rdPLACE PLACE PLACETurning Soil into Seed IntelligenceGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATION SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWNHow EarthOptics goes beneath the surface.By Aimee Nielson, Seed World U.S. Editor1 st 2 nd 3 rdPLACE PLACE PLACEWHEN IT COMES TOmaximizing yield, soil still holds secrets. EarthOptics is working to uncover them.Simply put, were a soil data company, CEO Lars Dyrud says. And we deliver soil data and the insights we derive from it to farmers and ranchers, but also sustainability stakeholders like carbon project developers and food and international aid companies and grocers.Since its founding in 2018and following GLOBAL INNOVA erGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONa 2024 merg TION SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWN SHOWDOWNwith Pattern AgDyrud says EarthOptics has built a technol-1 st 2 nd 3 rdogy platform that helps identify what lies beneath the surface: PLACE PLACE PLACEcompaction, nutrient flow, carbon levels and biological threats. The goal? Smarter seed placement, better trait performance minimizing input costs and vastly improving yields.Smarter Decisions Below GroundSoil is so incredibly variable, in every way possible, he says. So obviously the physical characteristics vary over pretty short scales. but biology, for example, can vary on scales of feet.To capture that complexity, EarthOptics uses sensor-based GLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATIONGLOBAL INNOVATION scanning to reduce the number of physical samples needed and SHOWDOWN EarthOptics technology in the field.SHOWDOWNSHOWDOWNmaximize the data pulled from each one. That data is layered 1 st 2 nd 3 rdwith DNA analysis to build detailed physical, chemical and bio- PLACE PLACEPLACElogical maps. He said its essentially focusing on protecting yield potential Being able to get the high-res map allows you to place fertil- while minimizing avoidable risks, such as placing a sensitive seed ity precisely where its needed and not place too much where itsin a high-risk field.not needed, Dyrud says. Norgate adds: These are all decisions farmers are making EarthOptics chief product officer Cam Norgate says thoseevery year, but oftentimes theyre making their kind of a guess, maps now inform a new level of accuracy for seed rate prescrip- right? Its their best guess. and now they can actually know.tions and crop plans. You really want to make that based on a deep understandingA Partner, Not Just a Toolof how your soil types vary, how that fertility and water is flowingEarthOptics works closely with seed companies and sees its throughout that field, he explains. platform as a natural fit for reps in the field.So, we see ourselves fundamentally as beinga partner to Data That Protects Yield the seed company and their reps. effectively a new, valuable EarthOptics goes beyond seed rate precision; it helps protecttool in their tool kit, Norgate says.seed genetics from invisible risks. Some seed companies are already equipping their reps with Our biological data allows us to have insight into the risksbaseline tools from EarthOptics, enabling them to create seed and opportunities that seed is going to face next season thatprescriptions using remote sensing and regional biological data. weve never had before, Norgate says. Youre really making kindFrom there, they can dig deeperliterallywith full field scans of a decision on which seed has a great yield potential.and DNA-based analysis.JUNE 2025SEEDWORLD.COM /17'