client case

PhenoVation

Fully fledged solutions for large-scale phenotyping and quality control processes in the agrochemical sector.

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As a manufacturer of camera systems for phenotyping, PhenoVation launched a low-code solution to support data-driven plant research. Supported by USoft’s experience in building modular software, this solution is the first of its kind in the agrochemical sector, creating a unique position for PhenoVation. Customers can take measurements faster and more objectively than ever, and the low-code application provides a major improvement in efficiency in processing crop photos. The cutting-edge combination of cameras and software enables large-scale agrochemical research.

The challenge

PhenoVation supplies cameras that make diverse types of images, achieving plant assessment far beyond the limits of human vision. To support researchers in understanding the effects of numerous factors on various plant species, the company needed a solution that could rank and analyze large volumes of sensor data in real time. The goal: for researchers to easily access their field data, quickly analyze the results, and determine the best strategy for their crop research.

Crop assessment

Automate crop image assessment & analysis

The highly specialized camera systems that PhenoVation supplies produce crop images of treated plants, which are then continuously assessed by plant breeders for a variety of characteristics.
Image-based crop assessment is time-consuming and subjective, requiring years of experience. Automating this process yields great potential for efficiency and quality of plant research.

Complex factors

Environmental conditions also need to be monitored

The potential success of a specific plant variety is determined not only by the variety but also by the conditions in which a crop grows: the soil, the amount of water and light, the nutrition administered, pests, or plant diseases that are common in certain regions.
PhenoVation’s customers in the agrochemical sector must account for many different factors in meaningful ways.

Acceleration

Desire for disruptive solutions

Moving forward from its early days as a start-up, PhenoVation is now flourishing and ready to take the next steps.
Rather than manually encoding crop photos in various documents, PhenoVation aimed to automate image processing and analysis by developing a comprehensive solution.

Why PhenoVation chose USoft

Relevant expertise
USoft had the necessary experience in building modular and complex software solutions at a high industrial level.

Read about Why USoft
Low-code
No need for PhenoVation to maintain a large team of software developers in-house; USoft’s low-code platform based on business rules made it all possible to implement the solution quickly and rapidly respond to changing customer requirements.

Read more about Low-code Development
Advanced automation
The USoft approach supported PhenoVation’s ambitions to move away from manual image processing and analysis. The result: significant improvements in efficiency and quality of day-to-day plant research processes.

“This low-code project is groundbreaking for the industry. There is a great need for a one-key solution. USoft’s experience in the modular construction of software at a high industrial level is therefore especially useful. With our expertise, we reinforce one another. I therefore have great confidence in our cooperation and expect that we have a lot to offer this market.”

Vincent Jalink

Technical sales manager at PhenoVation

The solution

The high-tech, plug-and-play camera systems supplied by PhenoVation are easy to use and easy to integrate into large-scale automated phenotyping systems. And with the low-code phenotyping solution developed on the USoft low-code platform, PhenoVation can now offer the agrochemical sector a state-of-the-art solution for image-based phenotyping.

Groundbreaking

The cooperation between USoft and PhenoVation resulted in the first low-code phenotyping solution in the agrochemical sector, used by plant growers in combination with the company’s high-tech crop imaging systems.

Automated ranking

PhenoVation’s customers can now use the images produced by the camera systems to automatically rank and analyze large numbers of crop photos in real time.

Rapid strategic analysis

Applying multiple AI pipelines to analyze the growth effects of plant treatments, results can now be analyzed quickly, supporting plant growers in determining the best strategy and supporting ongoing research.

The results

Turnkey delivery
Thanks to USoft, the imaging systems delivered by PhenoVation come fully equipped with analysis software, enabling customers to measure photosynthesis efficiency, chlorophyll absorption, morphology, and color details.
Strongly improved efficiency and performance
The low-code application achieves major improvements in image processing efficiency and consistency. Analysis is now performed 10X faster and for 30,000 samples+ a day, with an 80% decrease in error margins.
Reliable information access & data quality
PhenoVation’s customers can access continuous progress updates on crop surveys and projects, ensuring a single and user-friendly source of information that is always up-to-date and can be consulted anywhere.