Innovator Interview: Ariel Zajdband (Trace Genomics, Planet) On AgTech

We recently got the chance to sit down with Ariel Zajdband — one of our wonderful clients from his Trace Genomics days, now presiding as the Agriculture SME for Planet. 

As someone who’s advised on improving farming operations with both micro and macro data, Ariel’s perspective is always insightful. Here are a few of the highlights from the interview.

Smarter Crop Financials Fueled By Data

Headstorm CEO Lawrence King points out that his clients in the financial sector are leveraging soil data as a way to quantify yield predictions, which leads to better lending terms for growers and a de-escalation of risk for the banks.

Ariel offers up that the key relationship here is not just in giving farmers this data, but in streamlining operational efficiencies so that farmers don’t have to dig into it at all.

Satellite Data: Top Use Cases For Farmers

Ariel keys in on the benefits of hands-off data collection & processing, especially in larger farms where there just aren’t enough eyes for manual oversight, let alone trend-building. This is known as direct scouting. 

Another interesting use case lies in Variable Rate Application (VRA), where satellite data can inform farmers or programs where to spray coverage material like fungicides for the optimal crop yield.

Satellite Insights: The Future State

Ariel speaks to the coming opportunities borne by advancements in satellite imagery resolution & frequency (e.g. going from weekly to daily data). Use cases include pasture management, yield estimation, and more. In many cases, the benefits are simply built on operationalizing the advantage of a macro view on crops.

Thanks again to Ariel Zajdband for his insights. We’re always happy to sit down with our clients and inform the market so that collectively, we can all engineer growth. Got something to say? Get in touch with your Headstorm project lead, or contact us here.