Sentera, an innovative agriculture start-up specializing in scalable precision ag solutions, has officially announced the launch of an Early Access Program, which will see the company linking up with major agribusinesses and farmers to preview Aerial WeedScout, Sentera’s advanced precision weed management solution. Assuming the effort pans out just the way it is envisioned, it will help the company collect valuable feedback and build momentum for the 2025 commercial release of its breakthrough technology. Talk about Sentera’s Aerial WeedScout technology for a second, it is designed to deliver precise, plant-level data and targeted herbicide prescriptions within 24 hours, prescriptions that can be executed through any precision sprayer. Once executed, the stated component is to aid the farmer in optimizing chemistry choice and volume for maximum savings, while simultaneously maintaining broadcast-equivalent weed control. In essence, the technology is understood to practice a “sense then act” strategy to deliver unprecedented value at the disposal of farmers. This involves handing them an access of scalable and actionable insights across the crop season, thus effortlessly supplying all data which is necessary to refine and elevate the effectiveness of their full-season weed management program. Such data, like you can guess, eventually goes on to enhance the overall efficiency and profitability of their operations. To offer some context regarding the technology’s potential, it can help farmers detect weeds as small as 0.25 inches within their fields.
“At Sentera, we’ve invested significantly in precision georeferencing technology, high-resolution imagery, and deep learning algorithms to build and commercialize a remote-sensing platform that will redefine weed management and achieve rapid ROI for farmers,” said Brian Wenngatz, CEO of Sentera. “We want to empower farmers and their advisors to take action based on timely, detailed field-level insights, not assumptions. With Aerial WeedScout, we’re able to cover acres at a rate comparable to a full-speed sprayer while pinpointing weed size and locations with incredible precision — quickly helping farmers with weed management decisions based on field data.”
Coming back to Sentera’s Early Access Program, it will markedly prioritize collaborations with a vast set of the industry’s leading multinational inputs companies, equipment providers, retailers, and select farmers. You see, in totality, this group will represent more than two-thirds of the U.S. corn and soybean seed market and more than half of the U.S. agricultural equipment market. With these partners, the program will cover an estimated 10,000 acres across IA, IL, MN, ND, and SD.
Founded in 2014, Sentera’s rise up prominence stems from providing time-sensitive agricultural insights that, on their part, help customers optimize decisions and improve outcomes. Currently being used by more than 80% of growers and their advisors throughout North America, the company’s clientele also caters to needs of agronomists, seed retailers, as well as supply chain managers.
“As we evaluate channel strategies for Aerial WeedScout, collaborations with experienced industry leaders who already recognize the transformative impact of our technology on the economics and sustainability of weed management are helping us better understand how to deliver maximum grower benefit,” said Eric Taipale, CTO of Sentera. “The overwhelming response from our partners demonstrates broad industry interest and demand for more accessible precision solutions for farmers to help address challenges like herbicide resistance and more stringent regulatory controls.”
