Key Takeaways
- Expansion of LENS Technology: Picketa Systems has added canola to its Leaf Evaluated Nutrient System (LENS), building on previous success with potatoes and corn.
- AI-Driven Nutrient Analysis: The LENS platform uses AI-driven pattern matching to measure 13 nutrient concentrations in under a minute, providing real-time data for farmers.
- Global Collaboration: Field trials in North and South America, including a partnership with Hi-Tech Seed Productions in Chile, have refined the canola model for accurate nutrient analysis.
- Industry Support and Partnerships: Early adopters from Saskatchewan’s farming community and a pilot collaboration with Cargill in Camrose, Alberta are advancing real-time nutrient analysis adoption.
- Sustainable Farming Benefits: The LENS system enables data-driven fertilizer applications, reducing over-fertilization and improving yield potential for broadacre crops like canola.
Picketa Systems Integrates Canola into LENS Platform for Enhanced Nutrient Management
Picketa Systems, a Canadian-based agricultural technology company, is expanding its Leaf Evaluated Nutrient System (LENS) platform to include canola, advancing precision nutrient management for broadacre crops. Initially developed for potatoes, and later expanded to corn in 2024, the LENS platform now supports canola growers across North America.
Advancing AI-Driven Nutrient Analysis in Canola
The LENS system utilizes pattern-matching AI to analyze leaf structure and determine 13 nutrient concentrations in less than a minute. Unlike traditional lab testing, which can be slow and costly, LENS provides instant results, allowing farmers and agronomists to make timely, data-driven decisions.
Picketa’s journey to expand into canola began in November 2023, when the company partnered with Hi-Tech Seed Productions to collect essential data in Chile. Through extensive field trials across North and South America, the team has gathered lab-validated samples to ensure highly accurate nutrient readings tailored to canola’s specific requirements.
“We were happy to collaborate and support Picketa in their efforts to validate real-time tissue analysis with their LENS technology in canola,” said Scott Horner, Chief Commercial Officer of Hi-Tech Seed Productions. “We see Picketa’s LENS as a key tool for ourselves and any producer who wants to fine-tune fertility in-season to maximize yield from every acre of canola.”
Real-Time Nutrient Insights for Canola Growers
The addition of canola to the LENS platform provides real-time nutrient data that was previously unavailable to broadacre farmers. Picketa’s AI models, built on two seasons’ worth of data, are performing at parity with the initial potato and corn models, providing confidence in LENS’s ability to analyze canola reliably by 2025.
The Initial Canola Model is optimized for:
- Typical agronomic conditions – performs best on standard canola crops.
- Mid-range nutrient levels – ensuring accuracy for most commercial growing environments.
- Continuous improvement – ongoing user feedback and lab validation will refine the model for greater accuracy in diverse soil and weather conditions.
LENS also features built-in outlier detection, identifying unusual nutrient patterns that may require additional lab sampling to improve model calibration.
Industry Support and Strategic Partnerships
Picketa’s technology has gained early adoption from Saskatchewan’s canola farming community, with angel investors like Jesse Wiebe and Chris Nykolaishen recognizing its potential for in-season crop nutrition optimization.
“Real-time tissue analysis will create new opportunities to help a deficient crop that never existed before,” said Chris Nykolaishen, a Saskatchewan-based canola farmer. “Picketa’s LENS technology will help our canola crops reach their yield potential for factors within our control.”
Pilot Collaboration Between Picketa Systems & Cargill
As part of its continued growth, Picketa Systems has partnered with Cargill to pilot LENS technology at a Cargill location in Camrose, Alberta. The collaboration aims to evaluate how real-time nutrient data can:
- Enhance agronomic decision-making.
- Improve fertilizer efficiency and sustainability.
- Support Cargill’s 4R Nutrient Stewardship program, optimizing nutrient use efficiency.
“Cargill is committed to advancing sustainable and profitable farming solutions, and we see great potential in Picketa’s LENS technology,” said Glenn Houser, Crop Inputs Leader for Cargill’s Ag & Trading business in Canada. “This pilot will help us better understand how real-time nutrient analysis can support our growers in making data-backed decisions throughout the season.”
Cargill’s pilot program will explore farmer adoption, providing hands-on field sampling demonstrations to showcase LENS’s capabilities.
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