Download Bayer bolsters digital farming through acquisition of software

Digitalization increases agricultural efficiency and sustainability
Bayer bolsters digital farming through acquisition of software
provider proPlant
IT products help farmers further optimize resource deployment
Monheim, February 15, 2016 – Bayer has acquired the plant health diagnosis and
infection level warning service provider proPlant Gesellschaft für Agrar- und
Umweltinformatik mbH. The acquisition continues the expansion of Bayer’s activities in
the field of agricultural digitalization. The company based in Münster in North-Rhine
Westphalia, Germany, was originally established as a spin-off by employees of the
Institute for Geoinformatics at Münster University. It will operate as Bayer Digital Farming
GmbH in the future.
“The acquisition of proPlant will extend our technology platform, on the basis of which we
are developing new digital solutions for sustainable, resource-efficient agricultural
production,” said Liam Condon, member of the Board of Management of Bayer AG and
head of the Crop Science Division. “Digitalization can give farmers timely, field-specific
information, from selecting the right crop varieties and finding the right fertilizer dose as
accurately as possible through to determining the ideal time for crop protection measures
and recognizing plant stress factors at an early stage,” he explained.
Bayer Digital Farming GmbH develops and markets IT solutions for the European
agricultural sector. In particular, the company markets optimization solutions for plant
protection applications for almost all major arable crops. The Managing Director of Bayer
Digital Farming GmbH is Andree-Georg Girg, most recently global Crop Manager
Oilseeds at Bayer. Financial details were not disclosed.
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To continue some existing activities of proPlant that are not relevant for Bayer, a new
company has been established by its partners operating under the name proPlant Agrarund Umweltinformatik GmbH. Thomas Volk has been appointed Managing Director of this
company.
Digital Farming at Bayer
Bayer provides farmers all over the world with practical decision-making aids based on
the precise evaluation and combination of diverse data such as weather data or
topographic maps. Using these individualized recommendations, farmers can optimize
their business management and lower costs, leading not only to higher yields and
therefore an improved income but also more efficient and environmentally compatible
deployment of resources. Bayer plans to strengthen its activities in the future market of
digital farming through further strategic investments, and is committed to long-term
research and development collaborations with leading technology providers.
Satellite images for optimized management of specific sub-plots
Arable land can vary considerably even within one and the same parcel of land,
depending on the topography, type of soil and soil-related supply of water and nutrients to
the plants, all of which have repercussions for their biomass.
Last year, in view of this situation, Bayer acquired the Zoner geoinformation system from
IntelMax, Calgary, Canada (https://zoner.bayer.com) to be able to give farmers specific
recommendations for action for individual sub-plots. The transaction means that, in
addition to agricultural IT specialists, Bayer now also has innovative software that can be
used for the evaluation and graphic representation of the satellite images of selected
agricultural areas in Canada, the United States, Brazil, France, Germany, Ukraine and
Russia taken over a 30-year period.
Bayer translates these basic data into practice-relevant and usable decision-making tools
which farmers can employ for soil management and to plan and efficiently organize their
use of seed varieties and crop protection products. The individualized recommendations
can be transmitted directly to the farmer’s agricultural machinery. As such, geoinformation
systems play an important role in sustainable agriculture. Bayer plans to offer its
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customers further digital services in future in order to drive forward the digitalization of
farming and sustainable agriculture.
Bayer: Science For A Better Life
Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health
care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and
improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through
innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of
sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate
citizen. In fiscal 2014, the Group employed around 119,000 people and had sales of EUR
42.2 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.5 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 3.6
billion. These figures include those for the high-tech polymers business, which was
floated on the stock market as an independent company named Covestro on October 6,
2015. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.
Note to editors:
A print-quality photo can be downloaded from the internet at www.press.bayer.de.
Contact:
Utz Klages, Tel. +49 2173 38-3125
E-Mail: [email protected]
kgs
(2016-0013E)
Forward-Looking Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on current assumptions and forecasts made by Bayer
management. Various known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors could lead to material differences
between the actual future results, financial situation, development or performance of the company and the estimates
given here. These factors include those discussed in Bayer’s public reports which are available on the Bayer website at
www.bayer.com. The company assumes no liability whatsoever to update these forward-looking statements or to
conform them to future events or developments.
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