Glas Data: Powering farming using big data

Field Boundaries will provide users of Glas Data’s GlasCore tool with a simpler way to manage, access and analyse the data they need to improve decision making

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Agritech business Glas Data is one of Agrimetrics longest-standing clients. They’re mission is to tackle fragmentation in the agriculture supply chain, by pulling together disparate data to form a clear and visual picture of the food supply chain which can be used by farmers and businesses to improve decision making. To accomplish this, they use Agrimetrics data-linked Field Boundaries.

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Frustrated by the siloed and fragmented datasets available to farmers and retailers in the food supply chain, Glas Data is working on making this data more accessible. The team is creating highly visual, easy to navigate software that provides genuine insight to farmers, processors and retailers across the food supply chain. This insight is enabling retailers to better plan resources and reduce waste, whilst enabling farmers to make more effective decisions and increase efficiencies.

To some, it may seem that Glas Data is a competitor to Agrimetrics but the two businesses work in very different ways, as Glas Data co-founder Rob Sanders explains:

“Whilst Agrimetrics is an expert in collecting and managing large datasets and the resulting analytics, Glas Data focuses on making this data accessible to end-users. We present the data in an easy to use format so that stakeholders can collect the value and insight.”

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Robert Sanders

Co-founder, Glas Data

Agrimetrics provides the majority of the rich agricultural data that sits behind the front-end systems that Glas Data develops. The data includes historical information such as field usage and weather patterns, as well as predictive modelling algorithms such as rainfall, soil health and viable crop rotation patterns. When combined with Glas Data’s own datasets, Agrimetrics helps to power a comprehensive data management tool. Farmers can upload their own data to create a comprehensive view of their farm and its future potential and retailers can also access the insights to monitor the entire supply chain.

Glas Data and Agrimetrics are becoming a part of a large ecosystem of businesses sharing and combining data and this is the beginning of the agricultural sector becoming a data-rich industry.

Field Boundaries provide a simpler way to manage, access and analyse data

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Glas Data’s GlasCore will use Agrimetrics data-linked field boundaries to present information in a more useful and user-friendly way for their customers

Glas Data will be one of the first clients to have access to the new Agrimetrics Field Boundaries. This product uses satellite imagery combined with advanced machine-learning algorithms to map over 2.8 million fields across the UK. Agritech companies such as Glas Data can combine this product with many other datasets to form a complete picture of each field. Farmers, retailers and processors can use tools such as GlasCore to choose their fields with just a few clicks. Then, by pulling in data such as historical weather patterns and predictive models they can make accurate and intelligent decisions about each field at a granular level.

“Real value and real productivity boosts will only be achieved through mass analytics and realisation,” continues Sanders. “Agrimetrics makes it easy for us to integrate the data by providing datasets in API format. This applies to the new Field Boundaries product too. This new product will bring a new level of intelligence and accessibility to valuable datasets enabling us to provide an unparalleled level of insight.”

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About Agrimetrics

Agrimetrics is one of four agri-tech centres at the heart of the UK Government’s Agricultural Technologies strategy. Our mission is to catalyse innovation in the sector through the use of big data and advanced analytics. We do this by providing easy and affordable access to data, a platform for sharing and connecting complex data, and our own data science and AI expertise. You can read more about our work here.

About the four centres
The Agri-Tech Centres are a unique collaboration between Government, academia and industry to drive greater efficiency, resilience and wealth across the agrifood sector. A £90m investment from the UK’s strategic innovation agency (Innovate UK) is enabling the Centres to harness leading UK research and expertise as well as build new infrastructures and innovation.

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