Grainswest - Tech 2026

Tech 2026 grainswest.com 11 BY GEOFF GEDDES $2 billion in ag tech by 2030. FCC also intends to attract $5 billion from addi- tional Canadian investors. “It’s exciting to gather aligned technolo- gies across the country and help pinpoint those that will have the most impact for Canadian producers,” said Keena. “We’re also thrilled to support innovators in their quest to develop ag tech that is effective and practical for its users.” PLANTS THROUGH A NEW LENS One of the nine technologies being tested at AIVA’s demonstration farms is the Leaf-Evaluated-Nutrient-System (LENS) by Picketa Systems. This portable plant tissue nutrient analysis technol- ogy is designed to provide farmers and agronomists with faster access to usable nutrient insights. The tool was developed by four New Brunswick potato farmers. Potato plant tissue analysis is necessary for deci- sion-making around nutrient application. However, they found the time and money needed to conduct lab analysis often made it impractical. In search of a better option, the four Picketa founders devel- oped their own. “The LENS uses scanned leaf samples to analyze plant nutrient levels and deliv- er instant results,” said Alexa Campbell, Picketa marketing and operations lead. Leaves are collected, often in field areas where plants are stressed. Using the LENS, which resembles a large briefcase, the farmer scans the sample. Its hand- held optical sensor measures reflected light to calculate levels of 13 macro and micronutrients within the leaf. Results are displayed on the unit’s digital screen within minutes. “Using the LENS, agronomists receive nutrient results in about a minute instead of waiting several days for traditional lab results,” said Campbell. “As a result, farmers and agronomists can make timely and informed decisions on how to manage their crops.” With AIVA, Picketa is validating LENS performance across additional crops that include barley, canola, corn, oats, soybean and wheat. To do this, LENS measurements are compared to labora- tory tissue tests. “Our goal is to further validate the technology through the AIVA Network,” said Maxime Dumont, Picketa co-founder and COO. “We want to continue improving tools that help farmers make more timely and efficient nutrient management decisions.” According to Dumont, Picketa works with AIVA because third-party validation and collaboration across the agricultural innovation ecosystem are needed to ad- vance new technologies. “A standardized approach to testing helps ensure solu- tions like the LENS are rigorously evalu- ated and can deliver meaningful value to farmers and agronomists,” he said. TAP INTO TITAN FarmerTitan is likewise the product of on-farm problem solving. Founder Katie Friesen saw her dad and brother struggle to keep track of repair, maintenance and related expenses for their farm equip- ment and developed a tool to manage these tasks. “Farmers simply place a QR code that we have programmed onto every piece of equipment,” said Friesen. “Using our app, they can track repair types, dates and costs, updating the information each time a repair is made. When the next person comes along to use that equip- ment, they simply scan the QR code with their phone and see a complete history of what has been done.” This history can include service schedules, work orders and parts information. Managers may also input the date a repair is needed, indicate if it’s urgent and assign that task to a certain employee. It’s easier than tracking everything with spreadsheets or pen and paper. “Equipment repairs are often ex- pensive and lead to costly downtime,” said Friesen. “By keeping close track of maintenance, you can limit those repairs and keep machines running smoothly. Ultimately, we want to help farmers save time and money. Around 25 per cent of repairs on farm are preventable, and farmers run on slim margins. It’s often the little things that get you when they turn into big problems, and FarmerTitan helps catch those little things in a timely manner.” FarmerTitan requires a set-up cost and a yearly fee based on the volume of equipment being tracked. They have competitors, but Friesen believes its ease of use, even for those who are not tech savvy, gives FarmerTitan the edge. By working with the AIVA Network, the company hopes to deliver on the full potential of its technology. “AIVA is a great thing for Canada,” said Friesen. “It’s awesome to have real world feed- back, and AIVA does a good job of bring- ing technology to farms.” While the company can easily test the software component of the product from its office, the use of the app and QR codes by the farmer is another story. “It’s important to have boots on the ground to validate the effectiveness of FarmerTitan in the trenches,” said Friesen. “We can say that it’s effective and easy to use, but we need to see it working for farmers before we take it to market.” Using a QR code system, a farmer can track and manage service and repair history of a farm’s equipment. Photo: Courtesy of FarmerTitan.