The trials were conducted in collaboration with the Evergreen Innovation Platform (EIP), an enterprise of the Syngenta Foundation for Sustainable Agriculture.
What is Croptune™?
Croptune™ is a mobile application that leverages image analysis, big data, and cloud computing to assess the nutritional status of crops in real-time. By simply photographing plant leaves with a mobile device, the app provides insights into nitrogen (N) uptake and delivers tailored fertilization recommendations.
To showcase the benefits of this powerful tool, trials were carried out, comparing Croptune™-guided plots with those managed by traditional local practices, focusing on physical crop parameters, nitrogen levels in leaves, fertilizer use, and final yield.
Boosting Paddy Rice Productivity with Less Nitrogen
The trials on paddy crops in Nashik and Palghar districts revealed a clear pattern: Croptune™-treated fields consistently outperformed control plots in both vegetative growth and productivity—despite using less fertilizer. The results showcase Croptune™'s capacity to improve efficiency and performance even in regions with different environmental conditions.
Onion Farmers Reap More with Less
The story was even more striking in onion plots across Deola, Nadgaon, and Sinnar. Notable improvements in plant height, bulb size, and bulb weight were seen across all locations – with considerably reduced N application rates.
| Deola 1 | Deola 2 | Deola 3 | Nadgaon 1 | Nadgaon 2 | Nadgaon 3 | Sinner 1 | Sinner 2 | Sinner 3 |
Plant heigh difference | 20% | 31% | 9% | 9% | 8% | 12% | 15% | 4% | 11% |
Bulb size difference | 22% | 26% | 16% | 14% | 23% | 15% | 17% | 13% | 20% |
Bulb weight difference | 9% | 4% | 9% | 8% | 9% | 4% | 9% | 23% | 5% |
The results underscore a critical takeaway: precision application, informed by real-time data from Croptune™, enables farmers to unlock productivity without relying on excessive fertilization.
Cucumber: A Case for Precision and Profit
In Thane district, cucumber growers experienced uniform gains in plant growth and fruit size using Croptune™ recommendations. For instance, Farmer 1 saw an 18% increase in fruit weight and a yield jump of nearly 11%—while slashing fertilizer use by 22%. Farmer 2 achieved similar gains (9.76% yield increase) with a 26% reduction in fertilizer. Such results offer a win-win scenario: less fertilizer going into the soil, and more produce coming out.
A Future-Proof Tool for Sustainable Farming
Croptune’s technology aligns with the future of agriculture—data-driven, efficient, and sustainable. With increasing scrutiny on fertilizer use due to its environmental impact and rising costs, tools that help optimize inputs while maintaining or improving output are essential.
The trials show that nitrogen management with Croptune™ can:
Improve plant growth parameters and yield
Enables considerable reduction of N application rates
Support better decision-making through real-time, in-field diagnostics
Conclusion
The use of Croptune™ during the growing season empowers farmers to make timely, informed decisions about fertilization—resulting in stronger crops, higher yields, and smarter input use. It’s not just a tool—it’s a strategic advantage.
ISO Certified for leaf analysis!
Cropune™ is the first AI lab in the world that complies with the strict ISO 17025 standards for nitrogen analysis in plant leaves.
