CPI partners with InnerPlant to improve fungal detection in crops

Cooperative Producers has partnered with InnerPlant to introduce CropVoice, a disease alert network powered by plant physiological signals. The partnership includes a demonstration field at Hunnicutt Farms in Nebraska, allowing farmers to experience this early warning system for fungal infections, designed to provide a more efficient crop protection strategy.

CropVoice utilizes a network of sentinel plots featuring InnerSoy, a sensor that detects fungal stress through the soybeans’ immune responses. This sensor emits an optical signal that can be detected from significant distances, including space, within 48 hours of infection. The platform analyzes the signals using predictive models, offering growers early alerts about potential fungal threats, up to four weeks earlier than traditional scouting methods.

By using CropVoice, growers gain insights into crop health much earlier than conventional approaches, allowing for quicker, more informed decisions. The demonstration plot at Hunnicutt Farms, managed by Nebraska farmer Brandon Hunnicutt, will showcase these capabilities and demonstrate how the technology enhances agronomic decision-making.

CPI plans to offer CropVoice coverage to its soybean growers beginning in 2026, with retailers in Nebraska, Illinois, and Iowa already enrolling acres for the 2025 growing season. This marks a step forward in precision scouting and risk management within agriculture, as the technology enables faster, data-driven responses to crop health issues.

InnerPlant, a company focused on developing crop technologies that utilize plant physiology, aims to enhance the sustainability and efficiency of farming. The company’s approach to detecting early signs of stress in crops through optical signals has been recognized for its potential to transform agronomy. CropVoice was named one of TIME’s Best Inventions of 2024.