Digging into the data
App helps potato growers track sustainability progress
Tracking data on how sustainability addresses that question, from water management to crop rotation, can seem daunting.
Now, however, there’s an app for that.
The Cropwise mobile app from global agricultural science and technology company Syngenta provides measurable data points and actionable insights to help potato growers make their operations more sustainable.
PERFORMANCE-DRIVEN PARTNERSHIP
Since 2023, the Wisconsin-based Potato Sustainability Alliance (PSA) has partnered with Syngenta on an annual assessment program that allows growers to sign up for free and evaluate their farm’s sustainability practices using the Sustainable Outcomes in Agriculture (SOA) standards enabled by the Cropwise app.
The Cropwise mobile app from Syngenta provides measurable data points and actionable insights to help potato growers make their operations more sustainable. Photos courtesy of Potato Sustainability Alliance.
In 2024, nearly half of all harvested potato acres in North America were tracked through the PSA-Cropwise partnership. A total of 474 growers logged data on more than 640,000 acres. This year’s annual assessment period started Oct. 1 and runs through Dec. 19.
Participants receive personalized insights on what they’re doing right and areas for improvement, plus access to a community benchmark report comparing their results with others in their region. National-level insights are also published in a report on the PSA website.
“The PSA program is designed with growers, for growers,” said Natalie Nesburg, PSA program manager. “Using an outcomes-based standard inside an easy-to-use app, growers can document what they’re already doing well, identify practical next steps and clearly communicate progress with their customers, partners and communities.”
The app enables farmers to evaluate their operation’s performance in six key elements of sustainability:
- optimal production
- water impact
- soil health
- biodiversity and habitat
- human and animal health
- community leadership
“Our collaboration with Syngenta has helped make it easier for growers to proactively share their continuous improvement in potato sustainability.”
BY THE NUMBERS
Farmers’ sustainability operations are evaluated on a scale ranging from essential to high, and since the Cropwise-PSA partnership began, practices have seen improvement across the board. Participating growers in 2024 received overall high marks, up from medium levels in 2023.The 2024 report, for instance, found that 8% of growers participate in projects that support and measure nutrient management for soil health, up 9% from 2023. Half (50%) reported adopting new practices to reduce tillage and compaction of the field level in the past few years.
Among growers who irrigate, 99% reported using a crop production irrigation program optimized to consider long-term water availability and area challenges, while 58% reported collaborating with others in their area on initiatives to improve water quality, up 6% from 2023.
Cropwise initially launched in 2020, offering data-driven seed selections. In 2021-22, Syngenta expanded the app to include insights for farm management.
The platform can be adapted to use with any crop, said Liz Hunt, Syngenta head of sustainability North America.
“We’ve used it in tree nuts with success, leafy greens and other vegetables, sugar beets, wheat, corn — it depends where there is a need,” Hunt said. “The standard can be used in any cropping system, and adjustments can be made to accommodate different sectors.”
The initial download and evaluation process for the Cropwise app can be done in 45 minutes to an hour.
The app allows farmers to evaluate their practices quickly when compared to other desktop computer programs that are more labor-intensive, Hunt said. The initial download and evaluation process can be done in between 45 minutes to an hour. Farmers who have already participated in the report can open the app and make changes from the previous years’ assessment.
“Farmers can answer a lot of the questions off the top of their heads because they know their operations so well,” Hunt said.
Cropwise can be adapted to track operations on farms of any size, including those with multiple locations.
Hunt said the Cropwise app is a great tool for farmers at any level of their sustainability journey, but especially those just beginning to consider the issue.
“Sometimes when people think of sustainability, they believe this is going to be so complex and hard,” Hunt said. “We try to simplify it to get growers more engaged.
“I use the swimming pool analogy: You have the shallow and the deep end of the pool. With sustainability, we spend a lot of time pushing farmers into the deep end and hoping they can swim. Instead, let’s ask, ‘What if we walked in from the shallow end and helped people get more comfortable with it gradually?’”
THE BIG PICTURE
The Cropwise-PSA collaboration also gives growers a chance to look at all aspects of sustainability, from practices directly involved in potato production to more holistic approaches that improve the sustainability performance of an entire farm. Growers can even receive feedback in areas such as improving pollinator habitats.“We want to give folks options, because sustainability is so much broader than just tillage and cover crops,” Hunt said. “Sustainability is a big spectrum of practices, and this gives farmers a way to frame that story of what they’re doing and what they can do in the future.”
The annual report from PSA gives both growers and supply chain partners a quick, standardized view of on-farm practices and progress. All potato growers in North America are eligible to participate in the program and complete the annual report at no cost. Processors and other partners can also work with PSA to coordinate grower participation and data sharing.
Cropwise includes a digital customer service team to help with any glitches.
“There are folks on the team who have agricultural backgrounds who can help them when they’re using the app,” Hunt said.
Cropwise data can also be used all year as growers continue to modify or add sustainability efforts to their operations.
“Every year, this assessment gives us a clearer picture of the progress potato growers are making collectively and the challenges we still need to tackle together,” Nesburg said. “By participating, growers aren’t just completing a survey — they’re telling their own potato sustainability stories, contributing to healthier waters and soils, and ensuring the potato industry remains resilient and competitive well into the future.”