Our new customers often ask us how much data they need to collect and how often they need to collect it.
 
This blog will outline everything you need to know about collecting data with GreenView.
 
What we mean by data
 
When we talk about GreenView ‘data’ we’re talking about the footage of your farm that you capture with a GoPro camera (often when you’re out performing jobs like mulching, mowing or spraying). The GreenView system takes this data and crunches the numbers into interactive dashboards and maps to give you useful insights on your crops.
 
When to collect data
 
The frequency of data collection is driven by the questions and problems your specific farm is facing.
 
For example, if you are a berry grower who is required to supply weekly data for yield forecasting, then weekly data collection makes sense. 
 
If you are a grape grower wishing to understand how much fruit is in your vineyard prior to thinning, then this is a single point in time and you could just do one data collection. If you then wanted to assess how much fruit is left after thinning, you would perform a second data collection.
 
How much data to collect
 
The question of how much data to collect can be approached in two ways - either ad hoc as you’re out and about, or tailored to a certain problem you’re experiencing.
 
Collecting ad hoc data
 
The beauty of the GoPro is that it can be attached to farm equipment that is already making passes over the farm performing other operations. For instance if you need to mow grass, and will be doing every row, then you can attach the GoPro and easily capture data for every row while you’re at it. This gives the GreenView system plenty of information to provide broad insights on crop health and variability.
 
Collecting tailored data
 
The second approach to data collection is for specific capture when trying to gather information on a particular problem. In these instances a greatly reduced sample size can be collected, only focusing on the key area. This approach is also useful if your business is located in an area of slow internet speeds, to reduce the size of the videos that need to be uploaded. 
 
For this tailored approach, firstly consider the size of the management unit you need to make a decision on. A rough rule of thumb is that for many block level decisions, a sample size of around 10% of the block would be adequate. So if your block has 100 rows in it, then capturing 10 rows in that block would be a robust sample size for decision making.   
 
If however, there is the opportunity for differential management practices within a block, then more footage would need to be collected so that you have sufficient data. As a rough rule of thumb you would want to capture at least 10% of each of the different management units that the decision will be based on to capture crop variability. 
 
Actionable insights from GreenView
 
Within 48 hours of uploading your data to GreenView you’ll be able to download interactive dashboards and maps full of actionable insights specific to your farm and crops.
This includes information on:

• cane counts
• bud counts
• shoot counts
• canopy growth
• fruit counts and in berries, phenological stage

GreenView data allows you to make accurate assessments on:

• pruning quality
• canopy growth and variability
• crop size and yield estimates
• missing plants

Still have questions? Feel free to contact our team, we’d be happy to help: info@bitwiseag.com

Here at Bitwise Agronomy, we believe in the power of diversity.

Diversity in our tech helps farmers better understand variability in their crops - which enables them to make better farming decisions. 

Diversity in our team brings a breadth of experience to Bitwise Ag - which enables us to create the best software possible.
While tech and agriculture are still male-dominated fields, we are proud of our strong female team members. Our diversity shapes our innovation, helps our problem-solving, and brings varied viewpoints to discussions around technology.

The women behind Bitwise Agronomy manage everything from artificial intelligence; to practical agronomy in the field; to data analytics to understand, explore, interpret and report on our customer data.

Our business also benefits from the expertise of “the 3 doctors”. We have Dr Annie in computer vision, Dr Julie and in data science, and Dr Fi in agronomy. These three respected minds motivate their teams to overcome challenges and create a culture of positivity when times are tough. They lead by example, bringing technical brilliance as well as motivation and stamina within the fast-paced nature of a start-up.

This International Women’s Day we want to salute the women of Bitwise Agronomy who are changing the face of agritech. These amazing women not only inspire the teams they lead, they also work together to understand grower’s issues and how Bitwise Ag can provide the tech to help solve them.

​Farmers are known for their pragmatic know-how and the ingenuity of our growers is always surprising us. We try to make our systems as simple and accessible as possible for our customers but sometimes getting the right footage from a Gopro, with only what the farmer has on hand, can be a bit of a puzzle. ​But between the practical know how of the Farmers and the technical knowledge of our team, we have never found a any barrier that we could not work together to overcome and quickly.

Tired of having to walk up and down your vineyard just to check how the crop is doing? With GreenView, those days are gone...