Orbia Netafim and Phytech collaborate to optimize digital farming

Phytech has developed a simplified, alert-driven mobile platform, combining predictive algorithms and data analysis tools that integrate continuous crop health and supportive environmental data, distilled into real-time recommendations. By providing clear visibility into tank level, pumps, filters and valves, Phytech’s hydraulic monitoring capabilities enable real-time problem detection and predictive maintenance of a farmer’s irrigation system, creating a speedy response to any issue. Without these "eyes" in the field, growers depend on manually checking key functions or detecting the problem only after the damage has occurred.

The partnership will leverage Orbia Netafim’s extensive distribution and service network, providing real-time feedback on in-field irrigation operations and data-driven recommendations to mutual customers. 

Phytech’s technology will be integrated with GrowSphere™, Orbia Netafim’s all-in-one irrigation operating system, providing both sets of customers with deeper visibility into their irrigation environment for faster and more accurate monitoring. The new partnership creates synergy by fully leveraging GrowSphere’s advanced control and automation capabilities, enabling customers to benefit from more precise and responsive irrigation solutions tailored to the specific needs of their crops. These can include the detection of water waste, fertilizer waste or low pressure, all of which cause system malfunctions and incur additional costs.  

GrowSphere has delivered significant benefits to farmers for a multitude of crops and across varying topographies during the last year. Since initial fertigation periods, GrowSphere has proven to boost value per hectare by improving operational efficiency and providing reliable implementation for growers at all stages of their irrigation and fertigation journey.

“Having worked closely with Phytech over the years, we have seen their technology's impressive impact on growers worldwide and we are excited to embark on this partnership,” said Ofer Oveed, SVP Technology and Crops, Orbia Precision Agriculture (Netafim). “By integrating Phytech’s technology with our GrowSphere operating system, we will enhance our technology portfolio, providing better support and visibility for our growers. This collaboration aligns with our commitment to advancing precision irrigation and delivering superior solutions to our customers.”

Phytech’s CEO Oren Kind remarked, “Our technology's initial success was driven by its ability to tackle key challenges faced by farmers, including offering valuable support in agronomic decisions and real-time monitoring of their hydraulic systems. By teaming up with Netafim, a global leader in precision irrigation, we are poised to extend the reach of our technology worldwide. This partnership marks a major milestone for our company and will assist growers in initiating a crucial digital transformation towards more sustainable and efficient agricultural practices.”

About Orbia

Orbia Advance Corporation, S.A.B. de C.V. (BMV: ORBIA*) is a company driven by a shared purpose: to advance life around the world. Orbia operates in the Polymer Solutions (Vestolit and Alphagary), Building & Infrastructure (Wavin), Precision Agriculture (Netafim), Connectivity Solutions (Dura-Line) and Fluor & Energy Materials (Koura) sectors. The five Orbia business groups have a collective focus on ensuring food and water security, expanding information access and connectivity and advancing decarbonization and the energy transition with basic and advanced materials, specialty products and innovative solutions. Orbia has a global team of over 24,000 employees, commercial activities in more than 100 countries and operations in over 50, with global headquarters in Boston, Mexico City, Amsterdam and Tel Aviv. The company generated $8.2 billion in revenue in 2023. To learn more, visit: orbia.com

About Orbia Precision Agriculture (Netafim)

Orbia’s Precision Agriculture business Netafim is the world’s largest irrigation company and a global leader in precision agriculture solutions that address food, water and land scarcity for a sustainable future. Founded in 1965, Orbia Netafim pioneered the drip revolution, creating a paradigm shift toward precision irrigation. Today, by specializing in end-to-end solutions from the water source to the root zone, Orbia Netafim delivers irrigation and greenhouse projects as well as landscape and mining irrigation solutions supported by engineering, project management and financing services. Orbia Netafim is also leading the way in digital farming, irrigation and fertigation through integrating real-time monitoring, analysis and automated control into one state-of-the-art system. With 33 subsidiaries, 19 manufacturing plants, 2 recycling plants and 4,500 employees worldwide, Orbia Netafim delivers innovative, tailor-made irrigation and fertigation solutions to millions of farmers, allowing smallholders to large-scale agricultural producers and investors in over 100 countries to grow more with less™. To learn more visit: netafim.com

About Phytech

Phytech helps growers optimize the farming production value chain by utilizing proprietary plant and field condition sensors, delivering data-driven agronomic insights and recommendations executed by in-field automation controls for repeated economic & environmental impact with optimized yields, water & input savings by direct daily service to more than 1000 leading global fruit, nut and commodity crop producers, covering 45 million trees on 18,000 sites.

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