Plant diseases often strike unexpectedly and ruthlessly. With the knowledge and technology from Dacom in Emmen, farmers are no longer taken by surprise. They get recommendations accurate to the metre.

Everything starts with an idea

That spraying is often done according to an established formula, a regular pattern and a set schedule. “There is a more accurate and efficient way”, says Dacom Director Janneke Hadders. “If producers know in advance where and when the fungus is going to strike, they can combat the infection in a more effective and environmentally friendly way.” 

It's not only potatoes. Carrots, onions, strawberries and grapes also have their own strains of funguses. Dacom has succeeded in outsmarting these scourges, thanks to years of research and practical experience. “We know how funguses develop. We know what temperatures and air humidities trigger them, how they then behave and the lifecycle they go through”, Hadders says. 

Dacom links this knowledge about fungal diseases to a wide array of parameters, like weather forecasts, soil conditions, growth models and plant characteristics. The company has hundreds of weather stations set up at farms worldwide. These gather information on the spot. 
It also uses open databanks, data analytics and satellite images.
By linking all that information with operational data from the farmer, a breakout of a fungal disease can be very accurately predicted and prevented.

The right time, the right place, the right amount

Dacom’s Smart Fungal Advice Model still tells farmers that they need to spray, but now that happens in a more targeted way. “We help figure out the right time, the right place and the right amount of chemical fungicides to use. The principle is like the use of sunscreen for people; you only apply it when the sun is shining.” 

Dacom’s business model is based largely on subscriptions. Farmers receive recommendations for a fixed fee. They can access the information easily online. At home on the laptop, or in the field via smartphone. 

The services are now being used in more than forty countries. "We can provide targeted recommendations for crop farmers in the United States and Australia too", says Hadders. Accurate to the metre? Hadders smiles, “You bet.”