CNH Industrial, owner of the New Holland ad Case IH brands, has secured a minority stake in EarthOptics.
The US-based ag tech business was founded in 2018, to develop soil data measurement and mapping technology.
CNH Industrial is not alone in the latest US$27.6m round of funding with Bayer, Syngenta and Elanco also partners in the start-up as are several venture capital businesses looking to enter the field of soil data measurement and mapping technology.
Combining data from ground-based sensors, satellites, soil samples and machine learning models, the company delivers a wide range of data to help boost yields and reduce fertiliser application, alongside soil mapping platforms and a system that precisely identifies the areas and depths where fields are compacted.
A pilot testing phase of the soil sensing technology will be conducted by Case IH this year, with the goal of accelerating levels of tillage automation to provide greater agronomic insights for customers.