Integrated CBD, an institutional scale and quality supply chain leader for hemp-derived CBD, has completed installation of plant-based sensor technology, powered by ag-tech company Phytech, on its approximately 10,000 acre industrial hemp farm in Yuma County, Arizona. As one of the largest organic hemp farm operations in the United States, Integrated CBD is creating the highest standards and practices for sustainable farming at scale in the fast-growing CBD marketplace, tapping into emerging technologies to advance their mission.
Placed at the base of the crop’s stalk, Phytech’s sensors measure and analyze plant health data which includes water availability and stress levels, two key elements that determine plant water economy. The direct plant-sensing platform uses machine learning algorithms to identify optimal times of the day to activate subsurface drip irrigation. This smart agriculture technology streamlines irrigation efficiencies at scale, optimizing crop productivity and quality, minimizing expenses and reducing overall environmental impact.
“Hemp is no longer a small greenhouse operation, rather an estimated $24 billion market that demands consistent, sustainable industry standards in cultivation, distillation and manufacturing,” said Jeff Dreyer, COO, Integrated CBD. “As water becomes an increasingly rare and expensive resource worldwide, we’re proud to integrate agriculture technology connected to water conservation to create trusted quality products at scale. Generally, it takes years until a farm operates efficiently. Phytech’s plant-based irrigation management platform will optimize ICBD’s water usage and create a more efficient and profitable farm with more rapid returns.”
The Phytech app monitors in-season plant growth parameters and applies irrigation through proprietary sensors and analytics to deliver real-time plant status push notifications and plant AI-based irrigation demands. The technology will assist Integrated CBD growers to optimize yields by reducing over-irrigation and stress events that may lead to an increase in THC levels (>0.3%) leading to a total loss of crop.
“Ensuring optimized crop quality and productivity by utilizing plant-based irrigation practices are necessary for producers. It is also the most sustainable way,” said Oren Kind, CCO and US GM, Phytech. “We are honored to serve and assist Integrated CBD in their strive for excellence in farming practices as they join the growing community of global leading producers transforming the plant demand cultivation.”
Integrated CBD is a vertically-integrated, institutional quality and scale supplier of organically grown hemp and hemp-derived CBD oil and isolate. The company is growing industrial hemp on one of the country’s largest certified organic farms, and building one of the largest GMP-certified, Food-Grade extraction and isolation facilities in the world. Based in Scottsdale, the company is the largest hemp operation in the state of Arizona. For more information, visit Integrated CBD.
Phytech is a digital agriculture company that develops plant-based farming applications. Powered by direct plant sensing, advanced data analytics, machine learning, and artificial plant intelligence, Phytech provides growers easy-to-use applications to achieve better yields, healthier crops and higher profits. Phytech’s revolutionary irrigation solution is deployed by leading growers worldwide. For more information, contact info@phytech.com.
