Combining Bayer’s agronomy expertise and grower relationships with Polybee’s autonomous drone and farm intelligence platform, the partnership will help growers turn full-field crop data into clearer decisions about planning, labour and commercial performance.
ANZ vegetables unit lead, Bayer Darren Wood said this is about growers making better decisions at the moments that matter most - when to harvest, how to plan crops, and how to deliver against market specifications.
Polybee’s Farm Intelligence Platform uses autonomous drones and artificial intelligence to scan entire fields and generate insights, including harvest forecasts, optimised cutting schedules and planting plans.
Polybee's platform can also scan crops for disease using near-infrared camera technology.
Designed to integrate into existing farm operations, the platform does not require new machinery or major workflow changes, allowing growers to adopt it quickly.
Founder and CEO of Polybee Siddharth Jadhav said most crop decisions are still made from a handful of spot checks across a field.
“Our autonomous drones and AI change that, giving growers an accurate and predictable view of every crop’s yield and growth forecast.
“Now that we have proven the product’s ROI with our early adopters, we are excited to bring full-field visibility and enable more confident, more profitable decisions for growers across Australia together with Bayer.”
Bayer will introduce and support growers, while Polybee will deploy the platform and manage service delivery.
“What’s important is that this is practical.
“Growers can integrate these insights into their existing operations and see real results without adding complexity.”
“It’s about giving growers practical tools that are easy to adopt and deliver measurable value in the field,” Darren said.
The initiative comes as vegetable growers face rising input and labour costs, tighter specifications and the need for more precise planning and execution.
By providing clearer full-field visibility, the platform supports improved harvest timing, higher in-spec yield, reduced waste and greater confidence in commercial decisions.
Wood says the collaboration reflects a broader shift from more data to better decisions, as agriculture moves from promising innovation to practical digital adoption in the field.
“We’re seeing a clear shift across agriculture toward more integrated, data-driven decision-making.
“This is about helping growers move beyond intuition and fragmented tools to more connected, confident decisions across every crop cycle.”
Together, Bayer and Polybee will help growers apply crop intelligence to improve planning, harvest timing and commercial performance.
The initial focus will be spinach and broccoli crops, with several other crops on the roadmap such as lettuce and other fruit and vegetable crops.
New features to enhance visibility and control can be added to Polybee’s platform based on grower demand and market opportunities.
Further details on rollout timing and participating growers will be announced in due course.
