Root Applied Sciences is building a global monitoring platform for pests and disease that measures organisms by their DNA in the air, before they land on plants and cause disease. The near-real-time spatial and temporal information is giving growers resilience despite unpredictable outbreaks due to climate change. Growers with Root’s pathogen monitoring service are using pesticides more efficiently (reducing 20%-80%), saving money (3.5X ROI), increasing produce quality, and improving sustainability all while safeguarding their crops. Root is developing fully automated monitoring systems that collect particles from the air and quantify pests and pathogens by their DNA autonomously within the units for a 2026 launch.
+ Platform technology – already with 4 pathogens and 1 insect pest
+ Validated assay robustness with >7000 customer samples, dirt, and fungicide spike-ins
+ Superior capture technology as published independently by USDA scientists
+ Repeat customers for 4 years