An Evaluation of IoT and Data Mining Strategies at Syngenta

This report evaluates Syngenta Company's application of Internet of Things (IoT) and data mining techniques in its agricultural operations. It identifies the types of data collected by Syngenta, including personal information from website users, feedback from smallholders, and labor standard data from partner companies. The report details how Syngenta uses this information to make decisions on market prices, develop new products, and enhance training for farmers. It also discusses the elements automated within Syngenta, such as soil monitoring, resource tracking, and the use of drones and precision agriculture. The report further outlines Syngenta's business goals, including enhancing land productivity and expanding operations in emerging markets, and considers hardware aspects like power sources, sensors, and wireless communication. While automation is extensive, the report notes that manual input is still required for data entry, payroll management, and performance management.

Running Head: EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 1
Evaluate IoT and Data Mining
Your Name
School-Affiliated

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 2
Syngenta Company
Syngenta refers to a worldwide agricultural business that seeks to assist farmers in
making better utilization of the available resources mainly through agrochemical and production
of seeds. For continued advancement of crop productivity, Syngenta Company invested much
capital into the research and development of its branches internationally in 2014. The company
has had a history of making use of the publicly valid data in its research and development.
Alongside land, soil conditions and weather-related data, this company makes use of the
biological data published for the purpose of building detailed knowledge of crop characteristics
like the environmental pressures tolerance and viruses’ resistance (Syngenta, 2019).
Identify data that are collected
Syngenta Company collects a variety of data that are kept secure and private within its
environments. First is personal information. The company owns a website that only registered
members are able to use. The personal information identifies the user whether alone or as a
group. Such personal details include the names, the age, sex, mobile number and the location of
residence. Through the use of the site, you agree for the company to have possession of your
personal details. This helps the company in keeping relationships with its customers and users of
their website and hence provision of better services (Syngenta, 2019).
Secondly, the company collects information from many smallholders. These people will
receive information from the company through their phones concerning weather forecasts, the
issues of plant pests and diseases that are affecting them and allows the market prices of key
Syngenta prices. In return, these smallholders who are millions in number will share their

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 3
feedback as advice to the company. The mobile phone number pooling helps the company in
saving more money and coordinating its resources well. The exporters and the purchasers of the
company products will often require the big number of smallholders information through pieces
of advice (International Finance Corporation, 2016).
Syngenta Company has developed the exploration and use of machine learning that helps
in improving diseases detection and diagnosis. The machine learning ways of collecting
information has provided smallholders tools for precision farming at low costs (Syngenta, 2015).
Syngenta works with other companies that help in addressing labour standards based on
the supply of seed for farms around the world. This company is fair labour association is one of
this company. Among the details, this company offers to Syngenta include health and safety of
farmers, the child labour cases, the rights awareness of the workers and the benefits and wages of
the farmers, the working hours, and discrimination, abuse and harassment cases. All the
companies working with the Syngenta are made as company internal monitoring and part of the
company programs to its customers (WorldBank, 2011).
How does the company use the information?
Syngenta keeps sharing agricultural open data to help in unlocking environmental value,
economic value and social value. All the farmers use this data to make decisions about the
growth and development of their crops. Weather forecasts help farmers in making decisions to
tell the planting decisions. The use of the global positioning system (GPS) steers their machines
correctly and in an efficient way across the land (Syngenta, 2015).

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 4
The company use this information in deciding the market prices and marketing strategies
in areas that have problems in the use of Syngenta products. They will strategize on how to enter
into new markets and marking maximum profits in their monopolistic regions.
Syngenta uses the information in making the products that the farmers need. Some of the
information about plant diseases and unproductivity need a supply of specific medicine.
Syngenta through the information they get from the field will come up with the solution to the
farmer’s problems. They will enhance training and user awareness to help the farmers in making
use of the resources to enhance their productivity.
In today's age of information, the company shares much information about the refined
information to help the farmers to understand the world challenges. Sharing the open data the
company contribution helps in the development of the collaborative approach and unbiased
approach hence empowering the population that is growing (HYSTRA, 2010).
Elements that have been automated in Syngenta
Syngenta Company installs the sensors in the soil in the farming fields to help in alerting
the growers of the soil conditions when it is out of the expected conditional ranges. Given this
IOT application, a farmer is able to get notification about the condition of the soil and change the
moisture levels in the specific part of the field. The real-time monitoring of the farming
conditions of the soil will help in the production of high-quality yields. The IOT sensor
technology has used the moisture sensor technology also in the storage points to ensure safety.
The sensors that are used in the silos and the elevators help in tracking the conditions and sends
alert in case of increased moisture that may damage the grain or fire.

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 5
Software applications have been applied as a way of automating the management and
tracking tasks which are frustrating and resource-utilizing. The software and applications have
been used to enable the farmers to record the field applications and track the resources that are
used in the field where they can be found in the Syngenta outlets (Peterson, 2019). Through the
software applications, the management of farming resources by Syngenta is good for
optimization on the farm and helps in creating the marketing value of the companies to
differentiate itself from others.
The IOT and software applications meant for management have been used for automating
agricultural machines and the robots that work more effectively and efficiently more than
humans. Syngenta has widely used this application for cost-effectiveness and complete reliability
for the tasks that are otherwise too demanding throughout the cycle of growth.
The company has promoted the use of self-driving tractors with a desire to meet the full
autonomous machine in the future. The tractors are controlled remotely and also programmed to
help provide important labour and input costs savings.
The use of drones has taken root within the company operations. They help in the
provision of information concerning crop health from the fields. The drones are quick and cost-
effective in the identification of the problems through taking of images and using the infrared
technology to perform analysis in the field for first-hand data collection for the company. This
helps the farmers in the real-time diagnosis of the issues affecting their farming. Typically,
Syngenta has taken drones to help in dusting their fields, spraying and blowing water to help the
growing crops.

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 6
Precision agriculture is another automation that has been done by the company. The
application of sprays on the farm has helped the accurate amount of sprays to be input. This
precision process has simplified, improved and fasten the application process of the agricultural
inputs. Additionally, the company has helped in harvesting the crops. The use of robots in the
process of harvesting has helped in avoiding crop bruising and damages (Syngenta, 2018).
Still, require manual input by an employee.
Data entry in the company is important due to the many exports and imports that are
involved in the company. The entries of data are done by human like the people who come to the
company. The manual keeping of the hard copy content is required by the organization of the
people involved within the organization (MOS TEAM, 2016).
Payroll management is another key manual inputs that need personal inputs into the
computer. This is because the company involve many employees in many works of life. The
management of the payroll is depended on the effectiveness of the person in the company. This
calls for the manual input of the expected figures due to their level of expertise. The experiences
of people as the months unfold is different, therefore, the empathy of the human resource
managers is important to ascertain the amount they will earn.
The management of company performance is a function that cannot be automated. The
agreed measures by the company and its employees, the skill sets to be practiced and the
required competencies are processes that need humans reasoning and involvement in making
proper decisions. The managers will be needed to advise the employees on how to effectively

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 7
work and give their best in what they do. The rapport and communications skills will be needed
hence a human is important (Gulipalli, 2016).
Syngenta business goal
The company seeks to enhance land productivity through innovations and technological
dispensation. In maximizing the land and enhancing its productivity through innovation, the
process will enhance scarce resources conservation and protection of the environment.
Secondly, the company seeks to build its leadership roles in the performance of plant
growth and development. The company will offer crop programs to the farmers and the solutions
to the problems of crop growth and productivity. This will increase the vigour of the crops and
the yield will increase while the pests will be controlled (Slade, 2017).
Thirdly, Syngenta seeks to capitalize on investing on the seeds. There is a need for the
company to expand on the sales of all the seeds produced by the company. The seeds produced
are the genetically modified seeds and the conventional seeds to help in the achievement of
important increment of the seed profitability in the average terms.
Fourthly, the company seeks to expand its operations in the emerging markets. Expansion
of the important investments is only possible if important investments are done on people, supply
chains, on portfolio and the people (Khanna, 2005).
Fifthly, the company seeks to create other businesses. This is accomplished by bringing
the professional products and the Syngenta flowers together to help in solving the specified
needs of the customers.

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 8
Finally, the company seeks to outperform in the industry. They have plans of increasing
the business breadth, they will seek to span the production of the crop, seed care, traits and the
seeds. This helps in the provision of a unique integration of crop technologies (Syngenta, 2017).
Hardware consideration
The power source and power management; for any IOT device to operate, there is a need
for power supply. This will include the presence of electricity, battery or an energy harvester.
There are many considerations that will be put into action. This will include customer usage
ability and habits for the IOT device. You will consider the management ability of the device
through its ICs and the wireless technology and also the management ability of the IOT device of
the power supplied through the sensors and the actuators (Medagliani, 2014). One must consider
whether the IOT device will be stationary or moving, this will determine the amount of power
supply it will need. Finally, you must determine the ability to protect itself from the faults of IOT
devices that are commonly based on the underlying conditions of the weather.
Secondly is the sensors and actuators; almost all the IOT devices collect data on a real-
time basis in the physical world through the actuators. There are also the simple flex sensors that
will help the IoT device to pick the information from its environment.
The processor and memory for storage; the heart of all the IoT devices is its processor.
This is where the software content is run. The memory is essential to keep the software
application code of the user. Additionally, the memory will affect the control centre for the IOT's
device coordination and program run (Ray, 2016).
Wireless communication; there are numerous choices to make in the area of wireless
communication. There are modules in the IOT device that integrate the RF communication and

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 9
the antennas, the amplifiers and the oscillators. On the IOT device board, you will determine the
wireless transceivers that you will wish to use. The transceivers will be responsible for the
process of sending and receiving data wirelessly. You will need to determine the IoT devices
range that is needed to communicate.
UI/UX; Many IoT devices are able to be controlled by a web application or a mobile
phone. Therefore, there will be a need for a user interface of the product (Gerber, 2018).
Personnel that are needed
Information security expert; this expert will be required to secure the IOT device against
the hackers and unauthorized access. This will help in securing the content that the device will be
monitoring and collecting the data from it.
Computer programmer; this expert will be required to come up with the software code
that will be used in ruining the IOT device as the organization needs. They will run the software
testing and maintenance of the already functioning IOT devices.
Computer technician; this expert will be required to bring together the IOT device with the
assistance of the computer engineers.
Types of logic components or assumptions
Propositional logic; this refers to a formal system where the formulae representing the
propositions can be formed through a combination of atomic propositions through the use of
logical connectives. This is a system in which the formal proof rules are established through

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 10
certain formulae called “theorems” (Mendelson, 1987). An example of the propositional logic
theorem includes A leads to B which leads to A. which propositional logic explains that A holds,
then B implies A
Predicate logic; this type of logic provides the account for quantifiers that is general
enough in the expression of arguments that occur in natural languages. The predicate logic
development allowed mathematical formalization which drove the investigations into set theory.
It allowed for the development of more model theory a foundation of the modern mathematical
logic (Holt, 2009).
Statistical techniques
Statistics is the branch that relates to the data collection and description. The statistical
technique is used for analysis.
Histogram
The histogram refers to plotting that helps in discovering the frequency distribution that
is underlying based on a continuous data set. It allows the data inspection for the underlying
distribution. A histogram is a graphical representation of the pixel that exposes one’s image. An
example of the histogram is;

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 11
Example
Linear regression
Linear regression refers to an approach to modelling a relation between the scalar
response and the explanatory variables. The relationships in this method are modelled using the
linear predictor functions whose estimates are from the data (Ryan, 2015). The example of a
graph from linear regression is;

EVALUATE IOT AND DATA MINING 12
Data mining techniques and corresponding theories
Classification; this is the most of technique and it employs pre-classified examples in
developing a classification model for the records that are considered. The approach mostly
employs the decision tree algorithm and the network-based classification. This process first
learns then classifies; in the learning process, the data that is being trained is analyzed through
the classification rules.
Clustering; refers to the identification of the object classes that are equal. Through the
clustering technique, one is able to identify the overall pattern of distribution and the correlations
among the data attributes. This technique can be used for effective distinguishing of classes of
the object but can be costly hence suitable for use as a preprocessing approach for the
characteristics of the subset selection.
Predication; the regression technique can be used for predication. The use of regression
analysis can be a model used as a model for the relationship between variables that are either
dependent or independent. In data mining, the independent variables are characterized by the
known responses which need to be predicted.
Association rule; this is a technique used to find the items that are frequent and set the
findings amongst the big data sets. This unique type of data found in the businesses helps in
making certain decisions. The underlying algorithm helps in generating rules with the confidence
values that are less than one (KHAN, 2012).