Executive Summary: Solution for the US Seed Corn Industry
Challenge:
PowerPollen, an agricultural biotech firm, faced challenges in the competitive U.S. seed corn farming market. The U.S. is one of the largest producers of seed corn globally, with about 450,000 acres dedicated to seed corn production annually. Seed corn refers to corn cultivated specifically for the production of the next year’s commercial crop.
This makes seed corn a key crop, as commercial corn is used for both food and industrial purposes, including animal feed, ethanol, and bio-based products. In the highly competitive market of seed corn, traditional pollination methods remain efficient, however, farmers are increasingly under pressure to find innovative ways to optimize yields and reduce costs. PowerPollen’s goal to automate and scale the pollination process required technical expertise that was lacking in-house. The seasonal nature of pollination added further urgency, as the success of the process is directly tied to timing, making it critical to partner with a reliable and experienced provider for a scalable, cost-effective solution.
In collaboration with needCode, PowerPollen received an integrated solution that included hardware, software, and seamless system integration, all delivered on a tight timeline to optimize crop yields and meet the growing demand in the agricultural market.
Value Chain of parties involved in the project:
Solution:
needCode developed a prototype that enables US seed corn companies to generate an additional $2,500 per acre through automated pollination technology. Working with PowerPollen, needCode provided a tailored solution for their corn pollination system, focusing on the development of controllers for the new device. The solution involved redesigning embedded software and delivering custom hardware to ensure seamless integration of key components, enabling efficient and automated pollen application. This system was designed to meet the critical timelines of the agricultural cycle, ensuring optimal performance and scalability for future growth in the corn farming industry.
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Prototype developed by needCode enables an additional $2,500 per acre for US seed corn companies
$
Total Value Delivered jointly with PowerPollen to the US Seed Corn industry in Year 1
Proven prototype
That can be scaled up in the future and further distributed by PowerPollen
Project results:
01
Custom Controllers and Embedded Software: Delivered tailored controllers and redesigned embedded software, ensuring seamless integration of the new corn pollination system. Despite other companies quickly declining the project due to tight deadlines, the challenge was taken on, ensuring delivery within the required timeframe.
02
Scalability & Bug Fixing: The software architecture was designed to be flexible and scalable, allowing for the easy addition of new features and efficient bug fixing. This modular approach ensures long-term maintainability and rapid adaptation to evolving market needs.
03
Drive Efficiency with Expertise: Completing the project in 5 months saved significant time and resources, avoiding the need for a larger in-house team. Missing the deadline would have meant missing the critical pollination period, delaying PowerPollen's market entry by an entire year.
04
Avoid Recruitment and Onboarding Delays: By bypassing the lengthy recruitment and onboarding processes, significant time and resources were saved. This allowed the project to kick off immediately, avoiding the typical 3-month delay associated with hiring new talent, and ensuring that the team was up and running without any unnecessary setbacks.
“When others said PowerPollen's timeline was impossible, we delivered in five months. Taking ownership of both hardware and software, we turned their most critical challenge into a market-ready solution. That's what partnership means to us.”
Background & Challenges in Modernizing Corn Pollination Systems
PowerPollen (our Partner) needed an advanced pollination system to automate their corn pollination process, initially focusing on developing custom controllers and embedded software to ensure seamless integration with existing agricultural machinery. Challenges arose:
Total Hardware Circumstances: The original plan was for PowerPollen to find a local partner in the U.S. to handle hardware development. However, due to delays in finding a reliable partner, many companies declined the project, leaving PowerPollen without the necessary technical expertise to deliver the solution. Without a fully integrated system, they risked missing the critical pollination window, potentially losing a year’s worth of market opportunities. At this point, needCode stepped in—not just as a software provider, but as a full-scale problem solver, taking complete ownership of the hardware design and production.
Limited Engineering Resources: PowerPollen struggled to recruit the necessary in-house engineers with the expertise to execute such a specialized project. High competition for skilled talent in the agricultural technology sector made it difficult to find suitable candidates within the tight timeline.
Scope Expansion: Initially, PowerPollen sought a basic solution for automating pollination. However, as the project progressed, they realized the potential to enhance the system with scalability for future growth and integrate the solution into larger agricultural operations, increasing the project’s complexity and overall scope.
Recognizing these hurdles, we stepped in to bridge the gap and ensure the project's success, proposing an alternative approach—taking full ownership of both hardware and software development, and acting as a trusted partner to deliver an integrated solution for PowerPollen.
Solution: End-to-End Integration for Agricultural Automation
Phase 1: Redesigning the Embedded Software
We revamped the embedded system, integrating a unified microcontroller architecture across all components, ensuring scalability, reliability, and future-proofing for long-term viability.
Phase 2: Integration for Pollination Automation
We developed a comprehensive solution to automate the pollen application system, enabling real-time monitoring and ensuring optimal performance and resource management during the pollination cycle.
Phase 3: Hardware Design and Production
Taking over the hardware design, our team created custom PCBs and seamlessly integrated them with the new software system, ensuring all components worked together efficiently under the tight project timeline.
“I told my boss I didn't have a plan B if this didn't work out. Two other companies told me we didn't have enough time to finish this project. But we pulled it off. Not only did we pull it off, but we had a really successful year with it. It was a product that worked reliably.”
Brian Walter
Engineering Project Manager at PowerPollen
Technical project description
The needCode team was tasked with providing the necessary Electronic Control Units (ECUs) as part of the broader system, covering various aspects of pollination control, including:
ISOBUS-based communication for system control
Power management across 12V and 24V systems
Motor control (stepper and DC brushed motors)
Smart fusing of power lines
Feedback system via a series of sensors
We delivered three key ECUs:
01
Power ECU: for monitoring and controlling power sources (battery and alternator)
02
Toolbar ECU: to manage ISOBUS communication between the main bus and toolbar bus, connecting up to 31 Row ECUs
03
Row ECU: to control actuators for each corn row
Designed to be future-proof, the system features wireless communication and redundant sensor lines for future upgrades. The project required a blend of expertise in high-power circuit design, CAN communication, wireless connectivity, system control, and power management strategies.
The ECUs were integrated via ISOBUS, with compatibility ensured by incorporating the AgISOStack++ open-source protocol. This system required extensive validation, including hardware load testing, unit testing, and automated functional testing with a Hardware-In-Loop (HIL) approach.
Finally, needCode supported the integration and troubleshooting of electrical issues during the machine's setup, leading to successful field testing that confirmed the system’s ability to perform precise pollination.
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Key Results & Business Impact of the Custom Solution
The project resulted in $100,485,000 generated for the US seed corn industry in just 3 years. Additional value will be accumulated across the product lifecycle.
Graph explanation:
Orange (Quantified Value):
The orange sections represent the calculated value delivered to US seed corn companies through the implementation of the pollination system.
Gray (costs to acquire value):
The gray sections represent the costs that seed corn companies incurred to achieve the value shown in blue.
Value calculated & approved by Valueships
Quantified Value Delivered by PowerPollen and needCode to the US Seed Corn Industry in USD
Value Category
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Total
Service Revenue (Quantified Value)
8,520,000
22,720,000
51,120,000
82,360,000
Comments:
Revenue generated by the use of PowerPollen’s product.
Value accelerates in 2-3 years as more pollinator crews are equipped with the solution each year.
Projected future revenue growth as adoption increases.
Calculation of Total Value Delivered by PowerPollen and needCode to the US Seed Corn Industry:
#
US Seed Corn Companies → $82,360,000 in 3 years
Inputs:
Number of crews and Pollination Systems in use: - Year 1: 3 - Year 2: 8 - Year 3: 18
Number of acres that can be covered by one crew and one Pollination System in a year: 1200 acres
Units of Seed Corn per acre: 70
Price per unit: $275
Increase in efficiency thanks to the Pollination System: 15%
Average yearly cost of one crew and one Pollination system: $625,000
Value Calculation:
Year 1: $8,520,000
Year 2: $22,720,000
Year 3: $51,120,000
3-Year Value: $82,360,000
Unquantified Value Delivered
Relationship Value
needCode was recommended for this project by a previous client, reflecting our strong reputation for delivering high-quality work and building lasting client relationships.
Despite tight time constraints, we successfully completed the first phase of the project, thanks to their radical transparency approach. By clearly defining the project scope, managing client expectations and not being afraid to push back on unrealistic goals, we ensured timely delivery.
Due to their success in phase one, needCode has been contracted by PowerPollen to carry out the second phase of the pollination project, demonstrating full client satisfaction.
During the on-site testing, despite the tasks being outside the original scope, our team took on troubleshooting and repairing machinery to ensure the new system could be properly tested. This extra effort demonstrated our commitment to the project’s success and deepened the partnership with PowerPollen.
“They kept building our confidence through the questions they asked. You could tell they knew what they were doing. And the more we got into the project, the more confidence we had in them.”
Brian Walter
Engineering Project Manager at PowerPollen
Final Thoughts
This project demonstrates how needCode’s end-to-end solutions help businesses achieve their goals with precision and efficiency. We provide more than just technology – we build lasting partnerships and deliver value that extends well beyond the initial scope.
If you need a partner to drive your next innovation, we’re here to help. Let’s talk and explore how we can bring your vision to life.
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