InnerPlant will expand the number of acres its CropVoice service covers in the new year — increasing from 50,000 in 2025 to 500,000 acres in 2026 — as the California biotech company expands its insight capabilities, providing soybean farmers more tools to combat fungal diseases.
Launched in 2018, InnerPlant developed genetically engineered seeds that emit a fluorescent light (i.e., sensors) that can indicate if crop disease is present, Gary Schaefer, chief commercial officer at InnerPlant, told AgTechNavigator.
The agtech company gathers disease data through strategic plots spread across the U.S., including in South Dakota, Nebraska, Iowa, and Illinois, and provides disease scouting reports to farmers through its CropVoice service, Schaefer said. These scouting reports highlight the severity of fungal disease in the area, and how far it has spread, he added.
InnerPlant will offer deeper disease insight in 2026, including what specific fungal diseases are present and what fungicide farmers should use to treat the plant, Schaefer explained.
“We’re going to actually time this when disease risk is at the highest, when plants are infected, and we’re going to know what is infecting them, so we can adjust the composition of the spray tank to meet that exact need,” Schaefer elaborated.
InnerPlant explores additional markets, crops in 2026
The agtech company focused on fungal diseases in soybeans first, since about 30-35% acres are treated for fungal disease, whereas 60% of acres might need disease mitigation, he explained. Additionally, InnerPlant plans to test its technology on corn in 2026, he added.
InnerPlant is also exploring the potential of expanding its technology outside the U.S., like Brazil, and is doing its due diligence to understand the market and securing regulatory approval, Schaefer said.
“Before we do anything, we have to make sure we understand Brazil. We understand the farmers, and we really identify the right growth strategy and the right penetration strategy for such a market like that, as it is very different than the U.S.,” he elaborated.
