SPADE Project Overview

Owned by Jim Wilson
Last updated: 2013-01-18Version comment
4 min read

Spade Project

Project Description and Value Proposition

  • The Spade Project involves the trading/sharing of agricultural data between farmers and the companies with the goal of promoting efficient operations. This data sharing requires the use of a common language among companies and equipment manufacturers.
  • The Spade Project Team intends to adopt existing standards and if a gap exists, develop standards for the automatic exchange of ag-related data between customers, businesses, and other stakeholders. These standards will promote a seamless, scalable and sustainable producer operation by lowering the barrier for adoption of precision ag products. Agriculture companies will benefit by removing interoperability issues, thereby lowering development costs.


Project Deliverables

  • Use case definitions for major production practices including but not limited to seeding, tillage, spraying, fertilizing, harvesting
  • Implementation guidelines for data exchange message use cases and including the required components
  • Documentation of the API's required to share reference data (primarily product identifiers but also base data like soils, production practices, etc.), from the manufacturer database (product owner) and the systems using the data
  • Demonstration of the data exchange messaging and reference data from distributed databases
  • Recommendation(s) to the AGIIS Directory Oversight Committee for utilization of the AGIIS directory and the management of standardized API's
  • Recommendation(s) for development and implementation of the reference data sharing model API and clearinghouse concept


For More Information




Background
The next generation of agricultural managers is asking how the industry can enable seamless data exchange between machines and Farm Management Information Systems (FMIS). The costs for exchanging data are high due to the lack of common implementation guidelines, data transfer protocols, message standards, and standard reference data. Producers report that it is difficult or nearly impossible to move data from one system to another. To do so almost always requires data reentry, manual data transformation, and/or specialists to manage data.
The value chain from manufacturing through distribution supports many data-management, analysis, and decision-support functions for the producer. Having systems that utilize eBusiness standards and guidelines will help move the industry toward interoperability. This will improve the efficiency and productivity of the producers and their trusted advisors.
In June 2011, the Precision Ag Council's Field Operations working group in AgGateway identified several industry needs and selected seeding as the example use case to identify applicable standards and analyze gaps within the standards that may be impeding data exchange. Next, the team demonstrated a proof of concept regarding message contents for data exchange between software/hardware systems building on the ISO11783 data standards and distributed databases. The successful results of this proof-of-concept were presented to the Precision Ag Council at AgGateway's Annual Conference in November 2011. This charter outlines a project to move from conceptual demonstration to production. Near project completion, the project team will outline use cases for progressing with other operations (seeding, spraying, fertilizing, etc) and consider opportunities for promoting more widespread adoption.
Project Scope

  • ISO-11783 part 10/11 implementation guidelines for machine to FMIS data exchange
  • Reference data required to implement, document a production practice
  • AGIIS Database
  • AgGateway Clearinghouse Concept (API Examples)
  • Farming Practice Templates for Compliance Reporting
  • USDA NRCS



Relationship to Other Industry and Standards Groups
This project will leverage existing standards where possible. Where there are gaps between project requirements and existing standards, the project will specify how to address the gaps and contribute those specifications to applicable standards groups as appropriate. AgGateway invites industry and standards groups to join AgGateway as an associate member.
Committed Companies
The following companies have signed commitment letters, which include commitment to pay project fees, to designate and support contributors to the project from their company, and to implement the resulting standards and guidelines. Additional companies have stated their intent to commit to the project as well.

  1. Ag Connections
  2. AGCO Corporation
  3. AgIntegrated, Inc
  4. Ag Leader Technology
  5. Agrian, Inc
  6. CDMS
  7. Ceres Solutions
  8. CNH Americas
  9. Crop IMS, LLC
  10. GEOSYS, Inc
  11. GROWMARK, Inc
  12. Heartland Co-op
  13. Hemisphere GPS
  14. John Deere
  15. MapShots
  16. Monsanto
  17. Premier Crop Systems, LLC
  18. ProAg
  19. Raven Industries
  20. River Valley Cooperative
  21. Southern States Cooperative
  22. SST Software
  23. Syngenta
  24. TopCon Positioning Systems
  25. Trimble
  26. Some of the Kickoff Meeting AttendeesWinfield Solutions
  27. ZedX, Inc

Spade Project Organization
Project/Board

  • Board Chair: Joe Tevis, Topcon
  • Board Vice Chair: Corey Weddle, Ag Leader
  • Project Manager: Jim Wilson, AgGateway


Working Group 1: Use Cases

  • Leadership
    • Chair: Chip Donahue, John Deere
    • Vice Chair: Dennis Daggett, ProAg
    • Staff Assistant: Marilyn Hunter, AgGateway
  • Deliverables/Activities
    • Responsible for overall project deliverables tracking, indexing, description
    • Document seeding use cases
    • Ensure compliance reporting data is supported (may serve as review activity; start w/FSA)
    • Consider Standard Management Templates (with NRCS)


Working Group 2: Work Orders and Job Logs

  • Leadership
    • Chair: Corey Weddle, Ag Leader
    • Vice Chair: Nate Gerber, ZedX
    • Staff Assistant: Ralph Hertlein, OAGi
  • Deliverables/Activities
    • Specify data requirements
    • Specify data formats (i.e., structures, data types, content requirements; e.g., JSON format, XSD) Must coordinate with WG3. (ISO 11783)
    • Specifying data transport is out of scope for this project (need examples though)
    • Start with FMIS-to-machine requirements. Confirm that whatever we define for that will serve are a useful starting point for defining FMIS-to-FMIS requirements.


Working Group 3: Reference Data

  • Leadership
    • Chair: Jigar Shah, Syngenta
    • Vice Chair: TBD
    • Staff Assistant: Jim Wilson, AgGateway
  • Deliverables/Activities
    • Specify data requirements
    • Specify data formats (structures, data types, contents; e.g., JSON format, XSD) This is critical for WG2. Must be coordinated.
    • Specify where the data is stored
    • Specify APIs and protocols for accessing data. e.g., set of web services to exchange the data.



Project Status and Upcoming Meetings.
The project kicked off at the FFA Enrichment Center in Ankeny, Iowa, USA 8-10 August. All three working groups met and covered a lot of ground. Each of the working groups has met via teleconference several times and will continue to meet on a recurring schedule.
The entire project team is scheduled to meet 2-4 October in Duluth, Georgia, USA (Atlanta Metropolitan area). The meeting will be hosted by AGCO at their Global Learning Center.