AgReliant Genetics Hires Geospatial Scientist as Precision Ag Platform Continues Development

WESTFIELD, Ind., – January 22, 2015

AgReliant Genetics recently announced the hiring of Dr. Xystus Amakor as the company’s first geospatial scientist. Amakor will be working within AgReliant Genetics’ Biostatistics Department at the Lebanon, Indiana research station. His work will primarily focus on the impacts of environmental variables on current genetic models in order to continue to improve the company’s breeding results and future variable rate seeding recommendations.

“Precision agriculture is an area of extreme growth and opportunity for us,” said Dr. Tom Koch, AgReliant Genetics’ Vice President of Research. “Xystus’s experience will allow AgReliant to analyze our data from new and critical perspectives. This will provide the solid scientific foundation upon which to build our precision agriculture technology framework.”

Amakor grew up across different continents including Africa, Europe and North America. He received a master’s degree in Digital Soil Mapping at Ghent University in Belgium. In 2013, he earned his Ph.D in Spatial Soil and Water Management at Utah State University, where he immediately started his postdoctoral work in Biogeochemistry.

Last September, AgReliant Genetics announced an agreement to begin development of the branded precision tool, Advantage Acre ®, which will initially provide a web-based application for growers to track and manage their fields through more precise data on AgReliant Genetics’ unique products, as well as soil, weather and yield. Additionally, there will also be a scouting tool for growers to record notes on plant growth and disease for better pest control management. These initial tools and services will be available to growers in the spring of 2015.