Picketa Systems

Picketa Systems is a Canadian company that offers real-time plant tissue analysis using its Leaf Evaluated Nutrient System (LENS), which was developed collaboratively with farmers in New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. The LENS technology is powered by an optical sensor, which is used to scan unlimited leaf samples, and a machine-learning engine on a cloud infrastructure, which is used to interpret the data gathered by the sensor. Cloud-based algorithms transform the data into nutrient concentrations, which users can access through its web platform or any other farm management software for interpretation and decision-making.

The LENS technology is claimed to eliminate turnaround time in plant sample analysis, enabling growers to make data-driven decisions promptly without disrupting their workflow. It removes the need to ship samples to a laboratory, granting users full control over data collection. The platform also facilitates tracking field performance and assessing the impact of various factors, such as different varieties, fertilizer products, and techniques, across multiple seasons. 

In 2023, the company’s technology was employed by 10 agronomists in Canada and the UK for in-field applications. While initially focused on potatoes, the company was expanding trials to include crops such as corn, onions, carrots, and blueberries, with plans for further diversification. The company's customer, Bell Crop Services, uses LENS across all 15 farms with which it collaborates in Northwest New Brunswick to extend its services to additional farms, seamlessly integrating technology and data into its growing operations. In July 2024, The company has expanded its real-time plant tissue analysis into the US.

Picketa Systems raised nearly CAD 1.4 million (~USD 1.1 million) in a seed funding round led by the New Brunswick Innovation Fund to further develop and deploy its technology, LENS, and broaden the scope of plant applications.