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Entrants tasked to use analytical and mathematical modeling skills to help solve real-world crop production challenge
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Participants compete for $8,500 in available cash awards and the opportunity to contribute to improving global food security
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Submission deadline is Jan. 11, 2018
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C., USA– Syngenta and the Analytics Society of INFORMS invite analytics and operations research students and professionals to contribute to the future of agriculture by entering the
Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics. The submission period for the competition is now open, and entries will be accepted until Jan. 11, 2018.
Now in its third year, the Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics underscores the cross-industry collaboration that is needed to help feed a growing population. A collaborative effort between
Syngenta and the Analytics Society of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (
INFORMS), the 2018 competition provides entrants with a real-world data set and tasks them to develop a unique equation or methodology to address the research question: Based on historic observations and genetic composition, how will a corn hybrid perform in new locations with varying environmental conditions?
“If corn breeders could accurately predict the performance of each individual hybrid in untested environments, they could make better decisions on which hybrids to move forward and provide to growers,” said Greg Doonan, head of oilseeds genetic projects, Syngenta. “With this competition, we’re tasking participants to apply their analytical and mathematical modeling skills to help solve this question. It is a great opportunity for those outside the ag industry to contribute their expertise to help deliver on the 21st century food production challenge: growing more food to meet the needs of a growing population.”
Entries will be evaluated based on the rigor and validity of the process used to determine which corn hybrids are selected. The winner will receive $5,000; the runner-up, $2,500; and the third-place entry, $1,000. Entries must be submitted by Jan. 11, 2018, and finalists will be announced on or around Mar. 1, 2018. Finalists will be invited to present at the 2018 INFORMS Conference on Business Analytics & Operations Research in Baltimore, Md., in April 2018. The winner will be announced on April 17, 2018.
"In the last two years, I have been a witness of the impact of the Syngenta Crop Challenge,” said Nicolas Martin, assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and committee chair of the Crop Challenge prize committee. “With hundreds of participants and submissions from all over the world from teams from backgrounds in engineering, computer sciences and economics, they provide unparalleled insights to solve complex problems in agriculture."
The Syngenta Crop Challenge in Analytics, which was established in 2015, is supported by Syngenta and hosted by the Analytics Society of INFORMS. It is funded by the prize winnings the company was awarded in connection with its receipt of the 2015 Franz Edelman Award for Achievement in Operations Research and the Management Sciences. The competition exemplifies Syngenta’s commitment to make crops more efficient—an essential pillar of
The Good Growth Plan, Syngenta’s global initiative to improve the sustainability of agriculture.
About Syngenta
Syngenta is a leading agriculture company helping to improve global food security by enabling millions of farmers to make better use of available resources. Through world class science and innovative crop solutions, our 28,000 people in over 90 countries are working to transform how crops are grown. We are committed to rescuing land from degradation, enhancing biodiversity and revitalizing rural communities. To learn more visit
www.syngenta.com and
www.goodgrowthplan.com. Follow us on Twitter at
www.twitter.com/Syngenta and
www.twitter.com/SyngentaUS.
About INFORMS
With 12,500 members from nearly 90 countries, INFORMS is the largest international association of operations research (O.R.) and analytics professionals and students. INFORMS provides unique networking and learning opportunities for individual professionals, and organizations of all types and sizes, to better understand and use O.R. and analytics tools and methods to transform strategic visions and achieve better outcomes.
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(919) 870-5718
INFORMS media contact:
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443-757-3560
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Syngenta supports but is not a sponsor of this INFORMS challenge. Entrants must read and agree to terms and conditions of the challenge, found with the registration materials.