Innovation Park is excited to welcome new tenant BASF to building 328. While the company is new to the park, it already has deep roots here at Penn State. In 2017, BASF acquired ZedX, a leading digital ag intelligence company born from Penn State research and officially founded in 1987.

As a Penn State faculty member, ZedX Founder Joe Russo worked with a team from various disciplines throughout the University to develop agronomic modeling software. The product uses data on weather, pests, disease development and other factors to create models that aid farmers in crop protection and management. For example, if there is a disease in a specific crop in Maryland, the model can predict the likelihood and timeframe of seeing the same disease in other locations, helping to determine when to apply fungicide.

BASF acquired ZedX after a three-year partnership between the companies yielded positive results. Russo said, “Our modeling expertise coupled with BASF’s knowledge of chemistry has truly benefited growers and agriculture. For example, we developed a model that, based on important weather and environmental conditions, identifies the right window of application for a BASF herbicide.”

BASF is a welcome addition to the thriving ecosystem in Innovation Park, adding to a growing digital ag cluster on campus and keeping Penn State at the forefront of the rapidly advancing ag industry.

The future of farming is here, literally.