As our world population increases and arable land decreases, it becomes vital to improve the productivity of the agricultural land available. Companies like Syngenta strive to provide varieties of their crops to meet this need.
Every year farmers have to make decisions about which soybean seeds to plant given information about different soybean varieties and knowledge about the soil and climate at their respective farms. These annual decisions are critical - after a variety is planted, the decision is irreversible. Unusual weather patterns can have disastrous impacts on crops.