Throughout its history, São Martinho stands out not only for its longevity, tradition and solidity, but also for its pioneering spirit in adopting a sustainable production model based on technology and innovation, made possible by its constant investments in these themes, which make it a reference in operational excellence.

The Company is attentive to technologies that enhance its results, adopting them quickly and early. Some examples are the production of pre-sprouted seedlings, soil preparation with localized beds, the use of bio-inputs, the application of localized vinasse and the optimization of sugarcane plantation nutrition through the efficient use of industrial co-products, reinforcing the circular economy and promoting nutrient recycling. São Martinho is a great success story in the adoption of sustainable management, in favor of regenerative agriculture.

The use of bioinputs for pest control has occurred for more than four decades, through internal biofactories that produce natural enemies released into the field via drones, based on Integrated Pest Management. In partnership with the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation and the Universidade Estadual Paulista, São Martinho created the Research Center for Phytosanitary Engineering in Sugarcane, which aims to develop people and management through research and technologies, always evaluating sustainable models, since 85% of pest control of the Company is biological São Martinho has a wide range of work aimed at increasing financial results in a sustainable manner.

Among them, the development of varieties stands out, through which the Company enjoys new production levels. With more than 200,000 genotypes being evaluated in the company's testing network, varieties with superior biological potential are selected in relation to current standards in the bioenergy sector, in addition to identifying how to enhance their results in the field through their precise positioning.

Reinforcing its pioneering spirit, São Martinho was one of the first companies in the sector to adopt mechanization in harvesting and planting, working, with strategic partnerships, in the development and improvement of agricultural machinery, as well as being a pioneer in the adoption of the use of pilot automatic, which brings advantages such as parallelism of sugarcane lines and machine traffic control in all agricultural operations. All of this adds up to the various benefits that the autopilot has provided over time, such as the advancement in the use of two-line harvesters, which is already a reality for São Martinho.

São Martinho has always carried out operational data control. At first, records were made manually and, later, via on-board computers, with technological resources available at the time. São Martinho’s actions are based on data and information, but we were reading “yesterday’s newspaper”. A turning point was missing so that real-time information in the palm of your hand would allow management decisions to be made at the ideal time for the crop. This turning point came with the internet in the field.

In 2015, the development of an innovative internet network began, with good coverage and long range, connecting the entire agricultural area. The network came into operation in 2019 with the inauguration of the Agricultural Operations Center at the São Martinho Unit, in Pradópolis, São Paulo. In 2020, it began operating at the Iracema and Santa Cruz Units (both in S ão Paulo) and Boa Vista in Goiás.

With three main lines of action (planning and control, geotechnologies and operational control), the Agricultural Operations Center was inspired by advanced public safety and airspace monitoring centers and operates uninterruptedly, with rooms designed with internet redundancy, energy and with a modern video wall that allows operators to have a panoramic, integrated and real-time view of different sources of information, facilitating the analysis of situations, decision making and coordination of actions in a timely manner.

Thus, the Agricultural Operations Center generates advantages and benefits throughout the production chain, from the automation of vineyard pump houses to the use of remote sensing, both by satellites and drones, in the analysis of sugarcane field biomass, evaluation of failures and phytosanitary monitoring in crops, using Artificial Intelligence, identifying faults and directing teams towards localized and precise action.

The digital map notebook, which each employee can use on mobile devices with information in the palm of their hand, guides professionals through the farms, enabling notes in the field. Combining geographic and artificial intelligence, the Agricultural Operations Center has a fire monitoring system, with long-range, high-resolution cameras, which recognizes and accurately locates fires, alerting controllers. The system uses real-time location of firefighting trucks, directing them to control the incident, reducing the average response time and the impact of the fire on crops.

With solutions based on an intelligent and connected onboard computer, the São Martinho Agricultural Operations Center accesses the telemetry of agricultural machines, for example, to monitor engine rotation, ensuring work in the ideal rotation range. Dynamic Transshipment Allocation optimizes the internal logistics of harvesting fronts, and Raw Material Traceability records the entire process from cutting the sugar cane to the mill. All contributing to the yield and quality of agricultural operations.

The use of technology is also applied to caring for people, thanks to a system that works like a guardian angel for each driver. Cameras in truck cabs utilize telemetry and monitor drivers' safe and economical driving behaviors. Using Artificial Intelligence, they identify fatigue and distractions in real time and generate alerts both inside the cabin for the driver and in the Agricultural Operations Center.

All of the aforementioned technologies make up the first wave of the Agricultural Operations Center. The data is stored in a data lake to carry out advanced analyzes and generate algorithms that optimize production factors, establishing the second wave of development of the São Martinho Agricultural Operations Center.

The Technology and Innovation Center, opened in 2022, creates an environment that enhances digital transformation in the Company, being a place for employees of São Martinho and partner companies to interact and have secure access to databases, with internet coverage 5G, a technology that was first explored, within Brazilian agribusiness, by São Martinho.

The Company has partnerships with international innovation centers such as the Israeli IBITech and the European Network of Research and Innovation Centers and, in 2021, it was one of the founders of Cubo Agro, a vertical of Cubo Itaú, which seeks to boost technological entrepreneurship through through innovation in the agribusiness sector in Brazil and Latin America.

At São Martinho, agriculture is developed based on data and science to enhance financial results. Its pillars are people, management and technologies, ensuring that all practices and management are carried out with excellence. In this way, the maturity of the processes is the result of a solid foundation, built since 1941, and technological sophistication has continually added, in a pioneering way, modern tools. Thus, São Martinho enjoys sustainability in its business and pave its future paths.