Better Together: Monarch Tractor and Scout Partnership Powers a New Era of Sustainable Agriculture Practices in Vineyards
LIVERMORE, CA | NAPA VALLEY, CA - May 6, 2025 — Monarch Tractor, maker of the MK-V, the world’s first 100% electric, driver-optional, and smart tractor and Scout, the leader in an AI-supported precision viticulture data platform, announce a strategic partnership to provide vine-level mapping and analysis during standard MK-V operations, maximizing the value of each tractor pass and further reducing a vineyard’s carbon footprint.
The collaboration pairs Monarch’s zero-emission, energy- and labor-efficient operations with Scout’s AI-supported tech platform delivering highly detailed plant insights for precision management and actionable sustainable farming methods. The deliverable is Monarch’s first-of-its-kind “digital implement.” For vineyard farmers, this digital implement enables more regenerative, biodynamic, and organic practices in modern viticulture that unlock significant savings.
With Monarch and Scout, we’re able to collect valuable data during routine tractor operations.
Brad Kurtz, Vineyard Director, Gloria Ferrer Vineyards
First Digital Implement Supports Sustainable Agriculture Practices
In the world of tractors, implements are tangible objects that when hooked up to a compatible tractor enable that tractor to perform specialized functions that help the farmer or land manager. In keeping with its track record of strategic audacity that has redefined what a compact tractor can accomplish, Monarch is expanding the capabilities of an implement.
Monarch’s MK-V is an electric, robotic, technology platform engineered with an open architecture. This ecosystem opens the door for third-party AI companies to use the MK-V's infrastructure to develop specialized applications, much like how third-party organizations develop an app that runs on a smartphone. With its partnership with Scout, Monarch is introducing a digital implement that pairs with the MK-V to collect plant level information and reports it back to the farmer.
A Shared Vision Empowers Farming’s Future, Starting Today
By combining Scout’s AI-powered plant-level analytics with Monarch’s advanced MK-V tractors, growers can seamlessly conduct routine tasks like mowing while simultaneously gathering high-resolution, vine-level data. Routine passes become opportunities for crop performance optimization with virus detection, canopy and fruit performance analysis, and yield forecast, without increasing emissions or operational complexity. These insights help extend vineyard lifespan and drive sustainability across three critical areas: vine health, operational efficiency, and long-term financial performance.
Our mission at Monarch is to deliver powerful, open solutions that drive farm profitability and planet sustainability — innovations that reduce emissions, automate operations, and empower growers to become more efficient. We’re excited to partner with Scout as our digital partner. Together, we’re equipping vineyards with the visibility, precision, and sustainability they need to thrive in the next generation of agriculture.
Praveen Penmetsa, CEO & Co-founder, Monarch Tractor
Practices like organic, biodynamic, and regenerative farming demand greater surveillance and precision at the vine level – that’s why Scout exists. These approaches require more from growers: more precision to make timely decisions, more performance from every vineyard block, more productivity with fewer inputs, and more profitability through automation and reducing fuel costs. By collecting agronomic data during routine operations, we empower our customers to meet these demands - capturing vital plant-level insights without additional tractor passes, labor expenses, fuel consumption, or emissions.
Kia Behnia, CEO, Scout
Integrated Vine Scouting: Enthusiasm From the Field
Working together strategically means Scout and Monarch Tractor are better together in the vine rows. Notable voices in the wine industry speak up to the value of deploying Monarch’s MK-V tractor for routine operations while armed with Scout’s powerful vine-by-vine level, data collection capabilities as a digital implement.
Enterprise Vineyard Management
“We have a long heritage of pioneering organic and biodynamic farming in California,” says founder of Enterprise Vineyard Management, Phil Coturri. “Farming organically and producing the best fruit comes down to the health of each vine. Scout’s ability to automate vine inventory, monitor canopy development, forecast yield, and flag virus concerns has helped us maintain our high organic standards at scale. By utilizing Monarch’s electric platform to collect that data during our daily tasks, we’re reducing emissions while increasing our oversight. It’s a win for the environment, our customers and our productivity.”
Gloria Ferrer Estate Vineyards
“Having accurate yield estimates has never been more important in the wine industry,” says vineyard director at Gloria Ferrer, Brad Kurtz. “Scout provides us with a comprehensive solution to manage our yield targets and forecast production, allowing us to plan harvest logistics and deliver projections for the business with far greater confidence. With Monarch and Scout, we’re able to collect valuable data during routine tractor operations. It’s a zero-emissions solution that lowers operating costs and brings precision to every decision in the vineyard. In the past, we tried other solutions to address this need, but nothing matched Scout’s ability to make insights accurate, actionable, and effortless.”
Monarch and Scout at Napa RISE
Electrification, automation, and AI-powered insights are reshaping the future of vineyard management. Monarch Tractor and Scout showcased their partnership during the Napa RISE Six Event Series, the wine industry’s premier forum for climate-smart, regenerative farming for three event topic pillars:
- Energy Efficiency & Savings
- Proactive Farming, Soil Health & Biodiversity
- May 8 – Climate Action & Regenerative Agriculture
With its partnership with Scout marking the launch of the first digital implement, Monarch is thrilled to bring a heightened ROI and savings to vineyard owners as well as a new level of possibilities to agriculture and land management applications.
